NEWS AND VIEWS
Valuing veterinarians NZVA CEO Kevin Bryant says it’s time to highlight the veterinary profession’s skills and contribution. SINCE I JOINED the NZVA in September last year, a persistent theme has emerged in my conversations with members, special interest and regional branch leaders, and board directors. It’s the view that veterinarians are not well recognised for the collective contribution they make to animals’ health and welfare and to many aspects of life in this country. I freely admit that, while I’ve always admired the important work done by the profession, it wasn’t until I took up this role that I began to understand the full breadth and depth of your contribution. The stories I’ve heard about the way some clients treat you are a clear indication that they have little understanding of the value you offer. In fact the contribution that rural veterinarians make has gone largely unsung for many years, particularly in our urban communities, and I know that companion animal veterinarians also don’t receive the respect they deserve. This is a country with one of the highest companion animal ownership rates per household in the world, and with most owners viewing their pets as family members. I believe it’s time for the value of your contribution to be better recognised. For example, misperceptions about fees need to be addressed if we’re to overcome challenges such as workforce and business sustainability and veterinary wellbeing. If the public has a better understanding of the costs of veterinary services, and the value those services represent, they may be more prepared to pay for services they might otherwise see as expensive. For many people, taking an animal to a veterinarian for the first time is their first experience of non-taxpayer-subsidised medical care. Faced with having to pay the full cost of the service, they can struggle to see value in what is in fact a very reasonable fee. Unfortunately, this can lead to new client relationships getting off on the wrong foot. If perceptions can be changed, practices will be better placed to charge appropriately, and therefore look after their people better in terms of remuneration and wellbeing. As many members know, long-held beliefs can be hard to change. It can also take a while to change misperceptions, but that doesn’t mean we should shy away from the issue. At the NZVA we’re doing something about it. To support our vision of veterinarians as valued animal health and welfare
knowledge leaders, we’re planning a nationwide advertising campaign to enhance the reputation of the veterinary profession. It will make it clear that veterinarians deliver in animal health and welfare expertise, and offer excellent value for money. The campaign will also seek to enhance the profession’s overall reputation with the public. As mentioned in this issue’s column from the NZVA veterinary team, many groups advocate on animal health and welfare but none has the expertise, training or qualifications that veterinary professionals do. We plan to design the campaign so that practices can use some of the material to target consumers in their local markets and through social media channels. We believe the campaign will offer significant benefits for members, because the material will only be made available to members, and only members will get advance notice of advertising placements they can use to support their own promotional activities. It’s my hope that the campaign will soon be added to the list of benefits that members tell me they value (others include this magazine, CPD, wellbeing resources, mentoring and standards’ development). We aim to demonstrate the ways that veterinarians provide unequalled value through their unique expertise in areas ranging from biosecurity to companion animal health. We want to capture the authentic voice of our people, so we’ll be looking for members to contribute to the campaign before it’s launched. We’re also keen to feature our members at a local level through case studies, which will help to add a human face to a campaign that’s all about relationships. Before we go live, we’ll launch the campaign to members so you’re familiar with its messages. A personal touch goes a long way, and the chances of the campaign meeting its objectives will be greatly enhanced if you take advantage of opportunities to reinforce those messages with your clients. As you probably know, advertising isn’t cheap, so we’ll be seeking financial support from stakeholders who, like me, want to support the profession to grow and to prosper. I look forward to providing updates on progress – creating a campaign that I hope will be the start of a sea change in perceptions of the profession in this country. Kevin Bryant, NZVA CEO kevin.bryant@vets.org.nz
VetScript August 2020 – 5
