I am involved with a wildlife charity which has similar aims to the Vale.
I note that the aim of the Vale hospital is to be able to have an onsite xray facility.
Given that the administration of general anaesthesia and the taking of radiographs are deemed to be acts of veterinary surgery requiring a veterinary surgeon to be present each and every time such procedures are carried out (qualified VNs and lay persons cannot perform these procedures legally without a vet being physically present), how would such an aim be financed?
Also, the holding and use of pentobarbitone (and several other commonly used POM-V drugs) is strictly controlled and euthanasing an animal with such a substance again can only legally be done when authorised by a veterinary surgeon. For this to occur, the animal to be euthanased must be legally under the veterinary surgeon's care.
How does the Vale hospital deal with these sort of issues?
I am aware that a number of wildlife rescue organisations ignore such regulations, but with the likely future licencing of such establishments, these issues need to be addressed and the financial implications need to be worked out.

Thank you for bringing this point to everyone's attention, it is something which wildlife hospitals struggle with and we are very open to discussions regarding regulations.
As far as Vale Wildlife Hospital is concerned (I cannot speak for anyone else) we are fully aware of the current regulations regarding drug use,euthanasia and the making of clinical decisions etc. and as such we do as much as we can practically and financially to remain within the law.
All drugs are supplied and overseen by our veterinary surgeon, all drugs are labelled, recorded and accounted for and are kept according to the regulations for each drug (particularly important with controlled drugs). At any given point we can tell you how much of each drug has been administered to which patient, and how much remains on the shelves. We operate a little like a farm would in that drugs are dispensed to us by our vet, recorded in detail and checked regularly by him to ensure that he is happy.
Anaesthesia is a tricky subject, it is financially impossible for a hospital such as ourselves to employ a veterinary surgeon as a full time member of staff, and I have yet to meet one who will work for free! Of course this would be the best option for everyone but it is a fantasy that in 22 years we have been unable to fulfill! We employ a qualified, listed VN and, yes, she anaesthetises patients without a vet being in the building. We do ensure however that we record each patient anaesthetised and monitor the use of anaesthetic agents by being meticulous with our drug stock control. If we had to have a vet here for each hedgehog that needed uncurling for examination we would very soon be out of action.
Radiography is also performed at the hospital, but by only 2 members of staff, myself and the VN. This is overseen by the Radiation Protection Authority and we have all radiation control and protection measures in place. I may add however that radiographs are regularly interpreted by our vet when it's not something obvious such as a gunshot wound or a broken bone. (xrays can be taken to his surgery which avoids unnecessary stress on an already debilitated wild animal!)
Another thing to mention is that commonly seen problems (hedgehogs with green faeces for example) have been given a treatment protocol by our veterinary surgeon, so that we have a pre agreed plan, this also applies to fluid therapy rates, rates for all the drugs administered here and conditions for euthanasia (unfit for release e.g. deer with multiple fractures). The key thing to mention is that whenever we are not sure WE ASK and that our veterinary surgoen is not simply someone who's name we use to put on our paperwork or get drugs from, but someone who is intimately involved in the treatment of our patients. The danger is that lay people may make decisions without being aware of their limitations, and this is something that is always on the forefront of our thoughts.
There is provision within the law for the holding and use of pentobarbitone, something which the RSPCA and charities such as ourselves who attend serious RTAs require.
THis is a difficult subject and by all accounts an emotive one! I may summarise by saying that we do our best to remain within the law, but if we had to employ a vet to be here for every casualty ( of which there are 5000 a year) we would have no hospital at all.

Hi, Caroline,

I have read the correspondence on this subject, and I think that you are to be congratulated on handling this difficult issue so responsibly. The Veterinary Surgeons Act and the associated medicines legislation are there to PROTECT THE ANIMAL, and not, as some people maintain, to line the vet's pockets.

Walter Beswick MRCVS