As the only vet in the House of Commons, Dr Neil Hudson MP chaired a special session of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee scrutinising the state of the UK's veterinary sector.
From workforce shortages and mental health issues to outdated legislation and implications of the XL Bully ban; the session was incredibly wide-ranging and had expert witnesses input their ideas and concerns to the Committee in order to steer Government policy in the right direction.
First though, the session coincided with the Competition and Markets Authority's announcement that it will launch a formal investigation into the veterinary sector after identifying multiple concerns. These included low levels of competition in certain regions, pet owners overpaying for medicines or prescriptions and an outdated regulatory framework. You can read more about this here.
The main bulk of the session revolved around the workforce shortages in the sector. This includes the need to get more people into the profession domestically, support overseas vets with visas, work on the retention of vets - and in particular help them remain resilient against mental health pressures of the job.
Indeed the implications of vet shortages could be stark for the food industry, border controls, biosecurity, human health and animal welfare.
A full video recording of the Committee hearing can be found here: www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/aa451155-5ec3-4a87-a7b6-b58172731109#player-tabs
Reflecting on the session, Dr Neil Hudson MP said:
" I was honoured to take on the responsibility of chairing our special EFRA Committee session this week looking at the veterinary profession.
"People might consider veterinary staffing a niche interest but it has the potential to hugely impact everything from the food we eat to the nation's biosecurity and human public health if not properly addressed. As such I must thank our expert panellists for giving us so much to think about when it comes to training new vets as well as supporting retention through improved mental resilience and updated legislation.
"The Veterinary Surgeons Act was passed in 1966. Since then there has been huge strides forward in the profession which must be mirrored by up-to-date legislation and I will definitely be making this case to Government."
