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Blaming the National Health Service
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Last week, a blog entry entitled "I blame the NHS" seemed to strike a chord with vetsonline users, gaining more than 200 Facebook "likes" and rapidly becoming our most popular post.
Addressing the much-held perception that "vets are rich and set high prices to rip off the unsuspecting public", student blogger Jordan Sinclair discussed how, in reality, this belief is far from the truth and attempted to explain why the myth persists.
She wrote: "We are blessed with a 'free' health service in the UK, but this means those of us outwith the field of human medicine have very little understanding of how much treatments, operations or drugs cost.
"Perhaps if people knew how much these things would cost if they had to fund them privately, they’d have a greater appreciation of the NHS and the veterinary care they pay for for their animals."
This was borne out by last week's poll, which showed the majority of clients had "a whinge and a moan" about cost – although supporting comments suggested that complaints were fewer when clients were offered estimates up-front.
In his recent post "The F word", fellow blogger Will Easson said: "Fees are a subject as emotionally charged as any other in this profession", but added "nobody can work for free."
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| Posted August 6, 2014 |
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A major forthcoming conference set to unite vets, VNs and human medics in the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and zoonotic infections needs posters. Read more |
| Posted August 6, 2014 |
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A new documentary series airing in the UK tonight (August 6) will feature two vets from a Leicestershire zoo as they conduct vital medical checks on endangered primates. Read more |
| Posted August 6, 2014 |
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An animal welfare group is appealing for information after dogs fatally attacked a swan. Read more |
| Posted August 6, 2014 |
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Research that could help reduce the incidence of syringomyelia (SM) in the cavalier King Charles spaniel and other toy breeds has been published in the Kennel Club (KC) and BioMed Central’s Canine Genetics and Epidemiology journal. Read more |
| Posted August 6, 2014 |
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University of Liverpool scientists have examined the mechanisms that cause ageing in the tendons of horses, opening up the possibility of better treatment for humans. Read more |
| Posted August 6, 2014 |
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Ceva Animal Health has produced a new advisory leaflet about enzootic abortion control and vaccination strategy in sheep, making it easy for vets to explain the best prevention protocols to their clients. Read more |
| Posted August 6, 2014 |
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Time is running out to apply for the £5,000 bursary offered by Vétoquinol, the company behind Zylkène. Read more |
| Posted August 5, 2014 |
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International animal welfare organisation World Animal Protection is calling on veterinary professionals around the world to help develop a global standard of animal welfare in veterinary schools. Read more |
| Posted August 5, 2014 |
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A woman who neglected a two-month-old foal, causing it severe injuries, has been banned from keeping horses for three years. Read more |
| Posted August 5, 2014 |
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Elanco has recruited a new technical team to support its expanding companion animal division. Read more |
| Posted August 5, 2014 |
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Pet insurance provider Petplan has announced nominations for its prestigious Petplan Veterinary Awards will open on September 1. Read more |
| Posted August 5, 2014 |
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Animal charity Battersea Dogs and Cats Home is lending its support to the Pup Aid campaign to ban the sale for profit of puppies and kittens in pet shops. Read more |
| Posted August 4, 2014 |
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The all-party parliamentary group for beef and lamb has published its report on the "highly emotive" subject of meat slaughtered in accordance with religious rites. Read more |
| Posted August 4, 2014 |
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Vets have launched a free continuing professional development (CPD) database that will give vets and VNs access to more courses than from any other source. Read more |
| Posted August 4, 2014 |
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The charity arm of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) is asking veterinary surgeons and nurses to help it improve its services. Read more |
| Posted August 4, 2014 |
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A zoo in Hampshire has welcomed a litter of meerkat pups to a first time mum. Read more |
| Posted August 4, 2014 |
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They make you say “ahhhh!” whenever you see them. Puppies, kittens, lambs, lion cubs – baby animals tug at the heartstrings and make you want to stop and give them a cuddle. Read more |
| Posted August 4, 2014 |
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Woodley Equipment Company supplies the full range of products and services for the SpotChem series of analysers. Read more |
| Posted August 1, 2014 |
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The Badger Trust has won its case against DEFRA, which failed to justify the withholding of key badger culling documents to the High Court. Read more |
| Posted August 1, 2014 |
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The first online CPD series covering veterinary forensic science and animal crime scene investigation has been launched in the UK. Read more |
| Posted August 1, 2014 |
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An animal charity is campaigning to keep children safe and dogs happy. Read more |
| Posted August 1, 2014 |
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The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) will be holding a short ceremony at a nursing congress in October for any veterinary nurses (VNs) who have missed out on the opportunity to make their professional declaration. Read more |
| Posted August 1, 2014 |
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A vet who practices homeopathy has claimed the UK is at risk of "getting left behind" medically if alternative treatments continue to be shunned. Read more |
| Posted July 31, 2014 |
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BSAVA animal charity PetSavers is urging pet owners to get out their cameras and start snapping pics of their pets to take part in its 2015 photography competition. Read more |
| Posted July 31, 2014 |
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Members of the public have been given a tour of The Pirbright Institute's new high-containment facility, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) National Virology Centre. Read more |
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