My COVID Diaries: the ‘Herriot effect’

James Herriot was not part of my inspiration to become a vet. With All Creatures Great and Small first airing 23 years before my birth, and nearly 50 years before I qualified, he is not a figure I have ever considered to have influenced my life or my career. However, this is unlikely to be true.

The “Herriot effect” has been an impassioned and controversial debate within the profession for years. For many, he remains a treasured childhood character and role model – and rightly so.

He was a compassionate and self-sacrificing veterinary surgeon, working tirelessly for seemingly little reward other than a piece of cake and the gratitude of his clients – and, of course, his love of the job. Surely he is the embodiment of all that we should strive to be when we take our oaths.

Expectations

There is no doubt that All Creatures Great and Small inspired generations of animal lovers and veterinary surgeons. Whether we recognise it or not, the image of veterinary life portrayed in the beloved books and TV series still has a huge influence on the perception of our profession today.

Yet, there is a darker side to the “Herriot effect”. For some, All Creatures Great and Small embodies much of what is wrong with the veterinary profession today. Seventy years on, we are working to value the importance of self-care, healthier hours and identities outside of veterinary.

As a young vet, should I look to James as a role model? Or has the “Herriot effect” played a huge role in creating an expectation of myself that I could never fulfil? One that is shared – subconsciously or not – by many of our clients.

Settling down to watch the first episode of the new remake of the iconic series triggered some bigger questions than I expected from an hour of easy family viewing.

But I also laughed and cried, and had my heart thoroughly warmed. A series set so many generations ago could feel impossibly out of reach – particularly from the middle of a pandemic – yet so much of it was wonderfully familiar.

Watching James set off on the train to his first job reminded me of the moment I found out I had a place at vet school. In that moment, I achieved the only thing I had ever wanted, and I have never felt so sure that my life was going to go okay.

Being a vet was not everything I pictured in that moment, and I have certainly suffered the effect of unrealistic expectations of the job and of myself. It has also been more than I could ever have imagined.

So yes, James Herriot has a lot to answer for, but he has reminded me of what I love about being a vet at the simplest level, and how lucky I feel to be here today – even if it was not quite what I thought it would be when I was a child.

The revival of the series raises some important questions that we should not shy away from. But for now, I am glad to have a piece of Herriot magic to disappear into each Sunday night, before the reality of life in lockdown practice hits again in the morning.