The 2019 survey of the veterinary profession and the veterinary nurse profession

These reports present the results of the 2019 Survey of the Veterinary Profession, carried out on behalf of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) by the Institute for Employment Studies (IES). A survey of veterinary nurses was carried out at the same time and the results are presented in a companion report, downloadable on this page.

The 2019 survey of veterinary surgeons (VSs) is the seventh survey carried out by the RCVS; VSs were also surveyed in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014. Throughout this report, where possible and appropriate, results are compared with previous years.

The aim of these surveys is to provide the RCVS, and other interested parties, with an evidence-based view of the veterinary profession and the changes taking place within it. A new section was added to the 2019 survey to seek, in some detail, respondents’ views about the RCVS as a regulatory body and Royal College.

The questionnaires were compiled by IES using questions from previous surveys, together with additional questions and statements derived from discussions with RCVS staff. The survey was launched on 6th June 2019, following an informal questionnaire testing exercise. As in 2014, the survey was conducted as an online survey only.

Email invitations to participate in the survey were sent out to 32,427 veterinary surgeons (VSs) for whom the RCVS held email addresses. A small number (121) of these addresses proved not to be valid, meaning that the total sample receiving an invitation to participate was 32,306. Three reminders were sent at intervals to those who had not yet responded; a small number of VSs, who contacted IES to ask not to participate, were removed from the reminder list.

The surveys covered a wide range of subjects including work status, current work, working within clinical veterinary practice, continuing professional development, views about the profession and its future, and health and wellbeing.