Murphy88
Well-Known Member
Wishful - my colleague who left last year worked out we earn £2.94 per hour, which to be quite honest I'd rather he'd not told me!
Am just going to echo what has already been stated by many. Firstly, very few vets are rich. In fact, I don't know any truly 'rich' vets, in the way I know rich doctors, dentists and lawyers. My bosses earn more money than me but aren't loaded, and certainly the large animal partners work some very long hours. I am 2 years post graduation, and earn £18,000 plus benefits (flat & car). I have just under £50,000 worth of student loans.
The issue is, from what I can see on this thread, that people perceive they are being overcharged for simple things like vaccinations/visits, but don't take into account what it actually costs to run the practice, buy equipment etc. Visit fees, consult charges, drug mark ups etc, are what earns the money to buy the x-ray machine, endoscopy, operating theatres. They also pay the nurses, who don't earn money for the practice but are needed to monitor anaesthetics and assist vets, and the receptionists who answer the phones.
The other option is that practices start charging less for things, but have fewer facilities. Which is great for the client, until your dog goes lame and it needs an x-ray - so you have to be referred to a large hospital, where you'll probably be charged £150 to walk through the door. Or your horse gets laminitis and needs foot x-rays - it might even be too lame to travel, so you have to pay for a referral vet to come out and take the x-rays, probably £250 for that before any x-rays are taken.
Unfortunately, I think rather than showing what a money obsessed country we are, I think it shows how unrealistic we are in the UK about the costs of healthcare and how much it actually costs to keep these places running. In the states, there are still plenty of people struggling to pay vets bills, except for they don't complain about it because they understand how much it would cost for themselves to be treated!
Am just going to echo what has already been stated by many. Firstly, very few vets are rich. In fact, I don't know any truly 'rich' vets, in the way I know rich doctors, dentists and lawyers. My bosses earn more money than me but aren't loaded, and certainly the large animal partners work some very long hours. I am 2 years post graduation, and earn £18,000 plus benefits (flat & car). I have just under £50,000 worth of student loans.
The issue is, from what I can see on this thread, that people perceive they are being overcharged for simple things like vaccinations/visits, but don't take into account what it actually costs to run the practice, buy equipment etc. Visit fees, consult charges, drug mark ups etc, are what earns the money to buy the x-ray machine, endoscopy, operating theatres. They also pay the nurses, who don't earn money for the practice but are needed to monitor anaesthetics and assist vets, and the receptionists who answer the phones.
The other option is that practices start charging less for things, but have fewer facilities. Which is great for the client, until your dog goes lame and it needs an x-ray - so you have to be referred to a large hospital, where you'll probably be charged £150 to walk through the door. Or your horse gets laminitis and needs foot x-rays - it might even be too lame to travel, so you have to pay for a referral vet to come out and take the x-rays, probably £250 for that before any x-rays are taken.
Unfortunately, I think rather than showing what a money obsessed country we are, I think it shows how unrealistic we are in the UK about the costs of healthcare and how much it actually costs to keep these places running. In the states, there are still plenty of people struggling to pay vets bills, except for they don't complain about it because they understand how much it would cost for themselves to be treated!
