The UK Government Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) has recently announced measures to protect the title ‘nurse’ in law, making it a criminal offence to misuse the title and mislead the public. The British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) welcomes this move, whilst continuing to lead the campaign for title protection for veterinary nurses.
The DHSC has confirmed these changes would be introduced during this parliament as part of wider health and care regulation reforms, following campaigns by nursing organisations plus MP Dawn Butler. The government identify the risk to public health and trust in the profession by receiving advice and care from someone they believe to be a qualified professional but is not. As is the case for ‘registered veterinary nurses’ (RVNs), only the title ‘registered nurse’ is currently protected in law – yet over 8,000 people in 93% of NHS trusts currently have the term ‘nurse’ in their title, but have no registered nursing qualifications.
New legislation will mean that only those registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) will be able to legally use the ‘nurse’ title – with violations leading to a criminal offence and significant fines.
BVNA President Lyndsay Hughes commented: “At a time when BVNA is leading the campaign to protect the ‘veterinary nurse’ title in law, we are delighted by the news that title protection has been achieved for our human-centred nursing counterparts. Whether the patient is human or animal, nurses and veterinary nurses alike provide skilled, compassionate, professional and dedicated care to their patients.
“We fully agree with the government’s acknowledgment of the risks to public health and safety associated with misuse of professional titles – and this is fundamentally the case for misuse of the ‘veterinary nurse’ title too. The public should be able to have complete trust in the individuals caring for their much-loved pets – amongst all other species of animals – and the advice they provide. Ensuring that only individuals who are qualified and registered may be referred to as a ‘veterinary nurse’ is pivotal for animal welfare and public health.
“In our ongoing campaign for protection of the ‘veterinary nurse’ title, the BVNA is currently working closely with the UK Government Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), in preliminary work towards new veterinary legislation. BVNA has also been a main party in the ongoing Competition and Markets Authority investigation of the veterinary sector – which, due to our engagement, has identified the need to protect the ‘veterinary nurse’ title in its draft package of potential remedies.
“We are seizing every available opportunity to raise awareness of RVNs’ vital role within animal welfare and public health, and to campaign for rightful protection of the ‘veterinary nurse’ title. This news from the human healthcare sector demonstrates that title protection can be achieved – and BVNA will work tirelessly until it comes to fruition for veterinary nurses too.”