Vet retention fees to rise by shocking 150%

RE: Vet retention fees to rise by shocking 150%

vs0u — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 15:34:32 GMT

I liked it especially the more ridiculous aspects but maybe sticking to your initial idea of a 400% rise in fees would have been better (or maybe fewer people would be taken in but those that were, would be even more upset?)

RE: Vet retention fees to rise by shocking 150%

Michael Woodhouse — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 12:59:43 GMT

[quote user="Braden Collins"]I spent 10 minutes feeling vets smug that I no longer work in the uk[/quote]

You have different sexual harassment laws over there? You'd not get away with that here!

RE: Vet retention fees to rise by shocking 150%

Braden Collins — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 12:38:13 GMT

I spent 10 minutes feeling vets smug that I no longer work in the uk, then the penny dropped.

The fact that so many people believed it does reflect many peoples opinion of the RCVS.

I love that there is at least one day each year where people critically analyse what they read on the internet.

RE: Vet retention fees to rise by shocking 150%

Liz Barton — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 12:34:17 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]

As you can imagine, I was sitting here thinking ... "Oh my god, what have I done!"

Not so much because of the odd 'Mr/Ms/Miss Angry' reactions (although they really caught me off guard), but because it was just a joke and I felt awful about causing anyone anxiety, let alone causing someone to cry.

[/quote]

I must shoulder part of the blame here, for advising Arlo Guthrie to make the story MORE believable (his initial 'story' of a 400% rise in fees would have been in the realms of incredulous absurdity). It made me laugh too much assisting with the concept that I failed to think of the potential consequences. Once again, it's all about perspective and seeing things from every possible angle. As others have said, this is an increasing difficult and something of a minefield in this day and age of rapid information processing on mobiles / fake news / craziness of current political climate etc.

Very relieved most took it in good spirits, but I'd like to echo Arlo's sincere apologies for any genuine distress caused to readers, and to the RCVS staff answering the phones!

RE: Vet retention fees to rise by shocking 150%

Arlo Guthrie — Wed, 03 Apr 2019 08:31:04 GMT

[quote user="George Cooper"]This article deserves to be preserved in the annals of April Fooldom along with the historic Brunus Edwardii from The Veterinary Record back when Anthony Todd was a mere toddler.[/quote]

Now that's what I call high praise. Thank you George, and if that does happen, I shall go to my grave having fulfilled all my life's ambitions

RE: Vet retention fees to rise by shocking 150%

Noweia — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 23:14:14 GMT

I was crossly ranting at my partner for 3 minutes before the penny dropped. Then I laughed!

RE: Vet retention fees to rise by shocking 150%

Niall Taylor — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 12:30:43 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]I could understand how someone might skim read, and how it might be very upsetting[/quote]

Skim reading is great, I imagine most vets have learned to do it as a useful way of processing the masses of information we are currently bombarded with. But it is a fliltering process only. After the initial quick read through and the "bloomin 'eck, what have the RCVS done now" reaction you don't go firing off phone calls to all and sundry and venting at them, you step back, read the bloomin' thing properly and weigh it up - consider the source, consider how likely it would be the first you heard about this serious piece of news would be from a social media site, not RCVS themselves, consider how out of character such a hike would be and how unlikely it is that RCVS would be spenting £6 billion or whatever on an architectural monstrosity of a headquarters building. And only then do you decide how you are going to react. That whole process is likely to take about 60 seconds total.

tldr - If you're going to react negatively then read the thing properly, if you're not going to read the thing properly then don't react negatively.

Niall

RE: Vet retention fees to rise by shocking 150%

George Cooper — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 12:27:14 GMT

I thought that this was an utterly brilliant piece of faux journalism, couched in meaningful jargon, with sufficient clues peppered around for those who took the time to read it. The figure was just the right side of believable too. This article deserves to be preserved in the annals of April Fooldom along with the historic Brunus Edwardii from The Veterinary Record back when Anthony Todd was a mere toddler.

However - having been alerted to the real distress caused where a vet's actual livelihood could have been at risk (and having been bankrupt 12 years ago this could well have been the straw that broke my back) Arlo has, to my mind, earned further kudos by issuing a genuine and fulsome apology and a witty retraction to boot.

RE: Vet retention fees to rise by shocking 150%

George Cooper — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 12:20:09 GMT

[quote user="Clive Ansell"]

I thought it was very good.

I am struggling to understand how anyone would be that angry or upset by this. Even if it were true, it would be annoying, but not the end of the world. Folk in other professions pay similar amounts.

My car and house insurance has just increased at over £100 per annum each, council tax up by 5%, energy and water similar. Annoying, yes it is, but take it on the chin and move on.

[/quote]

Not everyone will be enjoying the lifestyle that can shrug this sort of increase off in an instant - perhaps you could just remind yourself that there are other people who are precariously balanced - both financially and also mentally.

And a comment like yours will certainly not be helping one bit. At least Arlo had the good grace to be contrite and apologise with sincerity, albeit that he, like most, would not expect readers to be taken in.

RE: Vet retention fees to rise by shocking 150%

Iain Richards — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 10:22:42 GMT

I'll "blame" smart phones and the habit of sneaking a look between consults. It makes you skim read and I feel makes folk prone to snap replies that may or may not be useful. It does bring up the ability of folk to process information or theri dsire to see somehting bad about authority.

RE: Vet retention fees to rise by shocking 150%

Clive Ansell — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 09:57:04 GMT

I thought it was very good.

I am struggling to understand how anyone would be that angry or upset by this. Even if it were true, it would be annoying, but not the end of the world. Folk in other professions pay similar amounts.

My car and house insurance has just increased at over £100 per annum each, council tax up by 5%, energy and water similar. Annoying, yes it is, but take it on the chin and move on.

RE: Vet retention fees to rise by shocking 150%

Neil Wheadon — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 09:54:26 GMT

[quote user="bob lehner"]

'Arlo I Flop' might have been better with hindsight....

(Amazed that anyone thought it was real).

[/quote]

Well I was, because I skimmed it between consults. It was made even more real because it came in on an E mail to my personal account at the heading of other matters, if it had been solely on the site, that may have been a different matter to be absolutely honest. Without time to read it all properly I was left feeling pretty bewildered that the RCVS would do this, and yes a hint of anger that I was going to have to work yet more days simply to practice in my chosen profession.

In hindsite it was a very good April Fool and yes I was well and truly taken in.

Neil

RE: Vet retention fees to rise by shocking 150%

bob lehner — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 09:46:52 GMT

[quote user="David Mills"]

Dr Frill Poao was a nice touch.

[/quote]

'Arlo I Flop' might have been better with hindsight....

(Amazed that anyone thought it was real).

RE: Vet retention fees to rise by shocking 150%

Arlo Guthrie — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 09:26:35 GMT

[quote user="Iain Richards"]It was a good gag, one worries slighty about the stability of the person in tears[/quote]

Well, I had a call myself from a man saying he wanted to check whether it was a practical joke because his wife, a vet, had just suffered an anxiety attack as a result of the story. Then I had an angry email from a vet saying that it caused them great anxiety and was very irresponsible. Then the RCVS reported that a pregnant lady had rung in tears as was in financial difficulties, plus a couple of angry emails/calls.

As you can imagine, I was sitting here thinking ... "Oh my god, what have I done!"

And yes, I suppose my first thought was slightly incredulous that anyone believed it, and then that they should be in tears. But then, thinking more, I could understand how someone might skim read, and how it might be very upsetting if they were in financial difficulties, and even more so with a baby on board, so to speak.

Since then, I've seen a lot of positive comments and had some very kind emails, so I am glad that it made some people smile.

But I think I might shelve the other plan I had, which was to send out 15,000 letters with:

Important: RCVS Disciplinary Committee Hearing Results Enclosed

... on the outside of the envelope on March 31st 2020.

RE: Vet retention fees to rise by shocking 150%

Iain Richards — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 21:52:22 GMT

It was a good gag, one worries slighty about the stability of the person in tears (seriously, it would be good if RCVS check they are OK).

GMC is £390, Royal College Radiology £460 = £850. Truly life imitates art.

RE: Vet retention fees to rise by shocking 150%

Niall Taylor — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 19:48:13 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]Unfortunately, there have been reports of a small number of people being very upset by it[/quote]

Really?! I can't believe anyone was taken in by this, how very sad. These people need to look to themselves. We live in judgemental and puritanical times and you should not feel in the slightest bad - this was a joke ffs, even Richard Allport spotted it, and he's a homeopath! (sorry, Richard Allport !)

Niall

RE: Vet retention fees to rise by shocking 150%

Arlo Guthrie — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 19:00:03 GMT

[quote user="David Mills"]The definition of decent comedy I would have thought...[/quote]

And normally I would agree with you, but apparently the College had a call from someone in tears this morning, and no joke is worth that.

RE: Vet retention fees to rise by shocking 150%

Alison Clare Hickman — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 17:35:29 GMT

Arlo Guthrie

This whole thing has made my day. You are a total (t)Wit

Hahahahahahahahahahahaha

BONKKK( me head falling off)

RE: Vet retention fees to rise by shocking 150%

David Mills — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 17:34:58 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]

Unfortunately, there have been reports of a small number of people being very upset by it. And I mean very upset.

[/quote]

The definition of decent comedy I would have thought...

RE: Vet retention fees to rise by shocking 150%

Arlo Guthrie — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 17:24:41 GMT

I'm glad my efforts at a bit of light-hearted silliness made a few people smile today.

Unfortunately, there have been reports of a small number of people being very upset by it. And I mean very upset.

I didn't see that coming at all. I mean, I'd tried to make it have a kernel of truth, but still be so bonkers that nobody would be fooled.

I guess the people who were upset must only have skim read. To them, I offer my sincere apology. I genuinely didn't mean to get their day off to such a bad start: https://www.vetsurgeon.org/news/b/veterinary-news/archive/2019/04/01/an-apology-vet-retention-fees-are-not-going-to-rise.aspx

(and nor, for that matter, did I mean to provoke angry calls to the College, which gets quite enough flak without me adding to it).

RE: Vet retention fees to rise by shocking 150%

Robert FalconerTaylor — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 16:36:43 GMT

https://www.vetsurgeon.org/news/b/veterinary-news/archive/2019/04/01/an-apology-vet-retention-fees-are-not-going-to-rise.aspx

the story was a great antidoe to the never-ending Brexit fiasco

RE: Vet retention fees to rise by shocking 150%

David Mills — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 13:20:12 GMT

Dr Frill Poao was a nice touch.

RE: Vet retention fees to rise by shocking 150%

Neil Wheadon — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:01:19 GMT

[quote user="David Mills"](On a semi related note I've just found out my GP friend pays £900 - yes nine hundred - a month for MDU cover)[/quote]

It's another reason why medical practice is suffering OOH, as this fee I think applies if you are doing OOH cover, (so a GP friend told me who used to do OOH cover) therefore doctors won't do the odd shift as far to expensive to get cover.

He charged £800/night and got a driver as well, but with this overhead...

Neil

RE: Vet retention fees to rise by shocking 150%

Neil Wheadon — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 10:52:01 GMT

Drat, I was taken in by this, then realised the date

Neil

RE: Vet retention fees to rise by shocking 150%

David Mills — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 10:39:46 GMT

I'd happily pay more than this.

Rich vets have got away with low fees for years.

(On a semi related note I've just found out my GP friend pays £900 - yes nine hundred - a month for MDU cover)