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Vets debate pros and cons of corporatisation
BEVA Congress is Europe’s largest equine veterinary conference.
Session takes place at BEVA Congress 

The pros and cons of the growing trend of corporatisation of equine practices will be debated at this year’s BEVA Congress.

Conducted in a Moral Maze style, the session takes place on Friday 15 September with panellists and witnesses arguing for and against the viewpoint ‘Corporatisation is inevitable and will benefit vets and their clients’.

The argument for corporatisation is that, besides the obvious commercial and business advantages, their scale and diversity can give vets greater potential for a more flexible career path and advancement within the industry.

But those against corporatisation say that it removes any opportunity to buy into ownership and it reduces decision-making ability because of adherence to corporate procedures. They also claim that corporatisation brings extra paperwork and longer approval processes.

The Moral Maze style of debate follows the format of the popular Radio 4 discussion programme. Moderated by Dr Madeleine Campbell, a recognised specialist in Animal Welfare Science, Keith Chandler and Karl Holliman will argue for corporatisation while Andrew Harrison and Tim Greet will be against. They will call upon a series of ‘witnesses’ for detailed questioning before debating the topic more broadly.

“The auditorium is usually full to bursting for our Moral Maze sessions because they bring a broader and more engaging dimension to important topics,” said David Mountford, chief executive of BEVA. “The statement Corporatisation of equine practices is inevitable and will benefit vets and their clients is bound to generate some stimulating and possibly heated debate.”

BEVA Congress is Europe’s largest equine veterinary conference. This year it takes place at Liverpool Arena Convention Centre from 13-16 September and includes an exciting line-up of ‘big cheese’ speakers, extensive CPD quality science and novel demonstrations. To find out more, visit www.beva.org.uk.

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Applications open for MMI research grants

News Story 1
 RCVS' Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) has launched round two of its veterinary mental health research grants.

Researchers have until 11.59pm on Wednesday, 28 May 2025 to apply for a grant for research which reflects MMI's 2025 focus areas.

Only one Impact Grant was awarded last year, and so this year there are two Discovery Grants and one Impact Grants available. Each Discovery Grant is worth £5,000 and the Impact Grant is worth £15,000.

For more information or to apply, email researchgrants@rcvs.org.uk to contact the MMI team.

 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
BBC Radio 4 documentary addresses corporate fees

BBC Radio 4's File on 4 Investigates has released a documentary exploring how corporate-owned veterinary practices may be inflating bills to increase profit.

Released on 15 April, 'What's Happening To Your Vet Bills?' revealed the policies which many corporate groups have in place to increase their profits. This included targets and upgrades which veterinary teams are tasked with meeting on a regular basis.

It also features Anrich Vets, an independently-owned practice based in Wigan. Following the case of Staffordshire terrier Benjy, who is diagnosed with a tumour, the documentary shares how the team were able to offer contextualised care and advice to make the procedure as affordable as possible for his owners.

The documentary can be heard on demand on BBC iPlayer.