The Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV) wants to understand more about the impact on the position and role of veterinarians in the changing field of work and the different interests the veterinarian serves. Therefore, two complementary studies have been conducted. Their conclusions and recommendations led to a follow-up process.
The first report 'The position and role of veterinarians and quality assurance in veterinary professional practice', which was prepared by consultancy firm Berenschot, concludes that society is placing increasing value on the public interests of animal health, animal welfare, food safety, public health and environment/climate.
The researchers also conclude that the system of quality assurance of veterinary professional practice is limited in scope.
Recommendations: First, the government is advised to create framework conditions that enable the veterinary sector to solve the coordination and funding problem around quality assurance itself. In addition, it is advised to stimulate continuous learning processes of practising veterinarians.
The second report 'The labour market for veterinarians: bottlenecks and perspectives' was commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV) and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and carried out by Stichting Economisch Onderzoek and Geelen Consultancy. This study focused on the nature, extent and causes of the shortage of veterinarians experienced.
The report concludes that an increasing shortage of veterinarians could jeopardise public interests such as animal health, animal welfare, food safety, public health and the environment. If policies remain unchanged, there is a possibility that perceived shortages could further increase in the future and lead to an absolute shortage of veterinarians.
Recommendations: The researchers recommend more precise mapping of core labour market statistics and close monitoring of the demand for care in the coming years. They also give five more recommendations to prevent possible shortages.
1) Setting up a mentoring programme with structural supervision, guidance and training for recent veterinary graduates can lead to a smoother transition from the master's programme to the labour market and fewer early dropouts;
2) Transfer more legal powers and duties from the veterinarian to paraveterinarians or to a new veterinary function to be developed at the college level;
3) Increase the inflow of veterinarians into the labour market by increasing the number of study places at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and targeting them to the most acute shortages;
4) Increase financial remuneration of practising veterinarians;
5) Invest in Dutch language proficiency to increase the influx of foreign vets into the Dutch labour market.
Following these reports, the LNV minister wants to make agreements with the profession on how to follow up on the recommendations. By 2023, he wants to have a broadly supported plan setting out the shared ambitions, including concrete agreements on implementation, funding and a timeframe.
See research reports:
https://www.tweedekamer.nl/kamerstukken/brieven_regering/detail?id=2022Z26358&did=2022D56886
