How the cost of veterinary care impacts the wellbeing, learning and practice of early career vets

Background Investigations by the Competition and Markets Authority into the veterinary sector have highlighted the cost of veterinary care. This paper examines the changing attitudes of early career vets towards these costs. Methods Ninety‐seven semi‐structured interviews were held with 25 vets as part of a 2.5‐year longitudinal study. An inductive approach to analysis was adopted with flexible thematic analysis being undertaken using NVivo 12. Results High veterinary care costs create a financial burden for clients and an emotional burden for vets. Vets felt unprepared to deal with restricted client budgets and were unsupported by their practices in relation to charging. When owners could not afford treatment, vets had fewer opportunities to perform procedures and practise their skills. Eventually, vets distanced themselves from their clients’ circumstances to prioritise their own wellbeing and began to value their expertise and charge appropriately. Limitations The small sample size and emphasis on graduates of UK universities limit the generalisability of the findings. Conclusion This paper highlights the impact of veterinary care costs on early career vets’ wellbeing, practice and learning opportunities and advocates a ‘spectrum of care’ approach to veterinary education. It also encourages practices to engage with vets regarding charging behaviours.