The BVA has renewed its guidance for members in relation to the announcement of lockdown

The BVA has renewed its guidance for members, following Scotland’s new local COVID Protection Levels system and the Prime Minister’s declaration that England will move into a national lockdown on Thursday 5 November.

The guidance emphasises that veterinary practises, which must continue to operate in COVID-safe ways, are essential companies and can remain open.

Also, it notes that, if possible, veterinary staff should operate from home and that veterinary practitioners should practise clinical judgement, in the sense of the lockdown, to determine and triage critical animal and welfare needs.

Lastly, the BVA guidance states that neighbouring practices should support one another and be mindful of working across national borders.

James Russell, BVA president, stated: “We are very pleased that governments across the UK continue to recognise the importance of access to veterinary services during these local and national lockdowns, for animal health and welfare, public health and keeping the food supply going. However, as veterinary professionals, we all have an incredibly important role to play in tackling the spread of the virus – so we must continue to work as safely as possible to protect ourselves and our clients. The latest guidance from BVA focuses on the clinical and professional judgement of our colleagues to assess whether and how clients can be seen safely, as well as considering whether they need to be seen in person. Over the past 7 months, veterinary teams have worked incredibly hard to put safe working measures in place, including the use of remote consultations, so we are in a very strong position to get through the new lockdown measures. We know from our recent Voice survey that members are concerned about stress and burnout within the profession, so I want to remind colleagues to continue to look out for one another and continue to communicate within teams so that everyone understands and feels comfortable with the protocols.”