Veterinary Ireland (VI) has said it is considering taking legal action to guarantee the autonomy of vets in Ireland. Earlier this week the body that regulates veterinary medicine, the Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI), declared that it does not control who owns veterinary practices.

After an 18 month consultation period, VCI recently updated its code of professional conduct for veterinary practitioners to say that it regulates veterinary medicine but not who owns practices.

The chief executive of Veterinary Ireland, Finbarr Murphy said: "It is clear from the current law [the Veterinary Practice Act 2005 as amended] that lay corporate bodies can have no role in the operation of veterinary practices.

Murphy added that vets employed by a corporate body "would not have clinical autonomy in the provision of veterinary services to the public as an employment relationship is inconsistent with autonomy".

Autonomy

Veterinary Ireland has called on the Veterinary Council of Ireland to uphold the Veterinary Practice Act 2005 as amended and ensure the autonomy of veterinary practitioners

The representative body says it will "hold the Veterinary Council of Ireland to fulfilling its statutory functions under the existing law" – the Veterinary Practice Act 2005 as amended.

"In the event that the Council is unable to assure us that it can ensure that veterinary practitioners are fully and autonomously in control of the provision of veterinary services to the public, Veterinary Ireland will take all appropriate action up to and including legal action to guarantee this autonomy.”

According to VI, the council should publish the results of its consultation and ask the Oireachtas to clarify the matter of ownership in the Veterinary Practice Act 2005.

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