An urgent call out for official veterinarians in Wales has been announced due to the lack of qualified vets applying for positions within the country.
The largest provider of official veterinarians in the UK Eville & Jones is making the call out as Wales makes up just 3.5% of its workforce.
There are around 2,000 vacant roles in the veterinary sector every year, but only 900 vets qualify from approved universities.
There is only one in Wales, Aberystwyth University, and this won’t produce graduates for a few more years, Eville & Jones warned.
Vets from within the EU have usually plugged the shortfall in the UK, but since Brexit, this number has dropped rapidly.
Information from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) – the veterinary regulator – confirms that registrations of vets from overseas has dropped dramatically.
Between January and May 2021 the UK welcomed just 155 vets from the EU. This compares to 533 in the same period in 2019.
And new rules set by the RCVS requires vets to formally meet a high standard of English at level 7, compared to level 4.1 which is required for a skilled work visa.
Charles Hartwell, chief executive of Eville & Jones, warned that Wales was 'one of the worst affected areas' in the UK.
“Since Brexit, like many other industries we have struggled to plug the skills gap of workers following rule changes," he said.
Currently there are over 30 vacancies for veterinary roles in Wales with Eville & Jones, including area managers, export veterinarians, certification support officers and meat hygiene inspectors.
Exports is the fastest growing veterinary sector since Brexit as products from the EU now need to be examined closely due to the introduction of export health certificates.
This requires an increased level of staff to manage and implement the certification process.
But Mr Hartwell warned that there would be 'huge challenges' with exporting meat if shortages weren't remedied soon.
“We are calling for qualified vets to seriously think about applying for a role within veterinary public health in Wales," he added.
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has been raising concerns about veterinary capacity since the UK left the EU.
The group released a report warning of the 'triple whammy' facing the veterinary sector due to Brexit, the pandemic and a boom in pet ownership.
BVA President James Russell said like many sectors emerging from the Covid-19 crisis, the veterinary profession was 'already exhausted'.
"We’re facing the triple whammy of Brexit, Covid, and the boom in pet ownership putting unprecedented pressure on veterinary services across the country.
“Unfortunately, some vet practices have had to close their books to new registrations as they simply don’t have the staff or space to provide care for more animals.
"No one wants to turn away new clients, but vets must prioritise the animals currently under their care."
