A consultation held earlier this year by the RCVS has found that both veterinary surgeons and nurses overwhelmingly think nurses should be able to perform additional tasks that are not currently permitted under Schedule 3 of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966.

The consultation invited members of the professions to explain how they currently understand and interpret Schedule 3 in practice, how it could be clarified and how it might be amended to bolster the veterinary nursing profession. 

11,625 people responded to the consultation, the highest number that has ever responded to an RCVS consultation. 6,873 were veterinary nurses (around 35% of the profession and including 1,665 student veterinary nurses) and 4,752 were veterinary surgeons (around 21% of the profession).

The report on the consultation, which is published today by the Institute for Employment Studies, found that 92% of veterinary nurses and 71% of veterinary surgeons think veterinary nurses should be able to undertake additional areas of work.

However, neither vets nor nurses seem to have an especially good understanding of the current scope of Schedule 3 and how it applies in practice, rating their personal understanding at 5.6 and 6.7 out of 10 respectively.

When asked what prevented the full utilisation of veterinary nurses, the majority of both vet and vet nurse respondents highlighted a lack of understanding of what tasks can be delegated under Schedule 3, with around 60% of veterinary surgeons also admitting that they are not good at delegating.

61% of veterinary nurses and 50% of veterinary surgeons thought that the RCVS gives sufficient support and advice about Schedule 3, though the relatively poor level of understanding amongst veterinary surgeons in particular suggests more needs to be done.

In corresponding comments both veterinary nurses and veterinary surgeons said they would like more clarity, especially around 'grey areas' such as the meaning of the term 'minor surgery', as well as further communication from the College about Schedule 3 and for more training for veterinary nurses to ensure they have the competence and the confidence to carry out delegated procedures.

Liz Cox, Chair of RCVS Veterinary Nurses Council, said: "Thank you to all those who responded to the consultation in such large numbers and who shared their views on this topic. The consultation grew out of the government’s suggestion that we review Schedule 3 as a means of bolstering the VN profession, and from the VN Futures project last year, when Schedule 3 was identified as an area where there could be some additional work to clarify the rules around delegation to veterinary nurses.

"There was a clear consensus that veterinary nurses could do more in their role and under Schedule 3 and so we will be feeding the findings back to the RCVS Legislation Working Party, which will be looking, in the round, at possible changes to the framework of veterinary legislation, including how it applies to veterinary nurses and other paraprofessionals.

"In terms of the understanding of Schedule 3 and how it applies in practice it is clear that we need to do some further work to clarify the rules and develop guidance to assist both veterinary nurses and veterinary surgeons in exercising their professional judgement in respect to delegation, for example, through case studies and other examples." 

Looking at the tasks currently performed by veterinary nurses, the survey found the five most commonly performed are: clinical cleaning (92%), administration of medicines by subcutaneous injection (91%), administration of medication (90%), monitoring of anaesthesia (86.5%) and administration of medicines by intramuscular injection (86%).

The consultation also found that the majority of veterinary nurses are involved in clinics aimed at educating animal owners on various different aspects of animal health and welfare. The most common include puppy/kitten care (66.5% of respondents), nutrition (65% of respondents), general check-ups (62.5% of respondents) and dental care clinics (57% of respondents).

Post-survey interviews with 10 veterinary nurses and 10 veterinary surgeons found a number of recurring themes, including: limited career paths for veterinary nurses; poor pay for VNs relative to their training and complexity of work; lack of recognition and appreciation for the VN role; enthusiasm for advanced practitioner and specialist status for VNs; and difficulty recruiting experienced VNs.

The College says the results of the consultation will now be considered by the RCVS Schedule 3 and Legislation Working Parties, which are reviewing the efficacy of the current Veterinary Surgeons Act and whether changes need to be made to bring the legislative framework for the profession up-to-date, including consideration of the part played by allied professions like veterinary nurses in the veterinary team.

The full report can be downloaded here.

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