Statements on the shortage of veterinarians

8 December 2021

We acknowledge that there is an acute shortage of practising veterinarians in New Zealand and that this, along with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, is placing pressure on veterinarians and businesses and impacting on their ability to provide veterinary care. While we can't necessarily fix this situation, we are committed to supporting veterinary professionals and practices through this.

We've issued a joint statement with the NZVA on the shortage and will continue to work with them, and others, to provide support, work on relieving the shortage and tackle the underlying issues that contributed to it. 

Read the joint statement

We've also written a statement about how we will carry out our regulatory work in light of the shortage. While continuing to expect high standards of performance from veterinarians, we will be pragmatic about how we enforce our rules and deal with concerns, taking into account the significant pressure that veterinarians and veterinary businesses are under. More detail can be found in the statement.

Read our statement