Build a more sustainable future

For those in the veterinary profession, compassion for animals, nature and the natural world is part of most people’s DNA. But our wonderful, unique planet and its inhabitants are facing unprecedented danger: changing weather patterns leading to wildfires, floods, loss of biodiversity, damage to oceans – then there’s pollution on an unimaginable scale. We have to tackle wider environmental degradation too. But there are easily achievable steps we can all take…

We are in the midst of a veterinary medicine recruitment and retention crisis. Statistics from the RCVS Workforce Summit 2021 make for a worrying read. Despite an increase in the number of vet schools and qualifying vets, the net number of practising vets entering the profession is reducing at an alarming rate. 43.7% of vets say that they want to leave the profession, 52.3% of veterinary clinics report being understaffed and 74% worry about burnout. So, what factors have led to these ‘leaky pipes’?

It can be all too easy to see telemedicine as just the delivery of vet-to-owner remote consultations; however, technology-enabled veterinary care has a much more significant role to play in sustainable veterinary practice. Telemedicine is indeed a vehicle for vet-to-owner advice, but it also includes sub-fields such as teletriage, teleprescribing, teleconsulting and teleradiology. Together, telehealth services have potential far-reaching benefits for our patients and clients, veterinary team members and the planet…