Mission Statement
Safeguarding the interests and welfare of veterinary surgeons, veterinary
nurses and others working in the UK veterinary profession.

Aims
The exclusive aim of the BVU is to look after the interests and welfare of
veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and other staff working in veterinary
profession in the UK, addressing all issues that may directly or indirectly
affect their individual or collective interests and welfare as personnel or as
professionals.
Objectives
The union has the following well-defined objectives:
• To safeguard the interests and welfare of Veterinary Surgeons and
Veterinary Nurses as personnel & professionals.
• To safeguard the interests and welfare of allied staff as personnel.
• To safeguard the interests and welfare of Veterinary Students and Veterinary
Nurse Students.
Activities
In order to fulfil the above objectives, the union will undertake following
activities:
Welfare of vets and nurses as personnel:
The BVU will campaign for better terms of employment and working conditions
for veterinary professionals. Specific areas which the BVU will try to focus on
areas listed below:
Improving terms of employment
- Create awareness about relevant employment laws, flag up deviations by
employers and guide and help vets to adhere to employment laws.
- Job contracts meeting all legal requirements will be actively promoted
as a necessity.
- Develop and maintain independent guidelines for a reasonable starting
salary for new graduates. Independent salary surveys will be conducted to
enable vets and nurses to claim reasonable salaries and increments.
- Awareness of, and full compliance to, working time regulations will be
promoted.
- Campaign for clocking of time for vets and nurses, so that a proper
count of hours worked would be recorded and extra hours worked would be
compensated for.
- Educate employees and employers on the provision of breaks and rest
periods at work, and holidays.
- Veterinary practices will be encouraged to create dedicated out-of-hours
(OOH) services, or use existing OOH services to reduce pressure on
veterinary professionals
- Lobby for improved CPD support by employers.
- Guidelines and information will be made available to vets and regarding
matters of employment.
- Campaign for flexibility of working hours for vets and nurses with
family commitments.
Improving working conditions
- Create awareness about the need for a healthy, safe and dignified
working environment for veterinary and other staff, and develop models and
protocols for safe working environments and conditions.
- Ensure that existing laws were adhered to, and will lobby for any
further changes to improve working conditions for vets and nurses.
- Motivate employers to improve the facilities for the staff.
- Campaign against abuse in veterinary practices and will fully support
those at the receiving end of any malpractices.
Welfare of vets and nurses as professionals:
- Provide independent guidelines and information to new graduates to help
them successfully settle in the profession.
- Provide the necessary information to help vets and nurses prevent
litigation against them.
- Flag up, and lobby against, any professional malpractices in independent
veterinary practices, corporate groups and charitable veterinary
establishments.
- Lobby against any regulations, from any source, that might hinder vets
from rendering their services in full compliance with the RCVS Guide to
Professional Conduct, other relevant laws of the land and in accordance with
professional and moral ethics.
- Work towards safeguarding the privilege of clinical freedom for vets,
and work on similar lines for veterinary nurses.
- Work to ensure any future Veterinary Surgeons Act meets the requirements
of all veterinary surgeons and nurses.
- Lobby for an improved and just RCVS disciplinary system for vets and
nurses.
Supportive welfare arrangements
- Create arrangements, like ‘Veterinary Clubs’, and develop programmes to
enhance the well-being and social interaction of vets, nurses and allied
staff.
- Provide advice, help and representation (right up to employment
tribunals) to its members in the cases of disputes with employers.
- Provide support and representation to vets and nurses going through
disciplinary procedures at the RCVS.
- Support all organisations, like the VBF, that work to help vets in
difficulty.
Supporting Allied Staff
- Highlight and address the issues faced by the non-veterinary members of
staff working the profession and provide support and representation to
individuals facing problems at their workplace.
Supporting Students
- Highlight and address the issues collectively faced by the veterinary
students and veterinary nursing students.
- Provide the support and representation at individual level as necessary.
|