TVM UK has announced the launch of Ziapam 5mg/ml, the first licensed diazepam injection for dogs and cats.

Ziapam is licensed for the short-term control of convulsive disorders and muscle spasms of central and peripheral origin, and for use as part of a sedation or pre-anaesthetic protocol. It is presented in packs containing 6 x 2ml vials.

Simon Boulton MRCVS, marketing manager at TVM said: "As a scheduled intravenous drug it is important that we have batch traceability and the proper monitoring of any side effects of such drugs to make sure current guidelines for use in the SPC are correct. Ziapam is kept at the same concentration of the previously used human generics on the cascade for ease of transition."

Simon added: "Furthermore, we’ve purposefully priced Ziapam such that it is only costs a few pence per dose more than the human generic."

TVM UK has also produced a dosing guide for practices which illustrates the different indications and associated treatment guidelines.

For a copy of the dosing guide or for more information, contact your local Territory Manager, email: help@tvm-uk.com, or call: 01737 781 416.

VetNurse Jobs has announced that from today, veterinary employers can display the salary and benefits they offer as an integral part of their recruitment advertisement on VetNurse.co.uk, in a way designed to give jobseekers a realistic expectation.

In the past, few employers in the veterinary profession have chosen to advertise salary details, perhaps because they don't want to open a negotiation with their cards on the table, or perhaps they've been fearful of their existing employees finding out what they're prepared to offer a new candidate.

However, all the indications are that job advertisements which include salary details generate more, better qualified responses. Reed carried out a survey of 1000 jobseekers in 2016, 2/3rds of whom said they would be more likely to apply when a salary is displayed on the advert. Another company, Smart Recruit Online, found back in 2013 that job adverts which included a salary generated 30% more responses that those that didn't.

In the VetNurse forums, many veterinary nurses have expressed their frustration at the lack of transparency, and the wasted time and effort when they attend an interview to find that the 'competitive salary' on offer was anything but.

There are also indications that in the future, Google may start to prioritise jobs advertised with salary information in its search results. 

To try and strike a balance between some employers' reluctance to display what they might be prepared to pay and the need for greater transparency, advertisers can now display a 'Minimum Offer' on VetNurse Jobs, described to the potential applicant as: "The minimum this employer is prepared to offer someone with the skills and experience needed to fulfil the job requirements. They may or may not be prepared to offer more. They may also be prepared to accept someone with a lower level of qualification or experience for an amount less than displayed."

Alternatively, employers can advertise a 'Pay Range', described to potential applicants as: "The employer expects to pay something within the displayed range, depending on their assessment of the value of the applicant's skills and experience to the practice."

In addition, employers can also display other benefits which are likely to be of more or less value to individual applicants, such as a RCVS fees, association subscriptions, health insurance and CPD allowances.

VetNurse.co.uk Editor Arlo Guthrie said: "This is entirely optional, but I do hope as many employers as possible will make good use of this new feature, because all the research and anecdotal evidence suggests it’s what candidates want to hear, and it should lead to a better response. Not to mention how time-saving it is for two people to come to the table with realistic expectations."

New research conducted by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), which shows that French bulldog bitches are 15.9 times more likely to suffer from difficult births (dystocia) than crossbred bitches, has been published in the Veterinary Record today.

Furthermore, the research found that among female dogs that had problems giving birth, French bulldog bitches are then 2.4 times more likely to undergo invasive caesarean sections than crossbred dogs.

This compared to brachycephalic bitches in general, which the RVC researchers found are 1.54 times more likely to need a caesarean compared with their longer-nosed pure breed or crossbred counterparts.

As part of the research, academics studied 20,000 bitches that required emergency treatment at 50 Vets Now veterinary clinics between 2012 and 2014.

Their findings, published in two papers in The Veterinary Record, highlight the substantial risks that bitches and their puppies face during the birthing process. 

According to the first paper¹, 3.7% of female dogs suffer from dystocia. Alongside French bulldogs, other pure breeds such as Boston terriers, chihuahuas and pugs, are also particularly at risk of birthing problems. Compared to crossbred bitches, Boston terriers are 12.9 times more likely to face birthing issues, pugs 11.3 times more likely and chihuahuas 10.4 times more likely.

The second paper², which is available open access, examines the effects of difficult births more closely. It found that on average, 25% of puppies and 1.7% of the bitches do not survive problem births. Apart from the risk of death, problem births also mean that many bitches have to undergo painful and invasive surgery, with 48.6% of problem births needing caesarean surgery.

Bulldogs (also known as British Bulldogs), border terriers and golden retrievers were the top three breeds at risk of caesarean section once they have difficulty giving birth. Bulldogs are 7.6 times more likely, border terriers are 4.9 times more likely and golden retrievers are 4.1 times more likely to need the procedure compared with crossbreeds.

RVC veterinary epidemiologist and VetCompass researcher Dr Dan O’Neill said: "This new research is another piece of evidence suggesting that mankind may have gone too far in modifying dog breed shapes towards extreme conformation that can interfere with basic biological functions. We all need to fall back in love with dog-shaped dogs and move away from the current fascination with extreme-shaped dogs."

References

1. O'Neill, DG., O'Sullivan, AM., Manson, EA., Church, DB., Boag, AK., McGreevy, PD., Brodbelt, DC. (2017) Canine dystocia in 50 UK first-opinion emergency-care veterinary practices: prevalence and risk factors Veterinary Record 181, 88.

2. O’Neill, DG., O’Sullivan, AM., Manson, EA., Church, DB., McGreevy, PD., Boag, AK., Brodbelt, DC.(2019) Canine dystocia in 50 UK first-opinion emergency care veterinary practices: clinical management and outcomes Veterinary Record Published Online First:04 February 2019. doi: 10.1136/vr.104944.

White Cross Vets in Gateacre has found a novel way of dealing with the large amounts of waste plastic that veterinary pharmaceutical and other sterile products are packed in, using it to make 'ecobricks'.

The practice makes ecobricks by packing all sorts of plastic waste tightly into plastic bottles which can then be joined together using tyres, silicone, cob or cement and used for a wide range of purposes in gardens, play parks and for making all types of structures with. 

The ecobrick initiative was launched by the Global Ecobrick Alliance, which describes itself as an Earth Enterprise focused on solving plastic pollution through the dissemination of the low-tech, educational, open source ecobrick technology. It also operates a website which lists a wide range of organisations throughout the world where newly-made ecobricks can be delivered to.

White Cross Vets operates 19 practices, with four in the local area in Gateacre, West Derby, St Helens and Widnes, and is now exploring how it can roll out the scheme across the group. Other green initiatives White Cross Vets is pioneering include rolling out energy efficient LED lighting across its practices and heavily promoting the Cycle to Work scheme.

Helen Morris, from White Cross Vets, said: "In our industry almost everything comes packed in unrecyclable plastics, from small syringe packets through to large delivery bags and the plastic on the backs of patient labels, which we print hundreds of every day. 

"As a result, we decided to look at how we might be able to put it to good use, rather than simply putting it in the bin and came across ecobricks. By taking the time to fill the bottles with plastic, we can significantly reduce the waste we send to landfill, and cut the amount of plastic that ends up littering the planet and ultimately finds its way into the sea. We are now making them every week and the whole team gets involved, which is rewarding for everyone involved."

Research carried out by the British Veterinary Receptionist Association has that morale amongst receptionists is at a low ebb, largely as a result of poor relationships with practice managers and low rates of pay.

The survey of 812 veterinary receptionists, which was carried out in the autumn, found that only 50% of veterinary receptionists are paid more than the UK minimum/National Living Wage.

33% said they worked longer than their contracted hours and 37% said they didn’t receive overtime pay.

As a result, 64% of those questioned felt they were not paid fairly for the responsibilities they carry, which include ensuring practice protocols, handling veterinary medicines, promoting ‘sales’ eg of healthcare plans and dealing with often challenging clients. 

Discontent with salary levels was exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. 49% of respondents were furloughed and 91% of them received no top-up pay from their practice in addition to the government’s 80% contribution. 

The BVRA says it recommends that Registered Veterinary Receptionists (RVRs) are paid at least £10 per hour, irrespective of their age.

A lack of access to CPD was also an issue. 56% of respondents wanted to update and increase their knowledge but the same percentage claimed a lack of time was a barrier.  With 80% of practices not allocating time for receptionists to undertake CPD and 44% receiving no budget for it, one respondent from a corporate practice confirmed that they could only undertake CPD in their own time, even that required by the company, such as training on health and safety and compliance.

While participants expressed a high level of satisfaction with their relationships with vets (71% were satisfied or very satisfied) and nurses (74% were satisfied or very satisfied), the same cannot be said for their relationships with practice managers. Fewer than half (46%) were satisfied or very satisfied with their relationship with their practice manager and 51% were satisfied or very satisfied with their relationship with the Clinical Director or Partner. 

Only 26% were satisfied with their working relationship with head office (if part of a corporate group). Relationships were further strained during the COVID-19 pandemic with 71% of those furloughed saying communication with their practice boss had been average or poor. 

As a final question, participants were asked to express their satisfaction with aspects of their role:

• 25% were satisfied or very satisfied with their salary
• 21% were satisfied or very satisfied with progression opportunities
• 29% were satisfied or very satisfied with the recognition they received
• When asked to rate their overall satisfaction of their job out of ten, the average score was three out of ten.

The BVRA and VMG are joining forces to host a free webinar to discuss the issues raised by the survey and potential solutions. Called 'Tackling Receptionist Morale Together', it will take place from 2.00pm-4.00 pm on Wednesday 25 November. For more information, visit: http://www.bvra.co.uk/event/bvra-vmg-tackling-receptionist-morale-together/ 

Brian Faulkner BSc (Hons), BVM&S, CertGP(SAM), CertGP(BPS), MBA, MSc(Psych), FRCVS, founder of the BRVA (pictured right), said: “BVRA is always working to improve the recognition, respect and job satisfaction of its members. We are delighted to team up with VMG as another way of doing this, alongside developing the status of a Registered Veterinary Receptionist.

Rich Casey is President of the Veterinary Management Group (VMG) said: “This report is sobering reading as it concerns the careers and wellbeing of a group of people who are essential to the success of any veterinary practice. The VMG is particularly interested in this research as a significant proportion of our members are practice managers and likely to be line managers of the reception team. 

Leadership is about recognising when things aren’t working and putting them right. We commend the BVRA for highlighting these issues and we ask all veterinary leaders and managers to join our webinar as we discuss what can be done to resolve this crisis now, as well as the longer-term steps that are needed.”

The RVC has published a study which shows that the age at which female dogs (bitches) are neutered is associated with early-onset urinary incontinence¹.

The researchers say that urinary incontinence affects around three per cent of bitches in the UK, and whilst the link between urinary incontinence and neutering in bitches has been suspected, this study provides new evidence on the extent of the relationship.

The research was carried out by the RVC’s VetCompass programme, supported by BSAVA Petsavers. Apparently, it was the largest cohort study on incontinence in bitches carried out worldwide to date, using the anonymised veterinary clinical records of 72,971 bitches.

The research indicated that bitches of certain breeds including Irish setters, Dalmatians, Hungarian vizslas, Dobermans and Weimaraners are more prone to early-onset urinary incontinence than other breeds. Special care therefore needs to be taken when deciding whether to neuter these breeds.

The results identified an increased risk of 2.12 times of urinary incontinence in neutered bitches compared with entire bitches. However it also identified an increased risk of 1.82 of urinary incontinence within the first two years of being neutered, in bitches neutered before 6 months of age compared with those neutered from 6 to 12 months.

Other findings included:

• The average age at diagnosis of UI was 2.9 years.

• The average time from neuter to UI was 1.9 years.

• Bitches weighing over 30kg had 2.62 times the risk of UI compared with bitches weighing under 10 kg.

• Increasing body weight was also associated with an increased risk of early-onset urinary incontinence.

Camilla Pegram, VetCompass epidemiologist and lead researcher on the study (pictured right), said: "Neutering is something that every owner will need to consider at some stage but there has been limited information on the risks of urinary incontinence following surgery up until now. The decision to neuter a bitch is complicated but the results of this study suggest that early-age neuter should be carefully considered, particularly in high-risk breeds and bitches with larger bodyweights, unless there are major other reasons for performing it."

Reference:

1. Pegram, C. , Brodbelt, D. C., Church, D. B., Hall, J. , Owen, L. , Chang, Y. and O'Neill, D. G. (2019), Associations between neutering and early‐onset urinary incontinence in UK bitches under primary veterinary care. J Small Anim Pract. doi: 10.1111/jsap.13072

Greater collaboration between disciplines to promote the 'One Health' approach for people and pets could save the NHS 2.5 billion a year, according to Danny Mills, Professor of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine at the University of Lincoln.

Professor Mills, an authority on companion animal behaviour, cognition and welfare, made the claim at Purina’s 'Better with Pets' European Forum in Brussels, where experts in the animal and human relationship gathered recently to discuss the benefits that pets can have to public health.

Professor Mills highlighted how animal assisted activities and therapy (AAT), where animals are used to improve social, emotional and cognitive functioning, supporting recovery and rehabilitation, can play an important role in the cost saving. He also noted how pets have been shown to reduce anxiety in those with autism, while also easing the stress levels of parents and carers.

Attendees at the event heard  an example of AAT in practice at the Sant Joan de Déu-Barcelona hospital in Spain where a functional unit has been in operation for the past six years. Here, sick children receive AAT on the advice of a doctor, both in the emergency room and on an inpatient basis. The hospital reports that the dogs help the children to have a better life and cope more effectively with their illnesses. Purina called on the public health community to recognise the advantages of AAT and to play an active part in supporting this vital element of public health care.

The panel – which also included Andrea Meisser, Vice-President of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Research on the Human-Animal Relationship, Ruud Tombrock, Director for the Europe Region of World Animal Protection, and Andrea Gavinelli, Head of Unit at the European Commission’s Health and food safety Directorate General – noted that while the benefits of the bond between people and pets are widely felt, they are sometimes hard to quantify empirically.

Professor Mills noted that it can be challenging for researchers to have papers accepted by journals or funding bodies, making it difficult for policymakers to promote the benefits of pets for public health. The panel agreed that greater partnership between all disciplines – from researchers to veterinarians and policymakers – was crucial to advancing the understanding of the public health benefits of pets and people.

Discussing how policymakers could play a part in promoting the One Health approach, Mr Gavanelli called on the pet care community to work together to provide scientific examples and data highlighting economic and social benefits. He also noted that policymakers in Europe had an important part to play by taking a holistic approach to the issue.

Professor Mills said: "The benefits of responsible pet ownership are clear. I’ve seen pets have dramatic effects on autistic children. Understanding the subtleties and nuances of how people and pets work together is vitally important for the well-being of both, and has the potential to make a massive difference to public health. But it is crucial that the industry is given an opportunity to analyse this further. Ignoring the evidence is a far greater problem than dismissing the research as being at an early stage."

Tributes for Louise O'Dwyer RVN have been flooding the Internet since the announcement of her sudden death on Sunday by the Academy of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Technicians and Nurses, of which she was President.

Louise had achieved great things in her all-too-short life. Born in February 1974, she qualified as a veterinary nurse in 1999. She gained the DipAVN (Surgical) in 2004 and the DipAVN (Medical) in 2007. She then qualified as a Veterinary Technician Specialist (Emergency and Critical Care) in 2011 and as a Veterinary Technician Specialist (Anesthesia) in 2014. 

Along the way, she was widely published, contributing to over 35 publications and lectures worldwide on all aspects of anaesthesia, emergency and critical care, surgery and infection control.

In 2016 Louise received the inaugural Bruce Vivash Jones Veterinary Nurse Award, presented by the BSAVA as the primary recognition for outstanding contributions to the advancement of small animal veterinary nursing. It is the highest award the Association can bestow on a veterinary nurse. That year, she also received the The Veterinary Nursing Golden Jubilee Award for her leadership role in the profession as a clinical director for a veterinary group, her advocacy on behalf on the profession and her research work into antimicrobial resistance. 

At the time of her death, Louise was the Clinical Support Manager at Vets Now. 

We all live on in the hearts and minds of the people we knew in life and from the moving tributes that have appeared in such large numbers online, it is clear that Louise was one of those rare individuals whose ripples will keep spreading for years to come:

Along with many many others i feel absolutely shell shocked to hear the news that Louise O'Dwyer is no longer with us. I've had the privilege of working with her and only ever in her shadow. The world will not be the same without her. A terrible loss to the profession. If there was anything she would have wanted it would be that the Veterinary Nurses in this world could realise their potential. I am sure that no-one will disappoint her. Good night beautiful lady - you were not a star but a supernova. Georgie Hollis.

I feel greatly honoured to be able to call Louise my head nurse and then my Clinical Director, but most importantly a friend. She was an inspiration to nurses up and down the country. It has been said what Louise didn’t know wasn’t worth knowing. Nick Shackleton RVN.

Louise had a natural ability to inspire and foster talent in others; her passion and dedication to emergency and critical nursing led her to become a leading veterinary nurse, mentor, author and teacher respected throughout the international ECC community. We were privileged to be able to call Louise a colleague as well as a much loved friend and she will be sorely missed, not just by the Vets Now team, but by everyone across the veterinary profession. Amanda Boag MRCVS

I feel honoured to have known her and share the deep sadness, expressed by hundreds of her friends and colleagues at her untimely passing. Sue Paterson MRCVS

CVS Group has issued a trading statement this morning which warns that its 2019 earnings are likely to be "materially below market expectations", and that the company has consequently introduced a number of cost-cutting measures.

In its statement, the company blamed the situation on the poor performance of 24 practices it bought in the Netherlands, and its new farm and equine divisions.

CVS says that another important factor has been employment costs, in particular the increase in market rates for locum veterinary surgeons and nurses on which it remains heavily reliant.

The company also blames its financial performance on the poor support of pharmaceutical companies, which it says it is continuing to push for transparent and 'appropriate' pricing.

Aside from trying to drive down the costs of drugs, the company says it has introduced 'additional procedures' designed to reduce the cost of employing locums, although it didn't specify what these are.

The group is also reevaluating its pipeline of acquisitions, in particular the multiples it is prepared to pay.

At the time of writing, the CVS share price had dropped over 28% to 465p overnight and 70% since the share price peaked at 1477p in November 2017.

In the game of acquisitions musical chairs, did the music just stop?

Full trading statement.

The RCVS Practice Standards Group (PSG) has published the results of its five-year review of the Practice Standards Scheme (PSS), with major changes surrounding the role of nurses, clinical governance and staff health and wellbeing.  

From now on, accredited General Practices will need to employ at least one Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN), whilst at Veterinary Hospitals all patients should now have a nursing plan in place, and an RVN will need to be on duty at all times. 

Other changes to the PSS requirements include:

• General Practices will need to demonstrate the use of clinical audit, significant event audits and the development of guidelines and protocols around clinical governance. 
• At all accreditation levels there are new requirements on the provision of infection control, including risk-based deep cleaning and the minimisation of cross-infection.
• Animal owners will have to provide signed consent to demonstrate they understand the level of overnight care that will be provided for their animals as in-patients. Core Standards practices will need to have provisions to ensure the welfare of patients if left unattended overnight, whilst Veterinary Hospitals, now need protocols and checklists for handovers between day and night teams.
• General Practices will now need to have a computerised Practice Management System, with records being accessible from and transferable between all branches. They will need to provide written discharge instructions and show regular recording of bodyweight and Body Condition Score.
• There are several changes to the requirements for surgical facilities and protocols, including the need to avoid any outdoor clothing or footwear in the operating theatre for practices accredited at General Practice level. There are further requirements for the investigation of surgical site infections, including the use of bacteriology for General Practice and Veterinary Hospital accredited practices. Surgical lighting is required for Core Standards practices, and must be directable for General Practice level.

The full list of changes to the Practice Standards Scheme, together with the new module and award documents, can be found at: www.rcvs.org.uk/PSSreview.

David Ashcroft leads the team of PSS Assessors responsible for undertaking practice visits and assessing if they meet the required standards. He said: “The changes will come into force later in the year, at the same time as we are planning to return to in-person assessments, and so timings will be subject to government guidance on coronavirus and the easing of lockdown restrictions.

“As the PSS returns to in-person assessments, practices will have the usual three-month period between booking the assessment and the assessment taking place with which to familiarise themselves with the changes and the modules documents relevant to their accreditation.

“If anyone has any questions about the changes then please make sure to contact the Practice Standards Team on pss@rcvs.org.uk and we will be happy to help in any way we can.”

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has suspended Aberdeenshire-based James Gracey from the Register for six months after he was found guilty of conduct that risked undermining procedures designed to promote  public health and animal welfare.

At the beginning of the hearing legal applications were made to rule that the whole proceedings should be stopped as an abuse of process on various grounds including the delay that had occurred in the matters being referred to the RCVS, and that there had been flaws in the original investigatory process.

There was also application that the evidence of one of the College’s witnesses should be excluded on the grounds that the witness had been convicted of bribery.

The Committee decided that the proceedings should continue but ruled that the statement and evidence of one witness should be excluded from the hearing based upon their conviction.

Mr Gracey faced five charges, all of which he was found guilty of. They were:

• that he signed a Food Chain Information form in relation to a cow without declaring that there was a conflict of interest because the cow belonged to his father and without including his and his practice’s contact details with his signature
• that he signed a Food Chain Information form in relation to a cow, also without declaring a conflict of interest or leaving sufficient contact details;
• that he signed an Emergency Slaughter form for a cow without declaring a conflict of interest as above, and that he stated that he hadn’t not administered any treatment to the cow within the previous seven days of signing the form when he himself had
• that he signed a Food Chain Information form stating that a cow was fit for travel when it was not;
• that his conduct in relation to the proven charges risked undermining public health and animal welfare, and in relation to the Emergency Slaughter Form his conduct was dishonest and misleading. 

Three other charges were found not proven and one allegation was withdrawn by the RCVS.

The Committee then considered if the proven charges amounted to serious professional misconduct.

In doing so it made reference to the Code of Professional Conduct and its supporting guidance, particularly in relation to the 10 Principles of Certification.

Dr Hazel Bentall MRCVS, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee considered individually and cumulatively all matters it had found proved.

"It concluded that the public relies on veterinary surgeons to be honest and transparent when completing and signing forms.

"There is a public interest in being able to trust the profession to uphold high standards of probity because veterinary surgeons are trusted to play an important role in the promotion of animal health and welfare and associated human health.

"The Committee therefore concluded that cumulatively Charges 1, 2, 3 and 4 amounted to serious professional misconduct because the respondent had failed to meet the necessary high standards of honesty and transparency.

"In particular the fact that there were four separate events relating to animal welfare and public health was significant when considering what sanction to impose.”

“The Committee is satisfied that such conduct, when taken together, would be considered deplorable by other members of the profession.

"The respondent’s conduct on four occasions in respect of four animals and three conflicts of interest called into question his competence in relation to completing such forms.”

In considering the appropriate sanction for Mr Gracey, the Committee took into account both mitigating and aggravating circumstances, as well as a number of character witnesses for the respondent who highlighted his positive personal and professional qualities.

In mitigation, the Committee considered that Mr Gracey has hitherto been of good character with no previous disciplinary findings, that he had admitted some parts of the charges against him at the outset of the hearing, that he had made efforts to avoid repeating the misconduct and remediate it – this included making alternative certification arrangements for his father’s farm and taking more appropriate care with record keeping.

The Committee also acknowledged the significant lapse of time between the date of the misconduct and the hearing and the stress that had caused to Mr Gracey, as well as the insight he had shown into his misconduct.

Taking into account all the factors, the Committee decided that imposing a period of six months suspension from the Register of Veterinary Surgeons was the appropriate sanction for Mr Gracey.

Dr Bentall added: “The Committee concluded that suspension of the respondent’s registration for a period of six months was proportionate.

"The Committee considered whether a shorter period was appropriate bearing in mind the mitigating factors it had found applied in this case.

"It decided that a period of six months was proportionate and the minimum length necessary to meet the public interest balancing the seriousness of the misconduct and the mitigation.

"It decided that a shorter period of suspension would be insufficient to uphold proper standards within the profession, or to have a deterrent effect.

“The Committee was satisfied that the respondent had shown sufficient insight and efforts to remediate his misconduct and it concluded that at the end of this period of suspension he would not pose a further risk to animal welfare or public health.

"The Committee considered that the respondent was a valued veterinary surgeon with extensive farm animal experience and that a more severe sanction such as removal from the RCVS Register would not properly reflect the Committee’s findings on the scale of dishonesty and would not take account of the respondent’s mitigation.”

www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary  

The British Veterinary Receptionist Association has announced the results of its second salary survey, which found that 50.3% of veterinary receptionists are being paid less than the voluntary Real Living Wage of £9.30 per hour (or £10.75 in London).

505 people took part in the survey in August 2019, of which 85% were receptionists. The remainder were RVNs, VCAs or practice managers with some front desk responsibility.

The survey found that 45% were paid between £8 and £9 per hour, with 9% more falling into this salary bracket than in 2018. 5.32% were paid £8 or less per hour.

The Real Living Wage is a figure calculated from the costs of a basket of household goods and services by the Living Wage Foundation, and voluntarily paid by its 6000-odd member companies in the UK. The Living Wage Foundation argues it is a better measure of what people need to get by on than the Minimum Wage (£7.70 for those aged between 21 and 25) or the National Living Wage (£8.21 for those over 25).

63% of veterinary receptionists said they were unsatisfied with their pay. However, it was not the biggest cause of dissatisfaction uncovered by the survey. 67% were dissatisfied with the recognition of the value of their role, and 69% with the career progression options open to them. 

70% of respondents said they would like to do more CPD and that the main benefit would be to clients and patients. However, 43% of receptionists said there is no time allowance set aside for them to complete CPD.

Co-founder of BVRA and Honorary Associate Professor In Veterinary Business, Nottingham University, Brian Faulkner (pictured right) said: "A large part of the client experience is centred around the waiting room and receptionist area and our members work hard to ensure that experience is positive.

"We have an increasing number looking to upskill and the appetite for CPD is clearly there. If we can envisage a scenario where the minimum wage is set at £10.50 an hour, that would mean that around 65% of veterinary receptionists would need a pay increase.

"I don't think any of us believe that veterinary receptionists are currently doing an unskilled job and a key mission of BVRA is to achieve greater recognition of the value they bring to practices, both as colleagues and commercially."

Veterinary nurse and ex practice owner Kate Bartels has launched Practice Pilates, offering pilates sessions for veterinary teams to help both their physical and mental wellbeing.

Kate, who has worked in practice for 30 years, said: "Pilates does more than just give you a strong core. By tapping into your mental wellbeing even for a short period, it allows that disconnection from the pressures of the day, and encourages the mind to press that reset button. We draw attention to our breathing, our physical well-being, and our mental health.

"By introducing practice pilates once or twice a week, you will find your staff will feel relaxed, mentally calm and engaged. You will also begin to find that they will suffer less and less with those aches and pains brought on by sitting for long periods, and so will suffer less with, and even eradicate lower back pain."

"By helping you practice pilates together as a team, I aim to nurture friendships, allay any clustering of personalities and provide a stable platform for all to be equal."

Practice Pilates has a network of instructors which are allocated to certain regions around the country, and Kate says the aim is to roll out the service, and cluster visits in each area, to keep costs low.

Sessions typically last 45 minutes to one hour, so they can fit into a lunch break. 

The company offers a monthly subscription which provides slightly lower per class rates, or a Pay As You Go option. The service is being launched with reduced rate taster sessions.

For information, telephone Kate on 07780 603534 or email: practicepilates@outlook.com.