Abbey Vets has a number of branches, one of which is in Tredegar; birthplace of Aneurin Bevan. The more I read about ‘Nye’ Bevan the more I appreciate the history surrounding our branch where this remarkable Welshman spearheaded the development of a health service, free for all at the point of need. We are a veterinary surgery and unfortunately, there is no National Health Service for pets.
Every day clinical decisions I ask owners to make are based on cost not need. I am increasingly aware of the cost of some of the procedures we are offering. Epilepsy is a fairly common condition we see in both dogs and cats where a confident diagnosis is almost impossible without a brain scan. Bottom line nowadays is an MRI costs £1000+. That is just the scan and does not include the specialist neurologist you will see and the additional blood work that a standard clinical workup for animals presenting with seizures should undergo. To buy an MRI machine costs upwards of £1/4 million pounds and ongoing maintenance and the very specialist equipment and training required to run a unit adds many thousands more.
Pet insurance is really the only way our patients ever receive advanced imaging and access to the incredible clinical and technological advances they provide. Numerous companies provide a bewildering number of options and you can go to websites seemingly run by Russian meerkats to provide cover for your cat. So if you have a pet you have an important and difficult decision to make. What would you do if your pet is ill and the only clinical pathway costs upwards of £2000? Tredegar may be your point of need but Nye Bevan never set out to answer that question for you.
