To think that vets are the solution to the crisis?

[MaurnaP]

So the junior doctors are unhappy with payment. The government could replace with vets?

Advantages:
Highly intelligent, over qualified, they have learned multiple species so focusing on one is a doddle for them
They often work for less £ than doctors
They have experience of the species, being that they are one
Pension is much cheaper
Human hospitals better condition than the farmyard

Obviously, this is a joke. But vets do not want to be doctors anyway. The vets I have met through my work in mental health, often struggle to be around people and that’s partly why they chose their speciality. You would hope that most doctors don’t dislike people, though some should not be in the profession.

I read somewhere that doctors are allowed to operate on animals but vets aren't allowed to operate on humans. Personally if I had no other options I'd take my chances 😂

Oooh, I shagged the most gorgeous paramedic a few times. He was just as you describe. 😍

So many people on this thread can’t recognise a joke when they read one. 😂😂😂😂

People who become vets are so much nicer as well. I’ve only ever met one vet who I really didn’t like or trust. Conversely, I’ve only met one doctor who I didn’t think was an utterly rude and incompetent arse.

If you're shocked at Vet bills you clearly haven't seen a private doctors bill. About 20 years ago I had my throat examined by putting a camera up my nose, bill £900. Vet did a similar procedure on a horse at our yard last week. Bill £370.

This 100%. Just imagine the same itemised bill from the NHS that you get from your vet
Many would be shocked to find out that NHS reference costs are not much more than what vets charge. MRIs for instance are very similar. Follow up appointments are actually more to see a vet than a doctor.

Vets earn a better salary earlier than doctors. Saying that, who knows, they might be next in line to strike!

Oh I miss the laugh emoji reaction button!! 😆😆😆

I once asked a friend who is a vet if she could do a simple operation on a human. She said "firstly, that's very illegal, but if you're talking about society has collapsed, there's no doctors and no laws, I'd give it a shot, at least for limbs, flesh wounds, bones and so on. The main problem is I don't know what normal values are for humans. But if that knowledge survived in books or whatever I think I'd do alright."

I don’t understand the shock point. I would have hoped that economies of scale would make NHS costs much cheaper, rather than “not much more”. Unless I’ve misunderstood your post.

I think newly qualified doctors and newly qualified veterinary surgeons earn roughly the same, except of course doctors get the NHS pension. Veterinary surgeons won’t go on strike because they’re working in private practices. It’s like suggesting your non NHS dentist would go on strike: they won’t, because they’re trying to run a business or are employed by one..

Wish my vet could do blood tests on humans. The results are back within the hour. Dog has an underactive thyroid. It was diagnosed and he started medication within 24 hours. Amazing.

When DD had an ear infection we had weeks of back and forth on various antibiotics before they finally swabbed it and sent it off for tests that took days to come back.

Vets would be much better than doctors at dealing with the growing problem of aggression from patients. some swiftly wrapped bandages around the patient's mouth, and crates instead of a bed.

Would we get jars of biscuits on the receptionist's desk? I'd definitely go for the OP's solution if there were jars of biscuits.

If my local vet could treat me I’d be over the moon. He’s a gem. Can literally look at a dog and diagnose - no prodding or tests required. Better bedside manner to.

If the walking dead ever happens and I have to choose between a doctor and a vet, I’m taking the vet.

But I wouldn’t support vets becoming doctors simply as I think animals deserve better treatment than most humans 😂 don want my dogs treated by doctors! They deserve better.

I don't think I could afford to be treated by a vet after the way they are ripping me off for me cat's medication. All they seem to care about is money!

I probably won't be able to look after another pet after this one. I hate to think of all the animals that will go untreated.

You’ll get a thermometer shoved unceremoniously up your backside!!

You'll be ok if you want de
wormed😳
This is up there with the thread for a pet NHS..stupid to the max

I like the idea, but I'm unsure about other patients sniffing my bottom when we're in the waiting room 🤔

Have you seen where we stick the thermometer?

Itemised costs of veterinary procedures such as dentistry and MRI is often on par with human medicine in part because of the need for general anaesthesia and the extra time/drugs/equipment/staff required for this.

Veterinary equipment is purchased privately and needs to be paid back, so the per patient cost of using an MRI scanner which can run upto 3 anaesthetised patients per day depending on the presenting caseload will be much more than a human scanner, running all hours of the day, with a steady stream of patients, allocated appointments from a waiting list.

vets are definitely not better paid than doctors, there may be parity of some roles (eg 5y qualified vet vs very junior doctor), but the equivalent vet doing an internship/residency will be paid much less (little over minimum wage). The ceiling for a non specialist/non managerial role is around 55k regardless of years of experience. The top pay for the equivalent of a consultant is around 85k.

We do not get unsociable hours top ups, overtime is often unpaid, or you get a half day which starts at 3pm to compensate for a whole weekend on call, employer pension contributions are only 3-5% and you get max two weeks sick pay if you’re lucky.

There has been a World wide shortage of vets for years , so where are you suggesting we find these vets that want to treat humans ?

My friend's SIL is a GP. She went to med school as a second choice, after failing to get the grades she needed for vet school!

Sorry, but when I had my brain surgery back in October, I wanted a Neurosurgeon, neurophysiology consultant and a neurologist in that theatre.....not a vet!

Depends who’s doing the sniffing…

Then why do they charge so bloody much and no transparency

I'm just back from a vet visit with the dog. My vet spent half an hour talking me through various options for treatment, chatting to make sure that I knew it wasn't urgent but needed a small operation and giving me all the various different things we could do in future to manage her (dog's, not vet's) condition. None of this 'five minutes, instant diagnosis, go away and see if it gets better' thing. We were practically chatting over coffee.

One prescription, that I asked for because the vet assumed I already had some in the house, £58. I'd gladly pay that for someone to sit and listen to me rabbit on about my generalised medical worries.