Harper Adams and Keele University have entered into talks on the establishment of a new veterinary school, over fears of a loss of veterinary talent as a result of Brexit.

Making public the proposals on Thursday, Vice-Chancellor of Harper Adams University, Dr David Llewellyn, said, “Harper Adams has a long and proud history of working with the rural sector, and our teaching and research specialisms in agriculture and animal sciences will complement Keele’s established track-record in the fields of life sciences and medicine. We are excited by the prospect of a joint Veterinary School and look forward to working closely with Keele on this initiative.”

Responding to the announcement, British Veterinary Association President Gudrun Ravetz said, “This is a very interesting development at a time when there are many questions around the sustainability of the UK veterinary workforce as the UK prepares to leave the EU and at a time when many practices and businesses are reporting significant problems in recruiting.
 
“Striking the right balance between producing ‘home grown’ graduates from UK veterinary schools and bringing in appropriately qualified and skilled foreign graduates will be key to maintaining a flexible, skilled and sustainable workforce.
 
“However, there are a number of very important factors that will need to be considered, including whether we have enough capacity in the UK to deliver quality EMS placements, and how it might impact on the availability of veterinary teaching staff, particularly given that 25% of current veterinary academics are from non-UK EU countries.
 
“An increase in UK vet school places also needs to be considered in the context of the Vet Futures project and the Vet Futures actions currently underway, including the RCVS-led Graduate Outcomes project and the BVA-led workforce study. We must ensure that we can provide fulfilling career opportunities for our graduates in a wide range of veterinary roles – both clinical and non-clinical – as well as meeting the needs of society now and in the future.”