Ȥҹapp

Responding to DEFRA’s recent consultation on reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act was a mammoth exercise. While Fitness to Practice and Governance Reform grabbed the headlines, one short paragraph stood out to me more thanÌýalmost anythingÌýelse: the suggestion thatÌýthere could be a wider system of limited licensure whichÌýcould eventually move us away fromÌýgraduating withÌýomnipotential.Ìý

At first glance, thatÌýmight sound practical, even progressive. Veterinary medicine has changed enormously. Students graduate with clearer career ambitions, practices are becoming moreÌýspecialisedÌýand the breadth of knowledge expected of vets continues to grow. So why insist every graduateÌýdemonstratesÌýcompetence across species and sectors they may never intend to work in?Ìý

I think weÌýneed to think very carefully about what we lose if we abandonÌýomnipotentialÌýpractice.ÌýFor me personally, this issue strikes at the heart of what shaped my own career.ÌýI entered vet school determined to become an equine vet. Like many graduates at the time, I planned to spend a couple of years in mixed practice before specialising further.ÌýWhat I neverÌýexpectedÌýwas falling in love with mixed practice itself, particularlyÌýthe combination of equine andÌýfarm animal work. Had I graduated under a more restricted licensing model, I may never have discovered that passion at all.ÌýÌý

Veterinary students are increasingly asked to make career decisions at a remarkablyÌýyoung age. Many arrive at vet school with fixed ideas about what they want to do and leave focused not just on one sector, but one narrow specialism within it.ÌýI understand why. The profession is changing and students are trying to navigate an increasingly complex career landscape, but it is only once you start practising that youÌýreallyÌýunderstand what being a vet means.Ìý

A veterinary degree matters not simply because it prepares you for a first job, but because it gives flexibility across an entire career. One of the profession’s greatest strengths is that careers evolve. Vets move between sectors, discover newÌýinterestsÌýand adapt to changing circumstances.ÌýIf we move towards a system where aÌý17-year-old effectively chooses a lifelongÌýcareerÌýtrack before fully understanding the profession, we risk narrowing those opportunities permanently. That matters not only for individual fulfilment, but for retention within the profession itself.Ìý

I am alsoÌýreally worriedÌýabout what this could mean for mixed practice.ÌýMixed practice isÌýoftenÌýundervalued in modern veterinary discussions, but itÌýremainsÌýhugely important — not only to the profession, but to animal health,ÌýwelfareÌýand rural communities. Mixed practitionersÌýunderstand comparative medicine in a uniquely broadÌýway, andÌýprovide vital services in communities where highly specialised models may simply not beÌýviable.Ìý

My greatest concern is the impact on rural and remote areas, where traditional mixed practiceÌýremainsÌýessential. Just because a community is geographically remote should not mean the animals within it are underserved when it comes to veterinary care.ÌýIn many partsÌýof the UK, there is still a real need for vets who can perform an emergency bitchÌýcaesarianÌýin the middle of the night before heading out at dawn to deliver a calf, then quickly stitch up a horse on the way to breakfast. That breadth of capability is not outdated; it is what keeps veterinary services functioning in some communities.Ìý

There is also a broader educational argument here. Even for students committed to one path, there is huge value in learning veterinary medicine across species. Veterinary education teaches far more than technical competence. It develops clinical reasoning,ÌýadaptabilityÌýand an understanding of animal health in a much wider context.ÌýThe ability to think comparatively across species is one of the defining characteristics of veterinary medicine. Losing that breadth would fundamentally alter the profession.Ìý

That said, I do recognise there are circumstances where conditional licensing may have merit. DEFRA’s consultation raises important points around accessibility and the Equality Act. There may be individuals with lifelong physical limitations who could become exceptional vets within a specific scope of practice, even if they cannot meet every pan-species Day 1 competency despite reasonable adjustments.ÌýIn those cases, conditional licensing could provide a thoughtful and inclusive pathway into the profession. But that isÌývery differentÌýfrom reshaping veterinary education more broadly around early specialisation. The risk is that what begins as a limited exception gradually becomes the normÌý– you can see why this option might beÌývery popularÌýamongÌýuniversities withÌýveterinary schoolsÌýand their eyes on the bottom line.Ìý

This is why I believe any future proposals aroundÌýlimitedÌýlicensure must be fully consultedÌýon in their own right. These conversations cannot happen quietly or as a footnote to wider legislative reform because the implications are enormous. This changes the entire profession and what it means to be a vet.ÌýThe veterinary profession absolutely must evolve, and we should never resist change simply for tradition’s sake. But we must also recognise when change risks narrowing the profession in ways that mayÌýultimately beÌýimpossible to reverse.ÌýOnceÌýomnipotentialÌýat graduation isÌýlost, we may not get it back.Ìý

And given everything at stake — for vets, for communities and for animal welfare —ÌýI believe weÌýneed to ask oneÌývery seriousÌýquestion: can the profession really afford to lose it?Ìý

Join me and a panel of experts at Ȥҹapp Live to hear more views from the profession on this important topic and get a chance to ask them questions.Ìý

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