A senior vet has warned that withdrawing out-of-hours care for animals in Moray could risk making emergency situations worse.
Operator IVC Evidensia is withdrawing overnight and holiday cover at its practices amid a nationwide shortage of qualified staff.
The move has affected the Wards practice in Elgin, Speyside Vets in Aberlour and Fochabers and Seafield Veterinary Group, which has practices in Keith, Buckie and Banff.
It means pet owners now face journeys to Aberdeen or Inverness to get help for their beloved animals. Their only other option is to change provider.
More than 3,500 people have signed a petition calling for some form of out-of-hours care to be retained locally by IVC Evidensia.
The firm has stressed it would retain the service if it could guarantee its practices were fully staffed. They added that it could no longer do so due to the rotas becoming unsustainable for the welfare of employees.
Kathleen Robertson is a former president of the Scottish branch of the British Veterinary Association. She has warned the move risks complications for life-threatening conditions.
‘Vets shortage needs long-term solutions’
Dr Robertson is a Forres councillor and Conservative candidate for Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey, at next month’s General Election. She has urged IVC Evidensia to reconsider its decision.
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons says there was a 25% reduction in qualified staff on its register between 2019 and 2022.
And Dr Robertson says now is the time to consider long-term solutions to the recruitment problems.
She said: “I know from my own experience as a vet that the last thing people in my profession would want is for any animal to suffer unnecessarily.
“There are a number of situations, such as trauma caused by road accidents and life-threatening conditions such as gastric dilatation and volvulus which require urgent treatment.
“My worry is that some residents in my area will simply not be able to access the care they need for their pets in time.
“As a former office-holder in the British Veterinary Association I know that there is a real challenge in recruiting sufficient numbers of vets in rural areas.
“This is a longstanding problem and we need long-term solutions in terms of making remote and rural practice attractive.
“However, in the meantime we need action here to resolve this shortfall in provision.”
Highlands and Islands MSP Douglas Ross has added his voice to the calls. He has written to IVC to echo the concerns of thousands who have signed a petition.
He said: “Offering a consultation service between 8am and 11pm simply won’t cut it. What if something happens in the middle of the night?”
Dedicated effort to recruit more Moray vets
IVC Evidensia has stressed it has investigated alternative options to retain out-of-hours vet care in Moray for several months.
In a letter to Mr Ross, the firm said it would welcome his support in highlighting the “vet crisis”, which has affected Moray and the Highlands in particular.
They wrote: “As a responsible business, we of course want to fill the required demand. If our practices were fully staffed, we would not have had to make this decision
“We have been calling on the UK Government to help address the vet shortage crisis.
“This could be achieved by widening access and availability of veterinary courses at UK universities, making it easier for overseas vets to work in the UK, and updating outdated regulation to empower vet nurses to carry out certain clinical tasks.”
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