I WAS chatting recently to a retired vet who was bemoaning the changes in his old industry. “If you phone the vet on a Saturday afternoon because your dog has been injured out shooting, the chances are that your call will be passed on to a practice 20 miles away. What’s more, the vet you talk to will more likely be a member of PETA than BASC. The old days of knowing your vet are fast disappearing.”
Few industries have changed more in the past 20 years than the veterinary business. It started in the late 1990s, following amendment of the Veterinary Surgeons Act (1966) that finally allowed practices to be owned by people other than qualified veterinary surgeons.
Before long, around 400 of the 4,115 veterinary sites across the country were under corporate control. By 2018, Independent Vetcare (IVC), Vets4Pets, CVS, Linnaeus, Medivet and VetPartners had bought up a total of 1,781 practices out of a total of 5,068, putting 35% of all practices into the control of the corporates.
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Denne historien er fra October 2020-utgaven av The Field.
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Rory Stewart - The former Cabinet minister and hit podcast host talks to Alec Marsh about the parlous state of British politics, land management and his deep love of the countryside
The gently spoken 51-year-old former Conservative Cabinet minister is a countryman at heart. That's clear: he even changes into a tweed waistcoat for the interview, which takes place at his London home and begins with a question about his precise career status. Having resigned from the Commons and the Conservative Party in 2019, the former diplomat and soldier has reinvented himself, first with an unconventional but promising run as an independent for the London mayoralty (abandoned because of COVID19 in 2020) and then as a media figure, co-hosting one of the country's most popular podcasts, The Rest Is Politics, alongside Alastair Campbell, the former Labour spin doctor.
Fodder
Local fare with the feel-good factor.
Celebrating the game changers
Once served only in the traditional manner, the fruits of our forays now find their way into all manner of diverse and delicious dishes, say Neil and Serena Cross
The first civil engineer
John Smeaton left an indelible mark on the field of engineering and, three centuries after his birth, his legacy remains as strong as ever
School spirits
From grey ladies and ghostly gardeners to more malign entities, public schools are a rich repository of unnatural phenomena
'A long way from Piccadilly or Pall Mall'
Marking 150 years since the birth of Sir Winston Churchill, Dr Conor Farrington explores this eminent statesman’s often-overlooked 1907 tour of British East Africa: a journey rich with enchanting natural beauty and sporting adventure
Top of the pups
Canines in all their guises were celebrated at The Field Top Dog Awards lunch at Defender Burghley Horse Trials whether eager on the peg, patient at home or perpetually making mischief
Angling for success
It’s never too early to shape up for next season’s salmon and trout, and these top fishing schools are here to help
Talking scents
The canine nose is an astonishingly complex piece of biotechnology that man has harnessed for sustenance and sport for thousands of years
Wall-to-wall excitement
Criss-crossed by formidable drystone walls, the High Peak Harriers’ scenic country provides a day out with an exhilarating difference
