New COVID survey reveals hard yet hopeful results

The latest instalment of the RCVS’ COVID impact survey shows the pandemic is continuing to hit the veterinary sector hard, with almost a third of practices still only able to provide reduced caseloads while more than half are having difficulties obtaining certain medicines.

Conducted between 25 February and 4 March 2021, the sixth instalment of the survey also shows the proportion of practices providing “business as usual” services remains low, at 16%.

There has been a big fall in provision of a “near pre-COVID” level of service since the last survey (34%, compared with 63% in December), and an increase in practices providing a “reduced caseload” (31%, compared with 15% in December).

Positive signs

There are positive signs, too, however, with an improving situation in terms of staffing levels and practice cash flow; latest results showed fewer practices reported their cash flow position had worsened since before the pandemic and was causing concern (13%, compared with 22% in December).

Slightly more respondents said cash flow had stayed the same (51%, compared with 47% in December) or improved (34%, compared with 30% in December).

National lockdown meant there was a continued increase in the use of remote consulting among practices (64%, compared with 58% in December and 50% in September).

Staffing levels

A new question on current staffing levels found a majority of respondents (58%) had roughly the same number of full-time equivalent staff as in the first quarter of 2020 (before the first lockdown), while 19% said they had fewer and 23% reported having more.

When asked about the impact school closures and home-schooling had on practice staffing, 51% said school closures had “some impact” on staffing for in-hours emergency and essential care, with a further 7% reporting a “severe impact”.

In total, 15% reported some impact on out-of-hours emergency care provision, with 3% saying there was a severe impact.

The RCVS emailed all veterinary practices on its database, with a total of 201 practices responding, making for a 6% response rate.

Easing restrictions

RCVS chief executive Lizzie Lockett said: “Although this survey took place in the midst of the lockdown and before the schools reopened, there were some positive results here around staffing and the financial situation for practices.

“Hopefully this will mean that, as the restrictions ease going from spring into summer, many practices and practice staff will be in a position to return to a near-normal level of service and business.

“There were, however, still a few areas of concern – some of which will hopefully be resolved by the forthcoming easing of restrictions; for example, the difficulty in obtaining independent witnesses for the destruction of controlled drugs, with some 34% of practices reporting difficulties, compared to 20% in December.”

Leadership

SPVS president Nick Lloyd welcomed some of the positive indications in the survey, but warned that managing the transition to post-lockdown restrictions will take good leadership and clear communication.

He said: “Given the trend in society for increased pet ownership and the closer relationship that clients have been having with their pets during lockdown, we are confident that practices will continue to recover.

“The lifting of restrictions brings opportunities and challenges as individual clients and staff will have different fears with respect to closer contact. Managing the transition, and bringing the whole staff team and clients along, will take good leadership and communication.”

The full survey results can be downloaded at www.rcvs.org.uk/publications