UK Veterinary Locum Market

Temporary veterinary cover helps practices maintain continuity of care. Holidays, sickness, parental leave and gaps between permanent appointments can create a need for locum vets and registered veterinary nurses (RVNs). These gaps can arise even when a practice’s overall workload is stable: the immediate problem is covering an absence, not necessarily expanding the team.

Locum work is already a significant part of UK veterinary practice. In the RCVS’s 2024 surveys, close to one in ten clinical veterinary respondents identified locum as their main practice role. Approximately one in eight nursing respondents reported locum or independent nursing work—a broader category than locum work alone. More than two in five of that nursing group worked across multiple practices within a month, illustrating how flexible working extends beyond a single workplace.

An established need does not mean demand is growing everywhere. The veterinary locum share was slightly lower in 2024 than in 2019. Evidence published by Parliament in June 2026 described fewer recruitment difficulties in urban small-animal and rural equine-only practices than in some other settings, while geographically isolated practices continued to face challenges. These findings point to a market with local differences, not a demonstrated nationwide increase in locum bookings.

​

Sources: RCVS 2024 veterinary survey, Table 7.5; RCVS 2024 nursing survey, section 7.8; House of Commons, “A sustainable veterinary workforce”, June 2026. Context and sources.