84 | nzdairy RURAL SERVICES » Energy Vets Taranaki Ltd Scope of vet work has expanded significantly Anne Boswell The veterinary profession has undergone significant change over the past three decades, particularly in how staffing is structured and delivered, says Energy Vets Taranaki managing director Greg Hall. Declining full-time staffing has been a growing issue across the industry for years, Greg says, but the reality is not about staff shortages, but rather a fundamental shift in how vets work and remain in the profession. When Greg started practicing 30 years ago, his practice had seven vets. Today, that same business has grown into a much larger operation with around 20 vets, covering a wider geographic area and a far broader range of services. Despite the increase in headcount, the pressure on staff has intensified. “You’ve got to have trained staff available 24/7 across large animal, small animal and equine departments,” he says. “That’s the expectation now.” Greg says the scope of veterinary work has expanded significantly, with modern practices needing staff who are not only clinically capable but also comfortable working with increasingly sophisticated systems, compliance requirements and data-driven farm management tools. At the same time, the makeup of the profession has shifted dramatically. Where once around half of vets were male and tended to remain in the industry long term, today around 80% of vets are female. While Greg says this has brought strength and diversity to the profession, it has also changed Teatseal team at work. working patterns. “Not everyone is full-time anymore, doing five days a week and alternating weekends,” he says. “More people are choosing part-time roles, particularly when they have young families.” That shift, he says, has created a challenge in terms of continuity of service. “We’ve got very valued, experienced staff members returning to work in a part time role, and that impacts continuity within the business,” Greg says. “It takes a lot of coordination and communication to make sure clients’ requirements are seen through to the end.” Greg says while there are additional costs with more part time staff - such as multiple vehicles, registration and CPD - vet practices must embrace them, because there isn’t an alternative. “We want to retain the knowledge and experience of staff who have spent years building relationships with their clients,” he says. “We don’t want them to lose their motivation. When they’re here, they’re highly engaged and they make a huge difference.” The rise of farm technicians has helped reshape workloads, with non-diagnostic tasks such as vaccinations and teat sealing increasingly handled by trained support staff. That, Greg says, allows vets to focus more on diagnostics and higher-level decision-making. “We’re also seeing more compliance requirements and increasing amounts of data farmers are working with,” he says. “Vets need to stay right up with that.” Inglewood - 16 Kelly Street, Inglewood 4330 | 06 756 7228 Opening Hours: Mon - Fri 8am - 5pm | Sat 9am - 12pm | Sun CLOSED Waitara - 31 Browne Street, Waitara 4320 | 06 754 8791 Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 8am - 5pm | Sat 8.30am - 1.30pm | Sun CLOSED Our team of large animal veterinarians provide routine and emergency services to farms in the North Taranaki area from Midhurst to Mokau, covering the Inglewood, Waitara and New Plymouth districts. www.energyvets.co.nz enquiries@energyvets.co.nz Welcome to Energy Vets Taranaki Reduce antibiotic usage by 22% Greg says the industry has had to accept that flexible and part-time work is no longer the exception, but the norm. “From an employer’s point of view, it adds complexity and cost, but most practices have embraced it because they have to,” Greg says. “Farmers understand that’s the reality now - there are excellent vets contributing to the industry who are not necessarily full-time. Part-time is okay; it’s just part of how we work now.” PROUD TO SUPPORT ENERGY VETS TARANAKI TO SERVICE FARMING COMMUNITIES PROUDLY NZ OWNED Visit www.alleva.co.nz for more information. TURBO® is a registered trademark of Alleva Animal Health Ltd. TURBO Pour-on (A011722), TURBO Injection (A011742), TURBO Initial (A011703) TURBO Minidose (A011937) and TURBO Advance (A011714) are registered pursuant to the ACVM Act 1997. See www. foodsafety.govt.nz for registration conditions. STAGE 1 STAGE 2 STAGE 3 Worm Parasites Coccidiosis MORE COVERAGE. LESS EFFORT. PUMP UP THE POWER ON LOW GROWTH RATES. Ultimate parasite coverage Can be used in cattle under 120kg SAFER* , STRONGER AND RAIN-RESISTANT. Rain-resistant Pour-on option Injection option with lice control TOTAL CATTLE COVERAGE TURBO® CATTLE DRENCH PROGRAMME 5 WORLD-FIRST FORMULAS
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