15 years of facts and figures on veterinary disciplinary measures in the Netherlands

Abstract

In most countries, a veterinary disciplinary system is in force to ensure the quality of the veterinary profession and to offer an objective platform for complaints. We present an analysis of 15 years of veterinary disciplinary verdicts (2001–2016) to compare facts and figures and identify which factors are of major influence on the outcome of the verdicts. Rulings were collected from both paper files and the digital database of the veterinary disciplinary council (VDC), categorized, and used to create a database that enabled a statistical analysis. The results showed that complaints pertaining to companion animals are filed predominantly by owners, whereas complaints about livestock are mostly filed by the governmental civil servant (CS). CS complaints mostly address compliance issues. For the complaints made by owners (client complaints, CCs), reporting, communication, and veterinary mistakes appeared to be of statistical significance. Further studies are needed to investigate the impact of the complaints on veterinarians in general and how we can improve the veterinary disciplinary system.

Experiences and recommendations of veterinarians for the Dutch disciplinary system—a survey‐based study

“…If this number is representative for practitioners, the total number of DCs would be 1800 for the complete time period of nearly 60 years. In a previous study, we analysed nearly 1200 DCs within a time period of 15 years 1 . This may indicate that the group of participants is, in this instance, representative.…”

“…All complaints are submitted to the VDC. If a ruling has been made and either one of the two parties disagrees, then the case can be submitted to the VAC 1 . When the Dutch government created the DS, its primary function was only to maintain veterinary quality for animal welfare and food safety.…”

“…However, it quickly became a platform for client complaints (CCs); this was not the original intention of the Dutch government. 1,2 Owners may not always realise the effect their complaints may have on the individual veterinarian. Several publications have reported on the huge impact of CCs on veterinarians and their colleagues.…”

“…The Dutch veterinary DS operates differently compared to other veterinary DSs, including those in the UK 3 and USA, 6 where complaints are first evaluated by a committee and only taken into consideration after careful scrutiny. The Dutch VDC and VAC take nearly all complaints into consideration 1 . This places a huge burden on practicing veterinarians because they are confronted with any complaint whatsoever, automatically leading to a full disciplinary hearing.…”

“…In most countries, governments have either instituted statutory bodies such as the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) or incorporated a veterinary disciplinary system (DS) to promote the integrity and reputation of the profession and to offer an objective platform for complaints. 1 , 2 , 3 In the Netherlands, the government has established a DS; it is not comparable with a statutory body such as the RCVS. All disputes are settled in accordance with a code of conduct drawn up by the Royal Dutch Veterinary Association Koninklijke Nederlandse Maatschappij voor Diergeneeskunde (KNMvD).…”