Let’s build a National Pet Health Service

Hello there!

Over the past few years we have been working to analyse data and public opinions on veterinary care in the UK.

By the end of 2023 it had become clear that as a nation, pet owners are unhappy with several significant issues:

1. The ever increasing cost of veterinary care and medicines

2. Lack of access to 24 hour veterinary services (and the costs involved for those who do have reasonable access)

3. Lack of information and options available to be in a position to make informed decisions

4. The way some pet owners are treated over unexpected vet bills

5. The increasing consolidation of veterinary practices under large corporate groups has raised concerns about reduced competition, which could further drive up costs and limit choices for consumers

The Effect On Veterinary Professionals

Concerns have been expressed about the pressures faced, including the high costs associated with maintaining a practice, staff shortages, regulatory challenges and abuse received from customers over the rising prices.

Many veterinary professionals have suffered mental health conditions and there has been a sharp incline in the number of suicides within the industry.

Why Have Prices Risen So Much?

Whether we like it or not, we understand that the cost of living has increased dramatically over the past few years, placing a tremendous financial burden on many households.

We also know that as much as pets are very much part of our family, they are indeed a luxury and it is often argued that a person should not welcome a pet into their home if they cannot afford related costs. BUT! Many of us are missing the point. We as a nation are animal lovers and many of us feel comfort and joy from these companions, especially in a world which has become so very selfish, money orientated and downright worrying.

As seen countless times throughout the pandemic, not one of us can predict the future. Job losses, illness and tragedies can strike at any time, resulting in a sudden reduction of income or complete diminishment of funds within a very short space of time. This can happen to ANY of us; rich or poor.

Furthermore, unless a pet owner has suffered a previous experience, they simply have absolutely no idea of what to expect when something does go wrong. A diagnosis can often lead to hundreds if not thousands of pounds of treatment and medication. Imagine being told the only option you have to save your pet’s life is to pay a £6,000 vet bill… tomorrow. That a short course of commonly prescribed medication will cost £90. Or you have been given the unbearable news that it is time to say goodbye, yet the reception team only have eyes on your bank card to secure payment for that final bill. It sounds horrific, but incidents such as this actually happen on a daily basis!

A simple neutering procedure was once £60 - £100; now we can expect that bill to have soared to £200 - £300 in many areas. The impact of this is such that many owners will choose to not have their pet neutered, which will undoubtedly lead to an increased number of unwanted pets.

It just isn’t right to place such a tremendous financial burden on (and in a way, penalise) pet owners, but even more so it’s often the animals who suffer if the owner does not have access to affordable veterinary care.

We believe all animals deserve the chance to be treated for health conditions that arise, and cost should not be an issue.

What Will We Do About It?

If action is not taken now the future of our animals will be in jeopardy. We have already seen a huge rise in the number of cats on our streets, aggression in dogs and monumental strain on all rescue organisations. We see severe cases of neglect and abandonment; animals allowed to breed unnecessarily and pets going without vaccinations and treatment because their owners simply cannot face the pressure of an expensive vet bill.

These effects will only worsen if we do not act.

It has been our intention for some time to introduce a National Pet Health Service for pet owners to take advantage of, and we are delighted to announce that on Friday 4th October 2024, we will open our flagship Health & Wellness Centre at our venue in Oakworth, West Yorkshire.

Our centre will provide a full range of veterinary and rehabilitation services on a Members only basis, and will be the first step in achieving our ultimate goal of moving our ideas from paper to reality.

Moving quickly we aim to open a centre across every 30 miles of the UK, along with providing a pet taxi service to cater for those who unable to drive.

We will run educational programmes throughout learning establishments and launch animal care courses accessible to all.

We WILL stamp the importance of animal welfare on everybody’s mind.

Membership

Members are welcome to join from anywhere in the UK, though must be willing to travel to us if their residence is outside of a 30 mile radius.

Our Membership programme is simple. Pay one fee a month for access to benefits such as:

There are no limits, no excesses and all small animals and equines are welcome.

Exclusions

Existing Veterinary Services

Let’s be clear. We are not here to bring existing veterinary practices to an end. Quite the opposite! Our long term goal is to purchase all practices which are currently owned by corporations. In the meantime, we would love to work with all practices towards offering our Membership programme , not just our own.

This venture is not about making money, it’s all for making life fairer for animals, their owners, and for improving animal welfare in our country.

(Transparency) Veterinary Careers & Salaries

Our team will receive salaries in line with their experience, starting at:

Veterinary Lead - £80,000

Veterinary Surgeons - £55,000

Veterinary Nurses - £28,000

Animal Therapists - £28,000

Practice Managers - £35,000

All team members will have at least 2 years working experience in their field, with specialists bringing at least 10 years experience to our centre.

There’s More!

Each of our Health & Wellness Centres will be accompanied by on site pet care, boarding and education along with employability training and animal assisted therapy services, all hosted by Animal Magic Family Pet Retreat.

We will run seasonal fundraising events and regular campaigns to share our goals far and wide.

Not only funded by Membership fees and donations, but ALL profits from ALL products and services will go towards ensuring our National Pet Health Service, Health and Wellness Centres are a success!

The Main Point

In addition to this venture becoming a significant milestone for the veterinary industry and pet owners alike, we would like to make it clear that the National Pet Health Service will be entirely non profit. All income from Memberships, donations and product / service sales will be used to expand and eventually offer our veterinary services to all pets within the UK (whether owned, stray, wild, resident in rescue centres, livestock and working animals).

We believe ALL animals are entitled to receive the very best and aim to provide this regardless of the cost.

Fundraising

It will cost in the region of £1,000,000 to set up each Centre. As we would like to open as many Centres as we can in a short space of time, donations to help with this mission are vital. Though this campaign goal is £1,000,000; realistically we need 10 times that amount to accomplish our initial target of opening a Centre within every 100 miles of the UK within the first year.

Your donations will help us kickstart our organisation and allow us to cater for thousands of pets within months.

You are not just helping an idea get off the ground. Your support along with any donation you can afford will become a part of history and the introduction of a true National animal representation organisation.

Please donate what you can and share this campaign far and wide!

Our flagship centre opens on Friday 27th September. Join up here .

About the Founder

Victoria has worked with animals for 35 years; and has had an extreme desire to change the world for them since the age of 6! Launching a National Pet Health Service is something she believes is necessary for the UK as at the end of the day, we as people can moan, stress and debate as much as we like but ultimately it is the animals who will suffer if a change is not made.

Thank you for your support.

The National Association of Pet Health CIC. 15934146. Trading as the National Pet Health Service.