How the cost of veterinary care impacts the wellbeing, learning and practice of early career vets

Williams, Rachel 2025. How the cost of veterinary care impacts the wellbeing, learning and practice of early career vets. Vet Record 196 (2) , e4597. 10.1002/vetr.4597

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Abstract

Background: Investigations by the Competition and Markets Authority into the veterinary sector have highlighted the cost of veterinary care. This paper examines the changing attitudes of early career vets towards these costs. Methods: Ninety-seven semi-structured interviews were held with 25 vets as part of a 2.5-year longitudinal study. An inductive approach to analysis was adopted with flexible thematic analysis being undertaken using NVivo 12. Results: High veterinary care costs create a financial burden for clients and an emotional burden for vets. Vets felt unprepared to deal with restricted client budgets and were unsupported by their practices in relation to charging. When owners could not afford treatment, vets had fewer opportunities to perform procedures and practise their skills. Eventually, vets distanced themselves from their clients’ circumstances to prioritise their own wellbeing and began to value their expertise and charge appropriately. Limitations: The small sample size and emphasis on graduates of UK universities limit the generalisability of the findings. Conclusion: This paper highlights the impact of veterinary care costs on early career vets’ wellbeing, practice and learning opportunities and advocates a ‘spectrum of care’ approach to veterinary education. It also encourages practices to engage with vets regarding charging behaviours.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Business (Including Economics)
Publisher:	Wiley
ISSN:	0042-4900
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	13 August 2024
Date of Acceptance:	1 August 2024
Last Modified:	05 Feb 2025 10:47
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/171336

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