Increasing number of vets working part-time, survey finds
Over a quarter of veterinary surgeons are now working part-time.
The percentage of veterinary surgeons working part-time is increasing, the latest Survey of the Veterinary Profession from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) has revealed.
This year’s survey showed that the figure has grown to 27 per cent. This compares to 23 per cent in the 2019 survey and 19 per cent in the 2014 survey.
The number has increased for both men and women working in the profession. According to the survey, 34 per cent of female veterinary surgeons now work part-time, while 17 per cent of male veterinary surgeons also do so.
The statistics are among a number of key findings from the survey, which has been carried out by the Institute for Employment Studies on behalf of the RCVS to provide information on the state of the profession and help inform the college’s next Strategic Plan. A total of 6,987 responses were received from veterinary surgeons.
The survey also found that there was an increase in the percentage of veterinary surgeons who graduated in the UK compared to the previous survey, with the figure rising from 64 per cent in 2019 to 73 per cent this year.
On issues facing the profession, there was a rise in the number of veterinary surgeons who saw the affordability of veterinary care as one of the top three issues. The other two issues that made the top three were stress levels and client expectations.
The survey also found that 34 per cent of respondents said they had been harassed or bullied by clients in the last 12 months.
A report of the findings of the survey has been published alongside a report on the Survey of the Veterinary Nursing Profession.
Lizzie Lockett, RCVS chief executive officer, said: “We look forward now to taking some of the key learnings and suggestions forward to our next Strategic Plan which we are in the process of finalising and will publish early in 2025.”
The full report can be read here.
Image © Shutterstock
With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.
