Veticare or Vet-E-Care?
A year ago, Andy Meddick MP of the Animal Justice Party passed a motion through the Upper House in Victoria introducing “Veticare”. Mr Meddick has since retired from politics, but with Georgie Purcell MP newly elected for the AJP, she will continue the progress on this Motion.
In relation to Companion Animals, the motion is to establish a stronger framework for the Wellbeing of companion animals, open publicly funded vet clinics and create incentives for the veterinary industry to address workforce shortages.
Sounds great! But could it work in NSW? Well, we really have no way to know.
The motion didn’t provide a budget, nor even a suggestion for where the funding for the clinics or the vet industry would come from. There is no actual plan, such as which government department will be responsible for the free clinics, where they will be located, who will be working in them, and whether the vets and support staff will receive fair compensation or be a volunteer, or student/trainee workforce?
NSW is very different to Victoria, particularly in its geography and size. An enormous government funding boost, the likes of which we have never seen before, would be necessary to achieve similar goals. Making it very unlikely to happen.
But something needs to be done – something that is actually attainable, and can ease some of the pressure on our veterinary industry.
That is where Vet-E-Care comes in. For one, we can spell vetErinary! But the E also stands for Electronic.
A telehealth model, rather than a Medicare model, could be achievable in NSW.
Video calls (or straight phone calls) to a centralised, statewide Vet-E-Care would be beneficial for all animal owners, not just suburban ones. It could link veterinary services, streamlining existing services, rather than create a new one.
Semi-retired or part-time veterinarians and vet nurses could be employed through a work from home model to retain talent, experience and specialised skills within the vet industry.
A vet-on-call would help sift through the people who really do need urgent vet care, help those undecided if it can wait until morning (with some first aid advice from an expert) and sort out those worrying about nothing.
Proper First Aid advice from a veterinarian could prevent many cross species first aid errors. As well as proper advice and instruction for urgent euthanasia to end an animals suffering, when there are no other viable options. The reassurance a vet can provide to help guide an owner to make that hard decision is invaluable.
Animal owners wouldn’t have to do the after-hours panicked ring around, trying to find a veterinarian that is currently available, but also one that is actually nearby – a centralised service would have that information on hand, and redirect calls to an available or nearest vet that can help. They could also have contacts for specialised advice, or vets that specialise in certain species, such as wildlife.
No purpose built clinics would need to be built – NSW is a large place – and this is unlikely to help regional and rural animal owners.
A telehealth service that links existing services across different animal keeping sectors would be more cost effective than building a whole new system.
Tele-scripts by veterinarians that could be collected at local chemists or hospitals could be made more accessible (with very obvious drug access exceptions). Common veterinary medicines that can be administered by owners can be stocked by chemists, particularly those open 24 hours.
It is inevitable that most animal owners will need to either access emergency vet care, or at least follow up with their usual veterinarian following contact with Vet-E-Care. Having spoken to a Vet-E-Care vet, that call log can be transferred to the appropriate vet, with any relevant medical notes, concerns, or follow ups. No need to rely on the animal owner’s memory or understanding (or lack there-of!) of the situation, saving on the next vet’s valuable consultation time.
Vet-E-Care can also follow up to ensure that the necessary care was received.
While a free emergency service would be wonderful, it could be free for those on government assistance, or low incomes and a low rate for everyone else.
Perhaps most importantly, Vet-E-Care would not be in competition with veterinary clinics, causing further closures, and discouraging new clinics from opening and creating more black spots without vet care.
Establishing Vet-E-Care would need some careful and thoughtful consideration. Particularly to ensure that Vet-E-Care always prioritises animal welfare over everything else – cost, convenience and even customer service should always come second to the primary goal of promoting positive animal welfare outcomes.
Animal Care Australia would like to see Vet-E-Care government funded and operated, perhaps overseen by the Chief Veterinary Officer within the Department of Primary Industries, with sound legislation to ensure transparency and accountability. This would effectively be the veterinary equivalent of the Australian Government Electronic Health Records. Animal Care Australia would like to see the call centre vet nurses and on call veterinarians paid retainers and fees that are at least at award rates. Underpaying vets the way Medicare underpays doctors would not be acceptable. There are already several private practice veterinarians with working models of telehealth operating today, and it would provide an easier path for the government to get something started.
Animal Care Australia doesn’t think this – or any other – model of Vet-E-Care will solve all the issues in the vet industry, we suggest this as a practical and inexpensive way to ease some of the burden – supporting both vets and animal owners to do better for their animals.
Private vet practices across Australia have earned themselves a great reputation. Through Animal Care Australia’s submission process to the current NSW Inquiry into Veterinary workforce shortages, NSW Pounds Inquiry and SA’s Animal Welfare Act and Biosecurity reviews, we have seen our members reporting their faith and trust in their Veterinary clinics’ dedication and integrity to their animals’ welfare.
We should not be setting up new subsidised vet clinics to compete with existing clinics, and underpay its employees. We should be supporting the veterinary industry to adapt private practices to function under Vet-E-Care, if they wish – to reward their years of thankless service with fair compensation. They will then employ more part time and after hours work-from-home vets and nurses.
What we’re suggesting, is a streamlining of services, reporting, emergency first aid support, and supportive funding for our wonderful veterinary industry. We have an opportunity right now to help our vets develop a supplementary system that actually supports them as well as our companion animals.
What would we do without our vets? We have a current NSW Inquiry into Veterinary workforce shortages to hear from vets themselves what they need – from all of us – to help them continue to be the incredible people that they are. Let’s not just listen, but respond to what they say as well.
By: Karri Nadazdy – Animal Care Australia Horse & Livestock Representative. Originally published: September 2023 ACE Newsletter.
