Majority of British public trust vets
78 per cent of people using veterinary services are satisfied or very satisfied with the level of service they receive.
Over 90 per cent of the general public trusts the veterinary profession generally or completely, according to a national opinion poll.
The poll, commissioned as part of the Vet Futures initiative, quizzed more than 2,000 members of the public. It revealed that 94 per cent of the general public trusts the veterinary profession either generally or completely.
The results put veterinary surgeons above GPs, dentists, and head teachers in terms of how well the key professions are trusted in Great Britain.
Commenting on the findings, BVA's president John Blackwell said: “The veterinary profession sets itself very high standards and we know from our own member research that vets are particularly concerned, and sometimes worried, about how their clients - and wider society - perceive them. So it is particularly heartening to learn that the general public holds the profession in such high regard in relation to trust."
In a list of key professions, the veterinary profession came third in terms of overall trust. Pharmacists took the top spot with a 97 per cent trust rating. Opticians took second place with 95 per cent.
The survey also revealed that 78 per cent of people using veterinary services are satisfied or very satisfied with the level of service they receive.
Furthermore, the survey found that 70 per cent of those who use veterinary services rate the value for money offered by their practice as fair, good or excellent.
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
