01 August 2000

BVA Hits Out at TV Vets

Eifion Evans, head of the 10,000-strong British Veterinary Association, is calling for more air time for the serious side of veterinary work and demanding a new direction for shows such as Vets in Practice and Animal Hospital. He hit out last night at the "fluffy and petsy" nature of television vet programmes and said: "We are as a profession in danger of becoming typecast in the eyes of both the public and the Government as entertainers and personalities rather than as professionals getting on with looking after people's pets and livestock." Mr Evans, a vet from Caernarvon, North Wales for 36 years, specialising mainly in cattle and sheep, accepted that the depiction of vets in the television series All Creatures Great and Small had boosted their reputation, but he believed that the portrayal of vets today was undermining their standing with the public. Mr Evans believes producers should focus on the less glamorous side of veterinary work and to show the real value of the profession. "We have a key role in public health as we monitor and record the health and regime of animals on farms. We know the history of disease on farms and we would like to see the profession recognised for its public health output," he said. Mr Evans said he was amazed that not a single vet was appointed to the board of the newly created Food Standards Agency despite their crucial role in public health. Media vets last night were dismayed by the attack from Mr Evans. Trude Mostue, the Norwegian-born star of Vets in Practice, believed the sniping was down to "fuddy duddies" in the profession. "They just do not realise that the profession has changed," she said. Many vets chose to work with small pets "because there is not enough work or money on the farm animal side".