The survey of 2,256 horse owners examined current EHV vaccination rates, owner understanding of the disease, and perceived barriers to uptake.
While 95% of respondents reported vaccinating for influenza and tetanus, only 17% said they vaccinate for EHV despite 86% believing vaccination significantly reduces disease spread.
The most commonly cited reason for not vaccinating against EHV was that their vet had not recommended it, reported by 65% of respondents.
40% said they were unaware that a vaccine was available.
Although 98% recognised equine gatherings as a risk factor for EHV transmission, more than a quarter did not fully understand how the virus spreads or the risks posed to their horse.
75% reported frequently taking horses off their home premises.
94% understood that nose-to-nose contact could transmit the virus.
However, one in four did not know EHV could also spread via airborne droplets, shared equipment, handlers or bedding.
78% of owners not currently vaccinating said they would be likely to do so after learning more about the potential impact of the disease.
Zoetis National Equine Veterinary Manager Dr Wendy Talbot said the findings reinforced the influence of veterinary recommendation in reducing the risk of EHV outbreaks.
Reference
The new joiners are The London Cat Clinic in Bermondsey, Grace Lane Vets in Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire, Midsomer Vets in Somerset, and Orchard House Vets, which operates across three sites in Northumberland.
VetThing is part of Vetopia, which has more than 200 practices across nine countries.
Practices that join VetThing from Vetopia's network, resources and approach.
VetThing CEO Dr Ben Hanning MRCVS said: "As a vet myself, I know how much of a practice owner's identity is tied up in their practice and the people within it.
"That's precisely why VetThing has been built the way it has.
"Every practice that joins us does so on the basis that what makes them special is protected, not compromised and given space to flourish.
"The support that we provide enables practices to develop their clinical services and invest in technology, equipment and most importantly, their people."
www.vetthing.co.uk
The cross-sectional study, published in PLOS One, evaluated 898 dogs across 14 breeds and assessed conformational risk factors associated with BOAS.
Only 11% of Pekingese were graded free of BOAS.
Japanese Chins also showed high levels of disease, with only 17.4% graded unaffected.
King Charles Spaniels, Shih Tzus and Boston Terriers demonstrated intermediate risk profiles.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Pomeranians, Boxers and Chihuahuas had substantially lower proportions of clinically affected dogs.
Across all breeds, increased facial shortening, dynamic nostril collapse and higher body condition score were significantly associated with BOAS severity.
Francesca Tomlinson, lead author and PhD researcher at the University of Cambridge, said: “Our research shows that BOAS varies widely between brachycephalic breeds.
"By understanding these differences and identifying key risk factors, we can move towards more targeted and effective strategies to improve welfare.”
The findings provide updated comparative data for clinicians advising owners on risk, weight management and early respiratory grading, and support structured respiratory grading schemes, including those led by The Royal Kennel Club.
References
The platform is designed to help practices manage HR and compliance requirements without dedicated HR support, in the face of increasing inspections.
Agilio said iTeam centralises HR tasks, automates compliance, and can include optional access to HR advisers for more complex people issues.
iTeam includes built-in veterinary-specific compliance checks, plus workflows and integrated learning tools that do not require specialist HR expertise.
The company says the software can also handle automated reminders and workflows, leave and absence management, and staff records and policies.
iTeam can also support CPD tracking via iLearn Vet integration.
Agilio says rota management is planned next via iRota, described as a dedicated workforce planning solution for visibility of shifts, cover and capacity.
Emma Barnes, Managing Director – Emerging Markets at Agilio Software, said: “iTeam was designed to make HR compliance simple and manageable, without adding unnecessary complexity.”
https://agiliosoftware.com/veterinary
Dates and venues are:
Each event provides six hours of interactive CPD designed for the whole veterinary team.
The sessions will be led by QI speakers Lou Northway RVN, Julie Gibson MRCVS and Rachel Clay MRCVS.
RCVS Knowledge said the expanded in-person programme is intended to make hands-on quality improvement support more accessible across regions.
Content will cover applying QI principles to real workplace projects, building systems that learn from errors, and approaches including clinical audit and significant event analysis, with peer discussion across practices.
RCVS Knowledge Clinical Lead Lou Northway said: “It’s time to put ‘we’ve always done it this way’ in the bin and embrace a ‘could it be better?’ mindset.”
London tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/qi-in-a-day-london-tickets-1976907557722 Bristol tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/qi-in-a-day-bristol-tickets-1980388235523 Newcastle tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/qi-in-a-day-newcastle-tickets-1980388352874
The software is designed to help practice managers plan rotas across roles including vets, nurses, receptionists and support staff.
Agilio says that iTeam Rota can help practices spot staffing gaps earlier, manage leave, sickness and CPD on a single screen, and give team members access to an up-to-date rota from any device.
The company also says the system can support repeatable shift patterns and multi-site rota management.
Emma Barnes, Managing Director of Emerging Markets at Agilio (pictured), said: "Anyone who's ever wrestled a rota in a spreadsheet knows that sinking feeling when you've just got it straight, and then someone changes their hours or calls in sick and you're back to square one.
"It's a constant firefight, and never a finished job."
"We've built iTeam Rota specifically for veterinary practices because their staffing challenges are unlike other sectors, and generic tools simply don't cope with that.
"Practices are dealing with more part-time roles, flexible working patterns and multi-site teams, and need a rota system that mirrors how their people actually work, and not the other way round."
agiliosoftware.com/veterinary/iteam-rota
The week is intended to raise awareness and understanding of the role of Suitably Qualified Persons (SQPs), also known as Animal Medicines Advisors.
The organisers are encouraging retailers, pharmaceutical companies, animal owners, veterinary practice teams, government and SQPs to take part.
A campaign toolkit is being developed and will be launched ahead of the week.
The toolkit will include downloadable resources such as logos, posters, FAQs and activation ideas, and will be accessible to anyone wishing to participate.
The organisers said the campaign follows an industry survey indicating limited awareness of SQP expertise among animal owners and parts of the veterinary and animal medicines professions.
AMTRA CEO Stephen Dawson said: “SQPs are highly qualified professionals, yet many people who interact with them don’t fully understand their expertise—or the benefits they can bring.
“This campaign is here to change that.”
Stakeholders are being asked to mark their calendars, promote the week and plan activities in advance of the toolkit release.
The clinic sits within the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals’ Nephrology and Urology service and will monitor dogs during the three months after an AKI episode, when ongoing complications such as high blood pressure can emerge.
Access is via referral from the patient’s primary care veterinary practice.
Ahead of each appointment, owners complete a pre-appointment questionnaire about the dog’s wellbeing at home.
Patients then receive a clinical re-examination with the Nephrology and Urology team, with support from Emergency and Critical Care specialists.
Monitoring includes blood and urine testing and blood pressure measurement, with ultrasound considered depending on discussion at the appointment.
Owners attending the clinic can opt into a longitudinal research study looking at longer-term outcomes after AKI.
Professor Rosanne Jepson, Professor in Small Animal Nephrology and Internal Medicine at the RVC, said: “We hope that clients who are keen to attend this clinic will be willing to also participate in a study so that we can keep in touch with owners and dogs that have been treated for AKI, monitoring their clinical response and also quality of life, so that in the future we can better understand and continually give the very best care in this important recovery period.”
https://rvc.uk.com/renal-clinic
The room has calming colours, plants, soft furnishings, blankets and sensory resources.
Students have access to wellbeing packs containing sweets and stickers, a positive mindset board, wellbeing information and resources, and reflection and mindfulness materials.
It also includes fidget toys and sensory aids, colouring books, a book exchange, card and board games, and bracelet-making activities.
The college currently has 160 apprentices from a variety of practices studying on its Diploma in Veterinary Nursing and Veterinary Care Support Certificate courses.
Emma Eve-Raw, head of centre, said: "With streamed lessons, continuous screen use, and the pressures of balancing study alongside clinical work, many students found themselves remaining connected to technology throughout the day, with limited opportunities for reflection, rest, or meaningful peer interaction.
"The wellbeing room is a space where students are encouraged to pause, regulate, and reconnect - both with themselves and with their cohort.
"These skills are essential not only for academic success, but for long-term resilience within veterinary practice.
"Learning how to take protected time away from screens, emotionally reset and engage positively with colleagues is a vital professional skill within such a demanding sector."
gvnc.co.uk
The two 90-minute sessions, led by clinical psychologist Dr Helena Tucker, will cover how menstrual hormones affect stress, performance and emotional regulation, what realistic workplace adjustments can look like, how to advocate for yourself and others and how to engage colleagues and leadership in creating sustainable, stigma-free change.
They will also look at the workplace impact of PMS, PMDD, perimenopause, menopause, fertility challenges, pregnancy loss, hormonal treatment and other “significant hormonal transitions”.
The organisers said the content is designed to be “realistic about the demands of veterinary environments” and aimed at individuals and leaders having meaningful conversations about support and adjustments.
Katie Ford, co-founder of Vet Empowered, said: “You may never personally experience menstrual hormones, but you almost certainly live with someone who does, or have someone in your team who does.
"Understanding our biology as human beings, and how we can thoughtfully adapt our workplaces to honour that, benefits everyone.
"This is not about resilience or weakness.
"It is about biology, and what we can do with that knowledge.”
Session 1, Creating a Hormone-Friendly Veterinary Workplace, runs on Sunday 29 March 2026 at 10:00am BST for 90 minutes.
Session 2, From Awareness to Action - Advocacy and Sustainable Support in Veterinary Teams, runs on Saturday 11 April 2026 at 10:00am BST for 90 minutes.
The organisers said both sessions will be recorded and are open to vets, nurses, practice managers, leaders, and anyone who wants to better support colleagues and teams.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/1gjSl4osQkKnihbgUVRpQQ#/registration
The series, titled "Under pressure: management of feline hypertension and concurrent disease", is available on the Ceva Academy website and consists of eight short videos offering 1.5 hours CPD.
It's presented by Rosanne Jepson BVSc MVetMed PhD DipACVIM DipECVIM PGCertVetEd FHEA MRCVS, professor of small animal internal medicine and nephrology at the Royal Veterinary College (pictured).
The series is designed to help delegates recognise feline hypertension, understand its relationship with conditions including chronic kidney disease and hyperthyroidism, and apply practical, evidence-led management strategies.
It also offers practical guidance on complex case management and an overview of diagnosis and treatment pathways for CKD and hyperthyroidism.
https://ceva.vbms-training.co.uk
The study was led by Ruby Chang, Associate Professor of Statistics at the RVC, and carried out by Dr Hanya Ahmed.
The team compiled a databank of images, including 100 equine fracture cases from two UK equine hospitals and published literature, alongside 70 feline cases from hospital databases and around 4,000 human fracture images from a public database.
Using these images, the researchers built a three-stage AI system that first identifies the scan type, then recognises the image angle, before detecting and precisely localising fractures.
The system used transfer learning, enabling it to be trained on the large human dataset before being adapted for equine cases.
Using this method, the system achieved a reported fracture localisation accuracy of between 71 and 84% without requiring an unrealistically large number of equine images.
The RVC said the findings demonstrate the potential for AI-assisted tools to strengthen fracture diagnosis across veterinary practice.
It said faster and more reliable detection could reduce uncertainty in clinical decision-making and enable earlier treatment for racehorses and companion animals.
Building on the work, the team has expanded its collaboration with the Hong Kong Jockey Club to investigate whether AI can identify early bone changes before fracture occurs.
The study has been shortlisted for the STEM for Britain 2026 award and was funded by the Horserace Betting Levy Board.
The initiative is aimed at increasing screening throughout the year and helping identify cats living with untreated hypertension.
Challenge 20 encourages vet professionals to screen and record over 20 new feline blood pressure measurements per practice in cats at increased risk, including those with concurrent diseases such as chronic kidney disease and hyperthyroidism, those with signs of target organ damage and all cats over seven years of age.
After the feedback session, the Ceva vet will work with the practice to identify any training requirements and create a tailored plan, before repeating the challenge to track progress and fine-tune the approach.
Ceva is also providing marketing materials focusing on hidden hypertension and concurrent disease, including a cat owner poster, leaflet, owner email content and a social media toolkit.
The company is also offering dedicated time and guidance from its territory managers to help implement better screening protocols.
A feline hypertension bitesize video CPD series is also available at the Ceva Academy: https://ceva.vbms-training.co.uk
Andrew Fullerton, senior product manager at Ceva, said: "Over 1,200 cats were screened during Ceva's 2025 feline hypertension campaign and a third of them were identified as hypertensive1."
He added: "We continue to encourage vet professionals to test for feline hypertension in all cats over seven years of age, with a particular focus on those more susceptible to high blood pressure, such as those with concurrent diseases and those with signs of target organ damage through our Challenge 20 initiative."
https://easethepressure.co.uk
The study, led by Svenja Springer from the Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, used an online questionnaire in March 2022 to investigate dog and cat owners in Austria, Denmark and the UK, with a final sample of 2,117 owners.
The survey found that differences in insurance uptake across income groups were seen only in the UK, where 65.6% of owners in the high-income group (more than £44,800 a year) had insurance compared with only 35.1% in the low-income group (less than £22,400 a year).
Overall, 51.5% of UK households in the sample had insurance and 48.5% did not.
Among owners without insurance, UK respondents were much more likely to say policies were too expensive (48.9%) compared with 28.1% in Denmark and 29.9% in Austria.
However, when it comes to how much owners are prepared to spend on veterinary treatment, the paper concludes that emotional attachment to a pet was the most important factor, over and above income or insurance status.
Nevertheless, only around 20% of UK dog owners said they would spend over £3000 of their own money — that is, over and above any insured sum — on treatment.
Some 24.8% of the owners of uninsured dogs and 34.7% of the owners of insured dogs said they would spend £101 to £1000 of their own money.
Around 11% said they would spend £1001 - £3000 and 19.8% of insured vs 27.1% of uninsured said they didn't know.
The programme includes lectures by recognised experts in exotic animal and aquatic medicine.
Topics include “Ferret Emergencies: A Practical Approach to the Critical Patient”, “Hoppy Rabbits – The Role of the Veterinary Nurse in Creating a Rabbit-Friendly Practice”, “That’s a Lot of Axolotl!” – Care and Common Conditions of Axolotls”, and “No Vein, No Gain: Catheters, Intubation and Minimising Blood Loss in Exotic Surgery”.
The conference includes live Q&A sessions with speakers.
All sessions will be recorded, with access provided to attendees after the event.
A Zoom link will be sent to registered delegates in the week before the event.
Ticket sales end 14 May 2026.
Tickets cost £200.
https://justexoticsevents.co.uk/product/16th-17th-may-2026-just-exotics-virtual-conference-2026
The sessions are aimed at vets, vet nurses, SQPs and RAMAs involved in anthelmintic prescribing, and are designed to support implementation of new sustainable equine parasite control guidelines from the BEVA and Canter.
The webinars will be presented by Professor Jacqui Matthews, an RCVS Recognised Specialist in Parasitology, and Dr Wendy Talbot, Zoetis RCVS and European Specialist in Internal Medicine.
Participants can submit real-world case scenarios for discussion by emailing details to wendy.talbot@zoetis.com at least four weeks before each webinar. There is no obligation for case submitters to speak during the webinar.
The remaining scheduled sessions are:
The webinar series can be recorded as self-reflective CPD.
https://canterforhorses.org.uk/guidelines/
https://www.beva.org.uk/Resources/Medicines/Anthelmintic-Toolkit
The one-year fixed-term programme pays £26,208 and is designed for newly-qualified nurses to develop day one and referral nursing skills.
Langford Vets recommends the programme for nurses up to 3 years qualified who want more experience in a referral setting.
Interns will rotate through departments including theatre, emergency and critical care, wards nursing and anaesthesia.
The role includes exposure to specialist areas of veterinary nursing in a high-volume referral setting.
Each intern will have mentorship from the Nursing Intern Lead and a designated career mentor.
The programme includes participation in specialised procedures, patient care and diagnostics.
Interns can choose one rotation, including oncology, cardiology, dermatology and physiotherapy.
Chloe Pilgrim, Nurse Intern Lead said: "This internship offers a chance to grow both professionally and personally."
https://www.langfordvets.co.uk/work-with-us/nursing-rotating-internship-2026-2027
The feature is live on Ronda.vet and calculates a reliability score for every practice and every locum based solely on confirmed shift cancellations and the notice period given.
The score appears publicly on each profile, and practices and locums can view each other's reliability rates before confirming a booking.
The system allows practices to see how often a locum has cancelled shifts and with how much notice, while locums can see which practices have cancelled confirmed shifts at short notice.
The reliability rate is calculated using a standardised penalty points model.
Cancellations made 14 days or more before a shift incur 0.5 penalty points, while cancellations with less than 24 hours' notice, or no-shows, incur five points.
For practices, the same logic applies, and a practice which cancels a confirmed shift with less than 24 hours' notice accrues the same penalty points as a locum doing so.
New practices and locums with no confirmed shifts display "N/A", while those with penalty points but no offsetting completions may show 0 per cent.
The system applies automatically to every confirmed shift on the platform.
Ibra Hernando, co-founder, Ronda.vet, and veterinary surgeon, said: "Reliability is the foundation of trust in locum work but, until now, it has largely been invisible until something went wrong."
"By making reliability rates visible and reciprocal, we are giving both practices and locums the same tool to assess each other."
Ronda.vet has also confirmed that exceptional circumstances such as illness or emergency can be reviewed by the support team, and the score is not intended to permanently penalise anyone for isolated incidents.
Dignipets says that as well as supporting clients, referring this aspect of care to qualified counsellors can also reduce the emotional strain on veterinary teams.
Last year, Dignipets launched a free app for pet carers that offers quality of life scoring tools and a connection with the Dignipets hospice team.
Dignipets says that the app can strengthen the relationship between vet practices and their clients, in a partnership where the vet team provides the best care for the pet, Dignipets provides specialist hospice support and QOL guidance, and the APBC offers professional emotional support for clients, reflecting a more holistic model of veterinary care.
Merel Taal, Founder and Principal Director at Dignipets, said: "Coping with the loss of a pet can be extremely difficult and there is no shame in seeking professional support to get through such a challenging time.
"But what really excites me is that we can now reach pet carers so much sooner - before loss, during those incredibly hard weeks and months of anticipatory grief.
"This is an amazing extra feature that means we hopefully get more pet carers struggling with anticipatory grief the support that they need - sooner."
https://www.dignipets.co.uk
Kirsty, who is the Acting Registrar at Scotland's Rural College, will take up the three-year post from the RCVS Annual General Meeting on Friday 3 July 2026.
She has been an elected member of VN Council since 2024 and qualified as a veterinary nurse in 1999.
She has worked in veterinary nursing education for over 20 years in areas including curriculum development and programme validation and accreditation, including chairing veterinary nursing accreditation panels for the RCVS.
She replaces Belinda Andrews-Jones RVN, who has been elected Vice-Chair of VN Council for three years.
Kirsty said: "It's an honour to have been elected by my fellow Council members as Chair of the RCVS Veterinary Nurses Council.
"After more than 25 years in veterinary nursing across clinical practice, education and governance, I'm very proud to take on this role at such an important time for the profession.
"My time on VN Council has been both rewarding and inspiring, and I have valued the opportunity to work alongside dedicated colleagues committed to supporting veterinary nurses and advancing the profession.
"These experiences have reinforced the importance of collaboration, inclusivity and strengthening the veterinary nursing voice.
"As Chair, I look forward to supporting the continued development, recognition and wellbeing of veterinary nurses, while helping to shape the future of the profession through ongoing legislative reform.
"I am committed to driving positive progress and championing the vital contribution veterinary nurses make to animal health and welfare every day."
The company says the MiniTracker 4 has been designed to make microchip scanning faster, more reliable and less stressful for a wide range of animals.
The MiniTracker 4 reads ISO standard microchips up to 20cm.
A silent mode disables the audible beep to reduce stress for nervous animals.
Bluetooth connectivity pairs the scanner with mobile devices and apps, including the FEI Horse App.
On-board memory stores the last 20 scans with date and time stamps, with expandable memory via a card.
Power options are 4x AA batteries or USB-C, including use with a power bank.
The unit, which is chemical-resistant, reads all four current companion animal microchip standards.
Richard Cratchley, Sales Manager at AVID, said: "With the MiniTracker 4 we’ve created the ideal balance of portability, power and innovation.
"Features like silent mode, extended read range and Bluetooth integration help professionals scan animals quickly and reliably."
www.avidplc.com
The survey of 2,000 UK consumers, which was carried out by OnePoll in March 2026, found that 40% of pet owners were very concerned about the rising cost of veterinary treatment and 42% were fairly concerned.
It also found that 43% of pet owners currently do not have pet insurance, a figure which is broadly consistent with findings from a recent peer-reviewed study published in the Veterinary Record, which found that 48.5% of UK pet owners surveyed did not have insurance and that affordability was a major factor affecting uptake.
The research also found that 23% of pet owners have cancelled a pet insurance policy within the last two years.
Among those, 11% said premiums had become too expensive and 7% said the policy no longer offered good value.
Insurance status differed by species, with 33% of dog owners uninsured compared with 44% of cat owners.
The findings also showed that 62% of policyholders said they had never made a claim, while 36% had claimed on their policy, including 22% who had made one claim and 13% who had made multiple claims.
The earlier study in the Veterinary Record also identified a strong link between household income and insurance uptake in the UK, with owners in lower-income households significantly less likely to insure their pets.
https://www.bestinsurance.co.uk
The decision followed a recommendation made by the School of Biological Sciences in December 2025 to close the programme, after the School said there was no “viable long-term solution” for the sustainable delivery of clinical services within the veterinary course.
Reporting in the Financial Times said the veterinary school had been operating at losses exceeding £1 million annually.
The course had also been granted only conditional RCVS accreditation in 2024 after a visitation found it met 27 of the College’s 77 accreditation standards, with further improvements required for full approval..
The recommendation to close the school was met with significant opposition, both externally from the wider profession and internally from academics and students at Cambridge.
Responding to the news, British Veterinary Association President Dr Rob Williams MRCVS said: “We’re pleased that Cambridge University’s governing body has listened to concerns raised by BVA and so many across the whole veterinary profession and has come to the decision not to close its veterinary school.
“A resilient veterinary workforce relies on a healthy pipeline of homegrown talent and the UK’s vet schools, including Cambridge, play a crucial role in this.
“In our open letter to the school last month, we underlined how its closure would not only have represented a ‘profound gamble with public health and scientific excellence’ but also would have had a significantly negative impact on the future supply of highly skilled veterinary professionals.
“However, whilst today’s decision is a step in the right direction, it’s essential the University commits to ensuring the school is appropriately resourced to preserve its vital role at the forefront of global health and scientific leadership, now and in the future.”
For the study1, which was led by Professor David Gardner and Dr Rebecca Brociek and published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science, researchers analysed opportunistically collected kidney samples from 58 domestic cats, seven domestic dogs, 24 Scottish wildcats and three zoo wildcats.
Using chemical analyses, the team discovered that cats accumulate a rare group of modified triglycerides, some with unusual chemical bonds or branched structures, that are very rarely observed in other mammals.
Dogs did not show this pattern at all, and the feral Scottish Wildcats showed it only occasionally.
Dr Brociek said: "Why these types of unusual fats accumulate in domestic cat kidneys, even from an early age, may offer an important clue as to why domestic cats are particularly prone to chronic kidney disease, one of the most common and serious illnesses affecting older cats."
The researchers say that this distinctive lipid buildup inside kidney cells could be an early sign of long‑term stress within the kidney, potentially contributing to tissue damage over time.
Professor Gardner added: "We are hopeful that soon we will understand why these unusual fats accumulate in domestic cats - we just have to collect the evidence to find the proof.
"If true, we believe we could develop a supplement or modified diet to help prevent these unusual lipid structures from accumulating, ultimately benefitting the long-term health of our companion animals."
The discovery opens a new area of investigation into feline biology, suggesting that cats’ unique metabolism may predispose them to kidney problems. It could eventually lead to better diagnostic tools, improved diets, and new treatments for protecting cats' kidney health.
The company said that from April 6, 2026, umbrella companies, along with the agencies or end clients using them, will become liable for unpaid PAYE tax.
Ronda.vet said that if an umbrella company fails to pay HMRC, the liability can be passed directly to the end client, the veterinary practice.
The company also said HMRC could potentially pursue the end client for unpaid tax without first exhausting recovery options against the non-compliant umbrella company or agency.
The new rules apply to any payments made to workers employed by an umbrella company on or after April 6.
Ronda.vet said that for veterinary practices there are two scenarios.
If a practice is using an agency, the recruiters will generally be liable first.
If the practice is contracting directly with an umbrella company, the liability falls squarely at their door.
Ibra Hernando, co founder of Ronda Vet said: "Many practices use umbrella companies without fully understanding where liability sits.
"From April, ignorance won't protect a practice from a significant unexpected tax bill if a provider further up the chain fails to pay HMRC.
"These changes are a bit of a wake-up call for the entire profession to know exactly how their locum staff are being paid."
www.ronda.vet