Websites of multiple animal clinics have been adjusted after Omroep Brabant and the NOS had asked whether employees were registered in the legally required Veterinary Characterist. Web pages of six Brabant veterinary medicines who previously stood with a title on the website that requires such a registration were adjusted to another position for which this is not necessary.
Omroep Brabant and the NOS sent to three chains IVC Evidensia, Anicura and Vet partners names of veterinary medicines who, according to their job title, are legally obliged to register in the public animal citizen register register, but who were not findable. After we had sent our questions, Anicura and Vet partners adjusted the web pages of the employees. IVC Evidensia got several web pages of employees completely offline. An animal hospital of this chain also posted a post on social media, with which they tried to make the importance of the research small.
Adjusting websites
Nationally, at least 30 veterinary experts were adapted to their job titles on the website such as “Paraveterinary” in “Veterinary Supporter”, “veterinary assistant” or “assistant”. Data was also deleted that states that employees have obtained a diploma as a paraveterinary or anesthetist. In some cases, “Paraveterinair Training” was changed to “Training as a veterinary assistant”. In the Netherlands there is no recognized training as a veterinary assistant without a paraveterinary title.
Omroep Brabant and the NOS have a photo in hand showing that an employee performs veterinary actions. And it says in texts on websites that employees take blood, perform anesthesia and keep consultations independently. This falls under veterinary actions. In addition to the thirty of whom the title has been adjusted, around fifteen profiles disappeared completely from the websites.
It is not known how long the employees performed veterinary acts before we have asked questions about this. It is also not known whether the employees will continue to perform veterinary activities, or whether they carry out (temporarily) other activities, pending an admission to the register. All three chains repeatedly refuse to answer questions about this.
Purple crocodile
The IVC Evidensia animal hospital in Waalwijk posted a post on social media a few days after our questions with an inflatable purple crocodile and referred to our research in the text. The purple crocodile became a symbol for superfluous regulations, after An advertisement from insurer OHRA. In it a woman wanted to pick up a lost inflatable purple crocodile at a swimming pool, but she had to fill in many forms.
The post of the Dierenziekenhuis was removed the same day. We wanted to know from IVC Evidensia what they actually meant by this post and whether the umbrella chain is behind this post of the Dieren Hospital. With the questions we hoped to find out what the chain’s view is: do they actually see it in a legally required register but as superfluous rules, or do people look at it differently? IVC Evidensia also did not address questions about this.
In this extensive accountability you can read more about the research and reactions of the three chains.
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