Today, the UK Government Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has launched a consultation on reform and modernisation of the outdated Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966. The British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) warmly welcomes this consultation, having called for legislative reform for many years.
The consultation marks a key milestone in the process towards legislative change, and BVNA urges the veterinary nursing profession, wider veterinary profession, and members of the public to join the calls for this much-needed reform.
The launch of the consultation follows work carried out throughout 2025 by a Defra-led veterinary stakeholder group, including BVNA providing the sole veterinary nursing representation, alongside the British Veterinary Association (BVA), Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), Veterinary Schools Council and wider government departments. This working group has collaboratively contributed to the development of the proposals put forwards within the consultation, with BVNA championing the voice of its members and the wider veterinary nursing profession throughout the process.
Now, BVNA is encouraging veterinary nurses, alongside all within the veterinary profession, and members of the public with an interest in the sector, to add to these calls to UK Government for this much needed reform by engaging with and responding to the Defra proposals. BVNA will also be submitting a response on behalf of its members.
BVNA President Sarah Holliday commented: “At BVNA, we are delighted that this consultation is now underway, representing an important step towards a potential reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act. BVNA has welcomed the opportunity to represent the veterinary nursing profession throughout the entirety of the Defra-led process to date, which has demonstrated meaningful and effective collaboration between each of our respective organisations. We thank the team at Defra for their sustained efforts in arriving at this stage, and we look forward to continuing to work together towards legislation which truly reflects the veterinary landscape of today and the future.”
BVNA Senior Vice President Lyndsay Hughes added: “This consultation represents a potentially once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to push through positive change for our profession. We know our members are greatly concerned by the lack of protection of the ‘veterinary nurse’ title, and new legislation is essential to ensure that only those who are trained, qualified and regulated may refer to themselves as such. It is also our vision that a reformed Veterinary Surgeons Act would ensure that the legal boundaries of the RVN role can be made clearer, leading to much greater utilisation of their skills, and clearer routes for career progression. Legislation must properly recognise the skilled and professional workforce that we are today. A strong response from veterinary nurses means we collectively have a better chance of securing a positive future for our profession.”
The consultation is open for 8 weeks, and closes at 23.59 on Wednesday 25th March 2026.
More information surrounding BVNA’s activities in this area on behalf of its members can be found below:
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