Wednesday, 10 February 2021 09:55

Rural vet crisis deepens

Written by  Jessica Marshall
Julie South believes there is no immediate solution to the problem without bringing overseas vets into the country. Julie South believes there is no immediate solution to the problem without bringing overseas vets into the country.

Calls are being made for the Government to declare veterinarians as critical workers to help solve the current rural vet shortage.

Julie South, whose company VetStaff specialises in recruiting vets, says getting more overseas vets into New Zealand is the best solution.

She says that despite the Government’s decision to grant exemptions to 30 large/production animal veterinarians in September 2020, the shortage is still severe.

“For example, one clinic in Canterbury is a ‘five vet clinic’. Right now, they’re trying to get by on two vets,” South told Rural News.

“This puts a huge burden on everyone.”

She reckons that one of the major problems is that the majority of New Zealand vets are companion animal vets, for cats and dogs.

“So, straight away, this means there are fewer production animal vets available to work in the rural areas.”

However, South believes there is no immediate solution to the problem without bringing overseas vets into the country.

“In the longer term, uptraining and upskilling veterinary nurses and veterinary technicians to be able to do more…will help.

“But that’s not an immediate fix, although it is a step in the right direction.”

She says that doubling intake at Massey University – the country’s only vet programme – is not an immediate fix either.

“Even if Massey took, say, 400 students in 2022 so that 200 could graduate, the benefit of that isn’t going to be felt until the end of this decade – because it takes five years of study plus three years before veterinarians are fully able to work unsupervised.”

New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA) chief executive Kevin Bryant says the current shortage is not sustainable for the profession.

He says that extended hours and increased workloads have led to the current shortage with the physical and mental health of their veterinarians, contributing to burn out.

“In some instances, this has led to veterinarians exiting the profession, thus creating a larger shortage,” Bryant explains.

He says that in the long term, NZVA is concerned that animal welfare may be compromised and that there will be an impact on farmers who can’t get the advice they need.

“In the short term, veterinarians are stretching to meet the need,” he says.

Bryant told Rural News that the situation has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic and the border restrictions imposed because of it.

NZVA data indicates that New Zealand needs an additional 120 veterinarians on top of the 30 who have already been granted entry into the country.

“We would also like the Government to streamline the approval process,” Bryant says.

More like this

Self-isolation better way

Scrapping MIQ requirements from next month means vet clinics can plan ahead with certainty, says recruiter Julie South, VetStaff.

'Bring back vet exams'

The Veterinary Council of New Zealand (VCNZ) is being urged to reintroduce practical exams that will allow overseas vets to work here.

Vet scheme wins praise

A Government scheme to place 34 graduate vets in rural areas is winning praise from one recruitment agency.

Petition demands MIQ spaces

A worsening vet shortage has triggered a petition calling for the Government to set aside two MIQ spaces every week for authorised arrivals.

Featured

Sheep drench resistance costly

Analysis by Dunedin-based Techion New Zealand shows the cost of undetected drench resistance in sheep has exploded to an estimated $98 million a year.

Dairy sheep and goat turmoil

Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.

Hurry up and slow down!

OPINION: We have good friends from way back who had lived in one of our major cities for many years.

National

Knowing bugs means fewer drugs

A mastitis management company claims to deliver the fastest and most accurate mastitis testing available at scale for New Zealand…

Machinery & Products

AGTEK and ARGO part ways

After 12 years of representing the Landini and McCormick brands in New Zealand, Bay of Plenty-based AGTEK and the brands’…

100 years of Farmall Tractors

Returning after an enforced break, the Wheat and Wheels Rally will take place on the Lauriston -Barhill Road, North-East of…

JD unveils its latest beast

John Deere has unveiled its most powerful tractor ever, with the launch of the all new 9RX Series Tractor line-up…

Biggest Quadtrac coming to NZ!

In the biggest announcement that Case IH Australia/New Zealand has made around its tractor range, its biggest tractor is about…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Why?

OPINION: A mate of yours truly wants to know why the beef schedule differential is now more than 45-50 cents…

Fat to cut

OPINION: Your canine crusader understands that MPI were recently in front of the Parliamentary Primary Sector Select Committee for an…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter