As many pet owners, horse riders and livestock farmers know, the face of the British veterinary industry is changing. Along with a rise in the numbers of corporately owned practices, the numbers of ‘mixed’ practices in the UK are dwindling. The days of the stereotypical James Herriot way of practicing are disappearing, and single species practices are dominating the industry. But why is this? And what does it mean for animal owners?
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What is a mixed practice?
A mixed practice is the more traditional model for a veterinary practice where treatment is offered to all species; primarily farm animals, companion animals and horses. A typical day for a mixed vet might include routine farm visits in the morning, followed by companion animal consults and surgery or a visit to see a horse with colic in the afternoon.
Vets in the UK qualify with a broad knowledge of all species. And the ability to practice in any veterinary sphere. They may decide to go on to focus or specialise in one particular species or area of veterinary medicine after graduating. Traditionally, vets were expected to treat all species. It wasn’t until the 1950s when a rise in pet ownership began to drive the need to split practices by species; giving vets the opportunity to focus on one area.
Why are they less prevalent now?
The 2019 Survey of the Veterinary Profession found that over 56% of vets in the UK work in small animal only practice, with just 13.4% working in mixed, a drop of nearly 10% since 2010.
The reason for this decrease is multifactorial. The UK veterinary industry has faced many obstacles over recent years, one of which has been the ability to recruit and keep enough vets. It’s a well known fact that being a vet is a demanding job, both physically and mentally. Following a gruelling 5 or 6 year stint at University, vets are often expected to work long hours in high pressure environments. Added to this are the after hours call outs to emergencies. And the relatively low pay when compared with similarly trained professionals.
Traditional working patterns and the way practices are run are changing in an attempt to combat some of these issues. Many vets are choosing to focus on a specific species or area of veterinary medicine to gain more control over their working life.
Additionally, owner awareness has increased in recent years. Many owners are choosing to seek services from vets who specialise in a particular field or discipline. There is a greater demand for more advanced diagnostic and treatment options, and seeking care from specialist practices often means this is more readily available.
Is there a benefit to single discipline/species practices?
The obvious benefit to owners is that the vets are focused on treating a few select species rather than several. This means they are likely more experienced and often have a particular interest or passion in this area. It also means there is likely to be more options in terms of diagnostics and treatments for a specific species.
From the vets’ point of view, specialising in a particular discipline can allow them to have more control over their working hours and hone their skills in one particular area they are passionate about.
Out of hours call outs can be one of the biggest drivers for vets leaving mixed practice or leaving the profession all together. As vets, we’re no more keen than the rest of the population to be dragged out of bed at 3am on a rainy November night. Moving into small animal only practice often provides more of an opportunity to minimise after hours call outs as separate out of hours providers are becoming more prevalent in the small animal veterinary world.
Has corporatisation had an effect?
Corporately owned practices are owned by a larger company, rather than an individual vet as independent practices are. Since 1999, it has been legal for non-vets to own veterinary practices; meaning the number of corporately owned veterinary practices has risen dramatically since then. Nearly 60% of veterinary practices in the UK are now corporately owned, a rise of nearly 50% since 2013. Historically, small or companion animal practices have been seen as more profitable and in greater demand than large, mixed or equine practices. For these reasons, corporate companies are purchasing small animal practices at a faster rate.
Depending on the area, the practice business model and the profitability, mixed practices bought by corporate companies will often be converted into small animal only. Because a large proportion of the UK veterinary workforce want to work solely with small animals, staff retention is often easier in a dedicated small animal practice, driving the change from a mixed practice to a single species practice dominated industry, continuing the cycle.
What does it mean for animal owners?
Generally speaking, using a mixed or a more specific veterinary practice shouldn’t change much from an owner’s perspective. Owners with multiple species may need to register their animals at separate practices but the standard of care will remain. They will often benefit from seeing a vet who is experienced with that species; and may even have access to improved diagnostic and treatment options.
Summary
As with many industries, veterinary is changing and adapting to reflect the challenges in demand, economy and employment that the industry is facing. Traditional mixed veterinary practices are becoming less prevalent. Owners have much more choice available to them when choosing veterinary care for their animals.
Owner awareness, an increase in corporately owned practices, demand for more specialised diagnostic and treatment options and changing working patterns are partly responsible for driving this.
Mixed practices still very much have their place in the UK veterinary industry; especially in rural and isolated areas. And there is a lot to be said about preserving the traditional veterinary model. The veterinary industry as a whole continues to ensure owners across the UK have access to excellent veterinary care.
Discussion