600 word essay :
Interview with Amanda Goane, veterinary nurse :
Me : Have you seen a noticeable increase in people buying or adopting animals in the covid lockdown period ?
Amanda : We have seen a huge increase in people wanting to register new pets since lockdown but since Brexit, there has been a national shortage of Veterinary Surgeons. This has created a perfect storm of a pet boom and not enough Vets to take care of them.
Me : Oh I see, so how has that affected the increase in pets needing to be re-homed post-lockdown ?
Amanda : Since people have returned to work and the cost of living has rocketed, affording to care for pets is having to become less of a priority for people and fewer pets are getting insured. Shelters and charities are full to capacity and we are seeing an alarming increase in animals being abandoned.
Me : Have you had any recent cases of animals being brought in needing medical care due to being abandoned ?
Amanda : Just last weekend a young dog was presented having been found in a field. Our practice will take on these cases to treat and work with authorities to find homes but this comes at quite a cost to the practice.
Me : Have you noticed you are having to work longer days than usual to keep up with the volume of patients ?
Amanda : I often stay after my scheduled shift has ended if there isn`t enough staff there to look after the patients we still have in, I do that out of my own choice just to help out the other nurses.
Me : That is very good of you, thank you for your time.
Interview with Veterinary surgeon, Pauline Sell :
Me : Hi, so I would like to ask you some questions on the impact covid has had on vetinerary staff`s mental wellbeing,
Pauline : No worries, it is becoming a growing problem in the industry
Me : So have you noticed yourself or any of your staff struggling with their mental health due to the covid brought stress on vets ?
Pauline : I have definitely witnessed more nurses needing time off due to having poor mental health as they can`t cope with the longer hours needed to be worked to cope with the increase in patients we have received in this past year
Me : Do you think this is a nationwide problem ?
Pauline : The national shortage of people working in the veterinary field means that the staff I do have at the practise have to work twice as hard
Me : Do you think there is a solution to this problem
Pauline : It is my job as owner of the practise to ensure all of my staff are okay but I believe there should be more helplines and support groups for veterinary workers who are struggling with their mental health
Me : I agree, thank you for your time
RSPCA study : https://www.rspca.org.uk/-/news-figures-show-more-animals-in-shelter-rehoming-slows
Vet Candy article :https://www.myvetcandy.com/living-blog/2022/1/18/new-study-reveals-increased-distress-among-veterinary-professionals
10 Slide instagram post
Interview with Hattie Rowan :
Me : How has the cost of living crisis impacted you as a university student ?
Hattie : I am struggling with the inflation in prices. I have been looking for a job since september but I havent managed to find one.
Me : Have you managed to budget your student loan and distribute it wisely ?
Hattie : My student loan doesn`t even cover my accomodation rent, luckily my parents give me money for food but even then I have noticed how much food has risen in price
Me : Do you try to do your food shop as cost effectively as possible to help save money ?
Hattie : I try to buy easy, cheap, student friendly food like pot noodles, but even pot noodles have gone up to £1.50 a pot in my local shop !
Me : That is extortionate, do you ever find that you pro long your food shop to use your money for other things ?
Hattie : I know its bad but I will often only eat one meal a day so I have more money to spend on student life like ubers, nights out and things like that
Me : I understand that as it is your first year, thank you for your time
Hattie : No problem
Interview with Keira Holt :
Me : So I understand you are a university student, have you noticed any food items in particular that have inflated in price due to the cost of living crisis ?
Keira : I used to buy a meal deal most days in college, but now at university I have noticed the inflation in price – the pasta I usually buy in Sainsbury`s is now £5 in the meal deal !
Me : That is very pricey, have you considered making your own food to bring to university to save money ?
Keira : I have done that once or twice but I am often in a rush to get to uni, due to my poor time management, so grabbing lunch from the shop near my campus is just the easiest option for me
Me : I get that, thank you for your time
Keira : thank you