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Pfizer survey sheds light on motivations
4000 responses analysed

Pfizer has announced the results of a recent VetSupport+ Initiative survey designed to investigate what drives workers in the veterinary sector. More than 4000 responses were received, including the thoughts of 749 practice owners, practice managers and partners, and nearly 3500 individual employees of the nation's veterinary practices. The VetSupport+ team and an independent expert were able to identify major trends and hope to repeat the research on a regular basis so that employee engagement can be monitored on a long-term basis.

Key factors for engaging a veterinary team identified by the study include team effectiveness, employee performance management and leadership. Commenting on the findings, Director Business Innovation at Pfizer Animal Health Ned Flaxman said "At face value this data makes for very interesting reading and the identification of the key drivers of engagement in practice is the practical benefit for practices to prioritise their focus of activity on staff management. This research will enable us to work with practices to do their own employee engagement survey to be benchmarked against the national study. This will provide an evidence-based approach to identify the biggest gaps for improvement, and our Vet Support+ team can work with practices to deliver solutions for those challenges whether leadership, team effectiveness or performance management."

Key findings from the Employee Engagement Survey:
  • 80% of practice owners believe there is a great deal of trust in the team
  • 43% of staff state they do not receive a formal appraisal meeting
  • 32% of practice owners admit their teams do not receive a formal appraisal meeting
  • 23% of employees believe their management team are not accessible
  • 31% of staff admit they are not willing to put in effort beyond the norm
  • 30% of staff do not believe communication is good in their practice
  • 52% of staff do not believe they receive on-going communications about their performance
  • 52% of staff believe poor performers are not managed effectively
  • 53% of both staff and vets believe they/their teams would be happy to spend the rest of their career with their practice
  • 43% of staff do not believe everyone is treated equally
  • 85% of practice owners believe everyone in their team is treated equally
  • 17% of staff admit to actively looking for a new position
  • 20% of nurses believe they are not given sufficient freedom to provide a personal service to their customers
  • 51% of staff do not have a personal development plan
  • 69% of employed vets do not believe their pay and performance are linked
  • 17% of staff are actively looking for a new position
  • 15% are unsure about their intentions to stay

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Defra shares new Sanitary and Phytosanitary guidance

News Story 1
 Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.

The agreement, which will change the movement and trade of animals and related products, could see reductions in checks, paperwork and certification. As well as describing regulatory developments, the advice highlights the importance of animal ID, registration and traceability in disease control and other compliance arrangements.

The guidance can be found here. More detail is expected as negotiations progress. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Lords Committee opens Pet Parasite Medication inquiry

The House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee will launch its inquiry into Pet Parasite Medication (PPM) on Wednesday (3 June).

Focusing on treatments containing fipronil and imidacloprid, the inquiry will seek to understand distribution pathways and the impacts of PPM use and non-use on biodiversity and human health. It will also cover current regulation, monitoring, and the potential implications for pets and their owners.

The committee will hear evidence from environmental non-governmental organisations and research institutes. The public can follow the proceedings live on Parliament TV or in person in the Palace of Westminster.