Veterinary Services: Coronavirus

(asked on 23rd April 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) small and (b) independent veterinary practices during the covid-19 outbreak.


Answered by
Victoria Prentis Portrait
Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
This question was answered on 5th May 2020

The veterinary profession is vital in maintaining high standards of animal health and welfare in UK, particularly at this very challenging time.

Working alongside HM Treasury, Defra is in regular contact with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), British Veterinary Association (BVA) and other key stakeholders to ensure we understand the economic impacts to small independent veterinary practices and the wider industry over the Covid-19 outbreak.

Following the Prime Minister’s statement of 23 March bringing in the lockdown measures, the veterinary professional bodies produced guidance focussing on the provision of essential services only. This was updated from 13 April, reducing the restrictions. Under this guidance it is for individual vets to make decisions about what work can and should be undertaken and how to do this in line with social distancing guidelines including remote consultations, if practical.

Veterinary practices should be able to access Bounce Back loans, the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) or the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS), subject to eligibility criteria for each scheme. Many vets and locums are self-employed and there is also a range of support available where they can demonstrate the financial impact of the Coronavirus outbreak.

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