The change that vets being run by corporates has brought to the horse world

Corporisation has changed the equine veterinary and wider industries – but the question remains as to whether this is for the better or not.

This is the opinion of one vet who has worked for both corporately owned and independent practices, who was on a panel discussing the issue at the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) Congress (11–14 September).

At the start of the debate, vets in the audience were asked whether they thought corporatisation had been had been good for equine vets and the industry as a whole; opinions were equal on the first question but on the second, fewer than 20% thought it had been a good thing for the horse world.

The panel featured vets in both types of practice. Tom Hughes is a former partner at Liphook Equine Hospital, which was sold to Vet Partners in 2018. He said that conditions, for example for vets who are parents, have improved, for example by using on-call services for emergencies.

“I think all those things have improved during the period corporates have owned more practices,” he said. “I suspect some of those improvements would have come without corporatisation, but I think corporate practice has helped enable some of those changes, and has maybe accelerated that process, although I suspect independent vets would have got there in the end.

“In terms of the equestrian industry, I’m not sure it makes that much difference. I think having vets come at night who haven’t had to work all day and all the next day is probably a good thing. I think on the whole, the most important thing to those horses is the vets that come and see them. And I think those vets haven’t changed, by and large, as a result of corporatisation.”

But Alison Walters, founding director of the “fiercely independent” Hambleton Equine in North Yorkshire, does not believe corporatisation has been beneficial.

“I think the arrival of corporates did make us all pull our socks up a bit; it made us look at our businesses and things like working conditions,” she said. “But I think there are more negatives. There’s definitely been more reputational damage to the profession, largely driven by things like price increases that have definitely been pushed by the corporates. We’re definitely seen as kind of money-grabbing.”

Ms Walters said she thinks corporates are more profit-driven, and some vets who work for them do not feel comfortable with “the upselling they sometimes have to do”, and that there can be lack of choice, in equipment and drugs, but also the direction of a career or the practice. She said this could result in lack of engagement from vets who see less opportunity for career progression.

“This is me speaking to colleagues in corporate practice and comparing it to how we do things in my independent practice,” she said. “I’m sure there are lots of differences between individual practices; really good independent practice and really good corporate practice. But I think the main thing is increased prices, increased cost to the client.

“I think some clients like having different out-of-hours providers, but lots of independent practices use out-of-hours providers as well. So I don’t think you can use that as an arguing point.”

Lesley Barwise-Munro, of CVS-owned Alnorthumbria Vets said she found the transition to a corporate practice hard at first, but thanks to a change of mindset, is “as excited about my job now as I ever was, and as motivated”.

She feels corporation is beneficial, as it has “given the profession a shake-up”; she said it was “antiquated”, and practices were in a “race to the bottom” with prices, which were too low. She said conditions are better, such as for parents who can work full-time, and with HR support.

“There are pros and cons of both, and I think we can acknowledge those,” she said. “And I do think there’s a good future. I think there’s going to be a bit of turmoil in the meantime but hopefully we’ll all go forward in an amicable way.”

Gemma Dransfield, who has worked for independents and corporates, said she can see the pros and cons of both. She said CVS was the first to offer increased maternity leave and the others followed suit, which has been positive, but that independent practice is now in line on such issues. She said CVS’s out-of-hours initiative Equicall has been positive for many practices.

“But I do feel that the middle bracket of vets are the ones that have lost out,” she said, adding that new graduates have benefited from better salaries and training. Vets who were partners may have benefited from sales but “the middle bracket of vets who were very experienced, didn’t benefit from a buyout, are expected to stay and work in the same way,” she said. “It’s very, very hard.

“I think the old model of coming up and buying into a partnership and working for 20, 30 years has changed, and it may well have changed for good, because people look at alternatives now; is that worse? I don’t know.

“In terms of clients. I think it all depends on the vets working in a practice, and as long as their vet turns up and they’ve got the trust, that’s the most important thing.

“So I think in some ways it’s benefited the profession, in some ways it hasn’t; it would be wrong to say whether it was all good or all bad. One thing it has done is change the profession, and it did need to change. So I guess the jury’s still out on whether it’s changed it for the better.”

The initial questions were asked again at the end of the debate; slightly less than half then thought corporatisation has benefited equine vets, and just under 20% thought it has benefited the equestrian industry.

The issue had been discussed at the 2017 BEVA Congress, when panellists debated the motion “Corporatisation of equine practices is inevitable and will benefit vets and their clients” (news, 21 September 2017). Before the debate on that occasion, some 44% agreed, and 56% disagreed. After both sides had had their say, this changed to 28% in agreement and 72% against.

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