Cost of ov training

Re: Cost of ov training

James Laidlaw — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 16:53:01 GMT

I'm pretty sure you don't have to be an OV to deal with pet passports outside the UK. The Irish don't and most passports just have a practice stamp and signature (if lucky) rather than the LVI stamps. Happy to be proven wrong as well!

Re: Cost of ov training

Martin Atkinson — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 14:20:55 GMT

What you're paying for is not repeat training and licencing for DEFRA or AHVLA or whoever over-sees this but because the government has copped out and effectively privatised management of OV's by Improve International, a company that charges so much for its CPD courses that I refuse to pay for any of them. It is essentially at best an administration fee to pay, at worst a sneaky way of increasing their profits.

I'm not convinced that any vet can administer passports in the rest of Europe but as I understand it, in France at least, vets are all technically controlled by the government (which is why even private vets went on strike a little while ago) and therefore by default are able to do its business as state veterinarians. No doubt someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

Re: Cost of ov training

James Laidlaw — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 13:55:59 GMT

For the passport side of things, it seems a little unbalanced that we are required to do repeat training and paid licensing in order to continue, but the entirety of the rest of Europe can have any vet sign, stamp, update and issue passports without any training or continued cpd...?

Re: Cost of ov training

Neil Wheadon — Sat, 20 Sep 2014 22:10:27 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]

My question would be - where is the evidence that the current system is in any way 'broken'?

I can qualify and perform any surgery for the rest of my career. I can treat a species of animal I haven't touched for 10 years (that even goes as far as maintaining capability to treat ANY species in an emergency). But I can't remember how to TB test after 2 years? I can't remember how to export cheese after 3 years?

The other cost not yet know (as far as I know) are the costs involved in physical supervision of new and existing TT testers under the new tendering rules.

[/quote] It is broken within AHVLA. VO's no longer exist, they are a raft of well paid state vets sailing towards a final salary retirement. They have been replaced by a new grade paid the same as an HEO (Basically a higher trained administrator) and often managed by them too. Everything has to pay for itself, hence the outsourcing to Improve. I left seeing the writing on the wall and have never looked back. Neil

Re: Cost of ov training

Stephen Courtney — Sat, 20 Sep 2014 18:10:25 GMT

As the letter I got pointed out, the module can be logged as CPD so that's pretty peachy isn't it?

But taking into account the fact that you don't lose a vet for a whole day to attend a course - perhaps it's not as expensive as it seems

Re: Cost of ov training

Rob Loxley — Sat, 20 Sep 2014 13:04:50 GMT

[quote user="karen jones"]We have a small animal vet without OV status and I can't see that it will be worth her doing the course to do pets as it will never be cost effective.[/quote]

You just need to look at your charges for completing the passport and export certificates.
IMHO the costs are not unreasonable?

Re: Cost of ov training

Michael Woodhouse — Sat, 20 Sep 2014 12:15:05 GMT

My question would be - where is the evidence that the current system is in any way 'broken'?

The other cost not yet know (as far as I know) are the costs involved in physical supervision of new and existing TT testers under the new tendering rules.

Re: Cost of ov training

Bob Russell — Sat, 20 Sep 2014 11:23:16 GMT

[quote user="Will McMullan"]

Anyone else see a big increase in the cost of a pet passport on the horizon? These costs are absurd, profiteering.

[/quote]

Of course the cost will have to be passed on to clients!

An on-line teaching module is hardly likely to cost anything like these charges but Improve have a licence to print money now!

Re: Cost of ov training

Will McMullan — Sat, 20 Sep 2014 11:14:57 GMT

Anyone else see a big increase in the cost of a pet passport on the horizon? These costs are absurd, profiteering.

Re: Cost of ov training

Bob Russell — Sat, 20 Sep 2014 10:49:03 GMT

There is now an industry providing an eye-watering amount of CPD. I do wonder where some people find time to treat animals!

Why is this not included in veterinary degree courses? It was when we qualified in Edinburgh!

Someone doing an odd Pet Passport here and there may decide not to bother!

More mismanagement of DEFRA itself IMO.