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Brexit – challenges and solutions
Professor The Lord (Sandy) Trees.
Impacts on the veterinary workforce

"Brexit has not been the cause of where we are now, it has simply focused our attention on it," suggested Professor The Lord (Sandy) Trees, speaking at the BSAVA Congress.

The current situation is a 'perfect storm' consisting of the coming together of four factors that were, in fact, issues prior to the 2016 Referendum and our present concerns about Brexit, he said. These factors are: the flatlining of undergraduate applications; graduate output that is not sufficient to replace the losses from the indigenous veterinary workforce; disillusionment with the profession leading to poor retention; and the potential loss of EU-trained veterinary surgeons.

Many potential vets are first attracted by how the profession is represented in the media. The problem is that the media do not present a balanced view of the veterinary profession, which immediately leads to the need to manage undergraduate expectations – when they arrive at vet school – as to the realities of practice life.

Lord Trees posed a series of questions. Are we doing enough to educate careers advisers in secondary schools? Are we selecting students for all the personality traits that best suit them for life as a vet surgeon? Do we actually prepare undergraduate students for the realities of veterinary practice?

Possible solutions to vet retention in practice include: keeping the EU nationals we already have; expanding veterinary practice team roles, especially those of veterinary nurses; introducing debt relief to encourage recruitment into certain sectors; providing 're-entry' incentives for vets who have temporarily left practice; and we need to have more flexible degree options for the training of greater numbers of UK vets.

Perhaps the 'corporates' could become more involved in veterinary education? Could we work more SMART-ly? We can certainly make better use of the veterinary team and the harnessing of existing and emerging technology.

Adding to the debate, RCVS president, Stephen May, posed further questions that needed to be answered. Will the mutual recognition of veterinary qualifications across the European veterinary schools be retained?

Will there be consequences following constraints on free movement? It might mean that insufficient numbers of EU graduates can be permitted entry into the UK to maintain the UK veterinary workforce. This would have a particular influence on the meat industry and a 'knock on' effect on general practice.

Concluding, Lord Trees said that although many of the factors involved long-term solutions, one simple, short-term measure is to find ways of retaining the practising vets we already have.

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Birmingham Dogs Home makes urgent appeal

News Story 1
 Birmingham Dogs Home has issued an urgent winter appeal as it faces more challenges over the Christmas period.

The rescue centre has seen a dramatic increase in dogs coming into its care, and is currently caring for over 200 dogs. With rising costs and dropping temperatures, the charity is calling for urgent support.

It costs the charity £6,000 per day to continue its work.

Fi Harrison, head of fundraising and communications, said: "It's heart-breaking for our team to see the conditions some dogs arrive in. We really are their last chance and hope of survival."

More information about the appeal can be found here

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News Shorts
Avian flu confirmed at premises in Cornwall

A case of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 has been detected in commercial poultry at a premises near Rosudgeon, Cornwall.

All poultry on the infected site will be humanely culled, and a 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone have been put in place. Poultry and other captive birds in the 3km protection zone must be housed.

The case is the second avian flu case confirmed in commercial poultry this month. The H5N5 strain was detected in a premises near Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, in early November. Before then, the disease had not been confirmed in captive birds in England since February.

The UK chief veterinary officer has urged bird keepers to remain alert and practise robust biosecurity.

A map of the disease control zones can be found here.