RCVS launches Surveys of the Professions 2024
The Surveys of the Professions take place every four to five years.
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) has opened its Surveys of the Professions for 2024, inviting both veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses to share their career experiences and ambitions.
The results of these surveys will be used to inform RCVS’ future strategies and policies for 2025-2029.
RCVS’ Surveys of the Professions consists of two separate questionnaires, one for veterinary surgeons and one for veterinary nurses, which can be taken online. Participation is voluntary, and the questionnaires will remain open until 5pm on Friday 16 February.
The surveys include a range of qualitative and quantitative questions, asking participants about their typical working day, career aspirations and the state of their physical and mental wellbeing.
Responses to the survey will not only be used by RCVS for its strategies, but are also shared with the Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), its agencies and other stakeholders and veterinary bodies. All responses are confidential and anonymous.
The surveys can be completed by veterinary professionals from a variety of backgrounds, including those who are working overseas, retired or are no longer practising. Veterinary nurses who are in their Period of Supervised Practice are also eligible to take part.
They will be managed by the Institute of Employment Studies, who will produce a report of the project’s key findings after the survey has closed.
The Surveys of the Professions take place every four to five years, with the most recent study conducted in 2019.
The results of this survey contributed to the formation of RCVS’ current strategy. This has included its work to become a ‘compassionate regulator’, with its focus on the veterinary workforce and its Mind Matters initiative.
This year’s survey is currently live, and email invites have been sent to registered veterinary professionals.
Lizzie Lockett, RCVS CEO, said: “Our Surveys of the Professions are not just a useful and interesting snapshot of the veterinary professions at a particular moment in time, but are really consequential in terms of what we do with the results.”
She added: “Please don’t miss out on having your say, and a huge thank you for taking the time to support this important work.”
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
