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effective complaint about overtreatment by vets. The RCVS has a complaints scheme, but vets are rarely struck off.
One who was is Marthinus ryk Botes, a vet who worked for Medivet in faversham, Kent. he was struck off after being found guilty of ‘disgraceful conduct’ after performing unnecessary hip replacements on three dogs. The tribunal found that he was motivated by ‘financial gain’. a total hip replacement can cost anything upwards of £3,000.
Neither Medivet nor the RCVS was willing to discuss the case in greater detail, or the more general issue of ‘overtreatment’ for profit. Only about 2 per cent of the cases referred to the RCVS result in a full disciplinary hearing.
The veterinary profession as a whole seems remarkably reticent when it comes to discussing quite legitimate complaints — but the British Veterinary association (BVA, roughly the equivalent of the doctors’ BMA) does have concerns about ‘overtreatment’.
Malcolm Morley, the BVA’s president, told the Mail: ‘Owners want the best treatment possible for their pets — they are often considered members of the family and losing them can be very upsetting.
‘But when considering treatments, the well-being of an animal should be the top priority. While it may be possible to treat an animal in the shortterm, it could prolong suffering. In some cases it may be kinder to put them to sleep.’
BACK in hampshire, meanwhile, Barkley is making the best of his disability; but he has to wear nappies and is heavily medicated. Since he came out of Lumbry Park — which is owned by the multinational CVS Group — his owner Tamazin has spent many more thousands on veterinary care.
She is still furious that Barkley’s injury was caused by the lumbar puncture, something that has been confirmed by a report from the hospital.
The hospital has refused to respond in detail to any of the Mail’s questions about Barkley’s treatment, insisting: ‘We do not comment about specific cases to the media.’
The Mail also wrote to richard fairman, CEO of CVS Group, the hospital’s UK parent company, which runs more than 500 veterinary surgeries in the UK, Ireland and the netherlands. Between them they turned over £554 million in the last financial year.
fairman, who receives a salary of about £416,000 a year, plus a performance bonus that can amount to as much as 100 per cent of salary, would not answer our enquiries either.
‘ The hospital’s silence is shocking, but it speaks volumes,’ Tamazin told the Mail. ‘Barkley went into that hospital with a minor problem and emerged with what may turn out to be a permanent disability. It is outrageous that they can get away with this.’