Your data on MRCVSonline
The nature of the services provided by Vision Media means that we might obtain certain information about you.
Please read our Data Protection and Privacy Policy for details.

In addition, (with your consent) some parts of our website may store a 'cookie' in your browser for the purposes of
functionality or performance monitoring.
Click here to manage your settings.
If you would like to forward this story on to a friend, simply fill in the form below and click send.

Your friend's email:
Your email:
Your name:
 
 
Send Cancel

Survey shows improvement in practice turnover
Some 46 of practices that responded to the May survey said there had been a 25 to 50 per cent drop in turnover.

Profession responds to second RCVS survey of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The RCVS has published its second report of the impact of the the COVID-19 pandemic, revealing an improvement in practice turnover and fewer staff members self-isolating with suspected symptoms.

More than 250 practices responded to the second RCVS survey of the COVID-19 pandemic, sent to 3,139 practices between 1-5 May. This is compared to the 532 responses to the first survey, which took place in April.

The survey reveals that fewer practices were affected by vets and veterinary nurses having to self-isolate with suspect COVID-19 symptoms. In the April survey, some 30 per cent of respondent practices were affected by this compared to 20 per cent in the May survey.

It also found that the majority of respondents (69 per cent) were seeing a reduced caseload, including some emergency work, while 26 per cent had reduced to emergency caseloads only. This is compared to 97 per cent of practices in April that had limited their caseloads to emergency or urgent cases only.

The survey also highlighted an improvement in practice turnover, with 46 per cent of respondents noting there had been a 25 to 50 per cent drop in turnover, while just six per cent of practices reported more than a 75 per cent fall in turnover. In the April survey, 42 per cent of respondents reported a 51-75 per cent fall in turnover, while 24 per cent reported a fall in turnover of more than 75 per cent.

Commenting on the finding, RCVS CEO Lizzie Lockett said: “This latest survey has identified some positive trends in terms of a slight uptick in business, including turnover, and fewer incidences of staff having to take time off with COVID or COVID-like symptoms.

“I am glad to see that the framework we published in April has, so far as we can see, provided veterinary professionals with greater guidance and reassurance regarding the fact that if it is feasible to do something safely under social distancing guidelines, then they can go ahead if they choose to.”

She continued: “We left plenty of scope for veterinary professionals to use their clinical judgement as to what services actually offer, depending on their facilities, level of staffing, availability of protective equipment, local disease pressures and so on.

“However, it is also clear that we are, by no means, out of the woods and that veterinary businesses are still struggling financially, with some of them reporting a very acute impact of the coronavirus and the associated restrictions on their businesses.

“We will continue to monitor the situation via these regular surveys, with the next one planned for early June. I would urge as many practices as possible to continue to complete them so that we can build up a stronger evidence-base on how veterinary businesses have been affected.

“This information is not only vital for our own policy decisions but also allows us to present a stronger case to the Government and other public bodies where we wish to influence the decisions they make that will impact the veterinary professions and businesses.”

The full survey results can be found on the RCVS website.

Become a member or log in to add this story to your CPD history

Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
New guidance for antibiotic use in rabbits

New best practice guidance on the responsible use of antibiotics in rabbits has been published by the BSAVA in collaboration with the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund (RWA&F).

The guidance is free and has been produced to help veterinary practitioners select the most appropriate antibiotic for rabbits. It covers active substance, dose and route of administration all of which are crucial factors when treating rabbits owing to the risk of enterotoxaemia.

For more information and to access the guide, visit the BSAVALibrary.