25 Mar 2025
Small animal clinicians are being urged to share their experiences with RCVS Knowledge following extensive discussion of the topic during last week’s BSAVA Congress.
James Westgate
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Veterinary professionals are being urged to share their experiences and help shape a new “roadmap” for the delivery of contextualised care.
The plea has been issued by RCVS Knowledge as it launched a new survey of vets and nurses working in small animal practice.
The charity also plans to seek the views of other practice staff, including managers and receptionists, plus pet owners to help identify ways of reaching shared care decisions.
Sally Everitt, RCVS Knowledge clinical lead for evidence, said there was “little information” on how to effectively deliver contextualised care, despite the term’s widespread usage.
She said: “Our research aims to address a gap in the evidence about what the barriers and enablers are and what needs to change to support veterinary teams to deliver contextualised care.”
Dr Everitt had earlier given an indication of the group’s work during a session on the topic at the BSAVA Congress in Manchester, where she suggested there was a need to look further than what she described as “textbook treatment”.
RSPCA chief vet Caroline Allen, who chaired the 20 March session, said they wanted to empower delegates and there was a need to “move beyond the talking” on the subject.
CVS Group CVO Paul Higgs acknowledged it was possible that the profession had not demonstrated it was providing contextualised care to its clients and argued “lived experience” was a key part of its delivery.
But BVNA council member Nikki McLeod argued it should be referred to as collaborative care because of the necessity for staff and clients to work together.
She also called for a greater training emphasis on animal behaviour, adding: “It’s pretty scary to be in practice and see peers who don’t know basic body language. That should be a day-one competency for vets and nurses.
“If we can increase our knowledge on behaviour, we can pass that on to caregivers.”
The survey will remain open until 17 April.
