VetPartners closes surgeries amid strike action
Staff and services will be moved to an animal hospital, with some redundancies expected.
VetPartners has permanently closed four of its Valley Vets surgeries as strike action continues from members of its staff.
The strike, which started in July 2024, was launched amid allegations that VetPartners was profiteering off pet owners while paying its staff ‘poverty wages’.
In September, VetPartners temporarily closed the four surgeries, in Cardiff, Caerphilly, Pentyrch and Ystrad Mynach, stating the move was necessary for them to review the business future of Valley Vets. However, the striking veterinary team’s union, Unite, claims this was an intimidation tactic.
VetPartners has now confirmed that the closure of these surgeries is permanent, with staff and service being moved to VetPartners’ animal hospital in Gwaelod y Garth. This will result in a number of redundancies.
Unite has suggested that the closures are a strategy for VetPartners to quash discontent across its 400 sites, as those on strike had been about to renew their strike mandate.
Those on strike have been accusing VetPartners of overcharging its clients while underpaying its staff. Eighty per cent of Valley Vets support staff say they have regularly had to borrow money to make ends meet and five per cent say they have had to use a food bank.
Unite says that VetPartners had claimed it could not afford to raise the wages of its lowest paid staff, despite reporting gross profits of £553m in 2023.
Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, said: “VetPartners’ behaviour shows why it is under investigation by the CMA. Its business model is based on the US healthcare market and mercilessly profiteers from people’s love of their pets.
“Rather than address the concerns its Valley Vets workers’ have at workers using food banks and pet owners putting their animals down because they can’t afford treatment, it shuts surgeries to try and silence them.”
However, in a statement, VetPartners said that the decision had been made due to staff shortages and concerns about Valley Vets’ sustainability.
Valley Vets said: “Over the past four years, we have been experiencing an acute shortage of vets. By closing the branches, we will be able to make best use of our veterinary team, reduce our use of locum vets and make our practice more sustainable.
“The closure of the branches means that, unfortunately, a small number of our employees in support roles are now at risk of redundancy.
“We understand this will be a difficult time for all the people affected but we want to ensure a sustainable future and to ensure that Valley Vets can continue to provide a great service to its valued clients in South Wales.”
Image © Unite
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
