Week 18 and counting.....

On Tuesday David Mountford (CEO) and I went to DEFRA and met up with Richard Drummond and Siobhan Taylor to discuss the results of the Review of the Minor Procedures Regime (RMPR) project surveys mentioned in last week’s blog. BEVA have undertaken 2 separate surveys as part of the evidence gathering for the review, one on the subject of Musculoskeletal Therapies, including small animals (Survey 1) and the other one about Equine Dental Care (Survey 2).  Survey 1 was targeted at musculoskeletal therapy associations (12 responses), individual musculoskeletal therapists (623 responses) and horse owners (5,796 responses).  Survey 2 was targeted at the equine dental associations (1 response), individual equine dental care providers (378 responses) and horse owners (5,796 responses).

Both surveys make for interesting reading:

Survey 1

-          25% of horse-owners would not contact a vet if they thought that their horse had a musculoskeletal problem, nearly 50% might contact a physiotherapist and just over 40% might contact a chiropractor.

-          Some therapists report vets being unwilling to engage/liaise

-          Better regulation is desired

-          Minimum educational standards of a Degree or Masters are supported by the majority of therapists

-          Current regulations are considered to be impractical and ill-defined and there is poor enforcement

-          There are currently no minimum standards / qualifications for therapists

-          Therapists consider that there is veterinary indifference and ignorance.

-          Estimated number of therapists offering musculoskeletal therapy to horses in the UK – 1120.

         Survey 2

        

-          Vets are often not the owner’s first choice for equine dental care

-          Word of mouth/reputation is the primary differentiator used by owners

-          Qualifications are important to owners but are not checked

-          Association membership is important to owners but is not checked

-          The majority of qualified EDTs comply with “accepted practice”.

-          BAEDT members appear to be slightly more compliant than others

-          ¾ of unqualified EDTs do not comply with “accepted practice” or the VSA

What a fantastic piece in last week’s edition of In Practice under “A Practitioner Ponders”.  It mentions the outcome of the Injury Survey we commissioned in 2013 and discussed the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).  Key facts worth consideration are that according to the Kentucky Trauma Registry, “50% of horse-related fatalities of riders were from incidents on the ground,” and that the wearing of a safety helmet, “confers an 80% increase in the chance of survival in the event of a head injury”.  I would urge you to find a copy of the journal to read this article (In Practice: January 2015, Volume 37:1), http://inpractice.bmj.com/content/37/1/48.full.pdf+html