by Dr Rosie Allister, Consultant Manager Vetlife Helpline
In 1992, a volunteer took the first ever call to Vetlife Helpline. Over the last 34 years we have supported tens of thousands of veterinary professionals and 2025 was our busiest ever year.
Vetlife is a charity with a long history dating back over 160 years, and its focus has always been veterinary professionals supporting other veterinary professionals. It has three main services: Vetlife Helpline, Vetlife Health Support and Vetlife Financial Support.
A confidential helpline for the whole veterinary community
Vetlife Helpline is a 24-hour confidential support service available to everyone in the veterinary community. There’s sometimes a misconception it’s just for vets and nurses, but anyone working in a veterinary workplace or connected to the veterinary professions can call for support.
We know that veterinary professionals are there for the people and animals we serve 24 hours a day and so Vetlife is available 24 hours a day for veterinary professionals too. Vetlife Helpline is a confidential emotional support service offering non-judgemental listening. The volunteers who respond to calls and emails are themselves veterinary professionals or people with deep knowledge of the veterinary professions and so understand the pressures we can face.
People can get in contact with Vetlife Helpline by phone or by email. Work-related issues are a common theme in our contacts but it doesn’t have to be to do with work – we support with any issue veterinary professionals are facing – including health, relationships, family, and more.
Helpline: Call 0303 040 2551 or email
Vetlife mental health support
If someone calls or emails the helpline and they have unmet mental health needs, if they are a vet, veterinary nurse, or student vet or nurse we can offer them referral to Vetlife Health Support. This is professional mental health assessment, and may include ongoing case management and support where needed. It is funded by Vetlife and so it’s free for people to access.
Vetlife financial support
If vets or registered vet nurses who contact Vetlife are in financial difficulty, we can refer them to Vetlife Financial Support which, after financial assessment, can provide emergency financial assistance. This can help cover costs of things like housing, food, transport, and can support children of vets and registered vet nurses up to the age of 18.
Supporting wellbeing across the profession
As well as the three main services, Vetlife has a long history of work in other areas too. Suicide prevention and guidance and support after suicide loss, is a priority in the work we do. We also produce resources on key topics, including: neurodiversity in the veterinary professions, and burnout, moral injury and compassion fatigue.
Powered by people who care
People who would like to support the work of Vetlife can do so in different ways. Our work is funded by charitable donations and we are hugely grateful to everyone who supports us. Supporters can also volunteer with Vetlife in different roles.
We have over 100 volunteers who provide support on the helpline, with training, reflective supervision, and ongoing support. We also have volunteers in trained support roles within our Financial Support service, and ambassadors who help with reaching out to let people in our professions know about Vetlife. Our board of trustees are also volunteers.
A personal perspective
When I started at Vetlife as a volunteer nearly 20 years ago I wasn’t expecting it to be such a big part of my own career. I was quite a recent veterinary graduate at the time. I had volunteered at crisis support helplines before, and like a lot of the people who volunteer with us, I wanted to give something back to the profession I loved.
What I hadn’t realised then was the incredible community of people within Vetlife, who care so deeply about our professions and our people. I also hadn’t known how much of my working life would come to involve the privilege of supporting veterinary professionals who trust us and get in touch during difficult times.
It’s the people; those who give their time to support others, and those who get in touch and trust us during difficult times, who inspire what we do. Veterinary professionals can face many challenges and difficulties during their working lives; with support and help things can get better for people.
Discover more – www.vetlife.org.uk
Support Vetlife – Just £1 can make a difference
To keep up with rising demand, Vetlife is asking everyone in the veterinary community to consider giving back. The charity has launched a regular giving campaign, encouraging individuals to donate just £1 per month to help sustain these essential services.
Help us continue to be there for all who need us.
More about the author:
Dr Rosie Allister, BSc Hons, BVSc, MSc, PhD, MRCVS, Consultant Manager for Vetlife Helpline
Dr Rosie Allister has received the BVA Chiron Award and RCVS Impact Award for work on veterinary mental health. Rosie is the Consultant Manager for Vetlife Helpline, the 24 hour support service for everyone in the UK veterinary community. Her research, based at the University of Edinburgh, looks at veterinary professionals’ mental health, wellbeing in transitions, and suicide prevention and postvention. She advises a number of national organisations on mental health and suicide prevention. Rosie has volunteered as a listening volunteer with Samaritans for over 20 years, and is a trustee of Samaritans in the UK and Ireland.
The article was originally posted in The Cube magazine, February 2026 issue. Click here to read the magazine.
