The number of Australian veterinarians leaving the industry because of stress and poor pay is increasing, a survey has found, adding to concerns about high suicide rates in the profession.
The Lincoln Institute survey found that nearly 90% of veterinary business owners and managers reported unprecedented difficulties in filling vacancies over the past two to three years.
Of those, 41% waited longer than six months to fill positions while 18% waited up to two years or more to find new vets for their clinics.
The Lincoln Institute co-director and veterinary surgeon, Gary Turnbull, said the shortage was not linked to the number of graduates but because people were leaving the profession “in droves”.
“I have been a vet for 23 years; personally I’m starting to back away from the industry,” Turnbull said.
“I feel like I can’t keep going at the pace I have for so long.
“Seeing the pain that veterinary business owners and their teams are going through right now is alarming.”
A separate survey of working vets found that about 37% were considering leaving the industry within a year, and 40% were contemplating leaving their current job.
Stress, poor work conditions and low remuneration were listed as the top reasons, and 40% would not recommend becoming a veterinarian.
The government has highlighted the shortage – data from the Department of Jobs and Small Business reveals that only 28% of vet vacancies were filled last year, a rate of about 1.5 applicants per vacancy.
Turnbull has called on the government to encourage foreign vets to fill the vacancies and expedite the process.
Vets are four times more likely to commit suicide than the general population, double the rate of doctors, pharmacists, dentists and nurses.
“We’re dealing with emotion and grief all day every day and it’s hard not to take some of that on board,” Turnbull said.
“A lot of practices are struggling to be profitable at all. For those that do, the owners are often not paying themselves an appropriate salary.”
It costs about $1m to $2m to set up a clinic, he said.
To be registered, clinics have to offer out-of-hours emergency care.
And while there are specialist emergency clinics in capital cities, Turnbull said regional and rural areas did not have the numbers to support it.
Even on late-night callouts, pet owners often complained to vets about the cost, he said.
“This is the attitude that wears you down. You don’t feel particularly appreciated.
“The closest comparison that people typically have is their own medical care, which in some aspects is so heavily subsidised.”
An industry steering group is expected to release a working paper in March, with recommendations on how to keep vets within the industry.
Credits: The Guardian
Written by David Davidson
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