James Russell speaks on BBC radio regarding vet employment crisis

The British Veterinary Association’s president, James Russell, has made a plea to pet owners asking them to seriously deliberate in advance of adopting an animal because the unemployment crisis that vet practices are currently experiencing mean they are unable to cope with exponential increased demand for services.

On Thursday the 19th August, James Russell spoke on BBC Radio 5 Live to give more details about the extent to which vets across England are being impacted as a result of shortages in staff. With many feeling overcome by the increase in vet patients.
When Mr Russell spoke on the BBC station’s Wake up to Money, he said “Like many sectors emerging from the pandemic, the veterinary profession is already exhausted. We’re facing the triple whammy of Brexit, COVID and the boom in pet ownership putting unprecedented pressure on veterinary services across the country.”

“Unfortunately, some vet practices have had to close their books to new registrations as they simply don’t have the staff or space to provide care for more animals. No one wants to turn away new clients, but vets must prioritise the animals currently under their care.”
“This means access to routine health care may have to be delayed and owners may find they need to travel further than usual to access care. But vets will always be there in an emergency to provide pain relief and emergency care. We know how worrying it is when your pet is unwell, but we’re appealing to owners to respect the vet’s judgement on what constitutes an emergency.”
“There’s no quick fix to find additional capacity so we’re asking people to think long and hard before they take on a new pet to make sure they can meet all of its needs, including access to veterinary care.”