The Veterinary Practice Management Association (VPMA) has produced a new webinar on the subject of client debt management and made it available for members and non-members alike. 

The 45-minute webinar: Debt Management: Prevention Is Better Than Cure is presented by Mike Brooks from veterinary-specialist debt recovery agency, dsl.

VPMA President Renay Rickard (pictured right) said: "Debt can affect any business, but, because of the role vets play as care-giver in an emotionally-based animal-owner relationship, we are particularly vulnerable. This is something that is commonly brought up by members at our regional meetings and events, and it’s a real dilemma for them how to juggle being strict with payment policies against owner expectations and misperceptions of the cost of veterinary medicine.

"This has been a very popular topic in both our regional meetings and with our webinar and we wanted to open it up to more people to help them tackle this topic in their practices. The feedback on this webinar has been very positive. Mike gives clear guidance on how to set up payment protocols that will minimise debt in such a way that maintains the client-practice relationship. There’s also information on how to recover existing debts. It makes sense to prioritise tackling this issue as if we’re not paid, then we can’t deliver the service that we are expected to, and that our patients need.

"We’re pleased to open this webinar up to all practices as a Christmas gift, and hope it will also highlight the support that is available through VPMA membership."

The webinar can be accessed through a link on the home page of the VPMA website www.vpma.co.uk.

RCVS President Chris Tufnell has chosen five charities to be the recipient of this year’s RCVS Christmas Box, a £3,000 annual donation to the charity of the President’s choice.

Chris will also be donating any money he raises throughout the course of his Presidency to those same charities.

His chosen charities are: Vetlife, Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA), the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), Hearing Dogs, and The Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust (GHDT).

Chris said: "I chose the charities because I'm dedicated to charities that have a wide effect. The GHDT and the PDSA, by improving the health and welfare of animals, directly benefit the health and wellbeing of the communities in which they work. The GHDT dramatically improves peoples’ lives economically by increasing the working lives of their animals, almost all of which are transport animals, while the PDSA enhances the lives of the less well off by allowing them to keep animals and afford their veterinary care.

"Riding for the Disabled Association and Hearing Dogs for the Deaf then both use animals to help people, strengthening this vital human animal bond that runs through all of these charities. You have to witness the interaction between deaf or disabled people with the dogs and ponies respectively to fully appreciate how much this means to them. Unlike single interventions, these charities provide assistance that keeps on giving.

"Finally, none of this is possible without a healthy veterinary community and Vetlife plays a significant part in ensuring this. Good mental health and wellbeing is essential to the delivery of a good service, and it's important that we do everything we can to ensure that any veterinary professionals that suffer get the assistance they need.”

The charities have already been in touch to thank Chris and the College, and to detail how it will help their activities.

Graham Dick, Vetlife’s Honorary Treasurer, said: “Vetlife is currently expanding its vital support services to meet the changing needs of the veterinary community so we are sincerely grateful that Chris Tufnell has chosen our charity to benefit from his fundraising activities during his year as President. It is heartening that all the major veterinary organisations are so supportive of Vetlife and eager to work together to address the issues that many people in the veterinary community are struggling with." 

Heather Armstrong, the Director of the GHDT, said: "We would like to give our very sincere thanks to Chris Tufnell, President of the RCVS for choosing us as one of his charities. Over the years we have relied on volunteer vets from UK to provide training to our staff and to Gambian livestock workers. This is helping to increase Gambian veterinary capacity and we hope is also giving British vets a small insight into global veterinary problems. The British veterinary profession should be very proud, it has enabled us to achieve so much in the last 14 years and we are immensely grateful to each and every vet who has been out to help including Chris, who has kindly helped us in the past with training."

Rosie Gibbons, Challenge & Community Events Fundraiser UK at the PDSA, said: "The donations received through the RCVS’ President’s Fund to PDSA will ensure that someone’s much loved pet will receive the treatment and healthy life they deserve. It will also ensure that our veterinary teams can continue to educate people about responsible pet ownership and issue preventative treatments, making the lives of so many animals much more bearable in the future."

Sal Atkinson, Fundraising Manager for the RDA, said: "We are thrilled that Chris has chosen RDA as one of this year’s RCVS President’s Fund charities. RDA relies on voluntary donations such as this to enable us to provide life changing therapy through horses to disabled adults and children in the UK. We currently have over 3,000 horses and ponies who work with our riders, carriage drivers, volunteers and equine advisors and this support will really help us to offer more opportunities to disabled people in the community."

The President’s Christmas Box donation is made every year in lieu of sending out RCVS Christmas cards. Previous recipients have included Worldwide Veterinary Service, Mind, Canine Partners, Hounds for Heroes, and the Veterinary Benevolent Fund.

MSD Animal Health Equine is seeking feedback from equine practices about how Horse Health Week, it's annual campaign to promote equine health, can be further improved and developed.

This year’s Horse Health Week, which ran at the end of September, focused on the small things that can be done to help keep Britain’s horses happy and healthy. Equine practices were encouraged to get involved and engage with their clients throughout the week with the support of a toolkit that offered both off and online communication materials.

The toolkit included a social media campaign for practices to run called #BonVoyageBuzz. Horse owners were invited to send 'Buzz' around the (virtual) world by sharing and tagging on Facebook. By the last count, he'd reached Denmark, the U.S., Canada and Saudi Arabia. The final part of Horse Health Week was a survey that gave the views of horse owners on preventative healthcare. 

MSD says the week was welcomed and supported by a number of equine vet practices which reported that the campaign generated high levels of engagement from horse owners.

Peter Young, Equine Business Manager said: "Horse Health Week was created to help practices promote their businesses and educate and promote the benefits of preventative healthcare, so we are delighted that we’ve had such a good uptake of the resources we provided this year. A number of equine practices uploaded the daily animations we created to help encourage maximimum engagement.  Some also reported the animations and posters being mentioned at yard appointments so, together with equine vet practices, we’ve successfully helped raise awareness and are eduating horse owners."

If you would like to provide feedback speak to your MSD Animal Health Equine Account Manager.  For further details, visit: www.healthyhorses.co.uk/horse-week.

Pets account for millions of pounds worth of economic activity in the UK and may reduce NHS costs by nearly two and a half billion pounds, according to Companion Animal Economics, a new report published today.

Published by CABI and sponsored by Mars Petcare UK, Companion Animal Economics was developed by Daniel Mills, Professor of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine at the University of Lincoln, and Dr Sandra McCune, Human-Animal Interaction expert at Mars Petcare’s WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition. It documents and examines available evidence on the direct and indirect benefits and costs of companion animals to society, including their influence on human mental and physical health, illness prevention and well-being.

Other authors include Dr Sophie Hall from the University of Lincoln’s School of Life Sciences, Professor Ted Fuller and Luke Dolling from the Lincoln International Business School, and Katie Bristow-Wade of Dogs for Good.

Professor Mills said: "Vets are well aware how important companion animals are to their owners, but it is important that they appreciate the positive impact that they can have on the physical, mental and social health of both individuals and society more widely. This book should help raise awareness of this and their economic importance in times of economic uncertainty."

Dr McCune said: "Almost half of households in the UK share their homes with animals cared for as companions – a relationship we consider to be valuable and enriching. At Mars Petcare, we’re committed to creating A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS™. That’s because we know that pets make our world better. This important report provides a modern day update on the impact of companion animals on the UK economy and society, without reducing the discussion to a simplistic cost-benefits ratio. Critically, it aims to raise awareness of the need for research to evaluate the complex routes by which pets make an economic impact on UK society."

The author says relatively little information on the economic impact of pets has been published since the 1988 seminal Council for Science and Society (CSS) report on Companion Animals in Society, which inspired Companion Animal Economics. Since then, trends in pet ownership and associated industries, have changed a great deal. The report’s methodology sought to capture this new context, including issues like pet tourism, pet obesity, and expanding veterinary services, identifying clear gaps where further high-quality data and additional research are needed.

When evaluating the contribution of companion animals to the UK economy, both positive and negative aspects were considered. The cost of NHS treatment for bites and strikes from dogs is estimated at £3 million per year. At the same time, the report also estimates that pet ownership in the UK may reduce use of the UK health service by up to £2.45 billion per year. This conservative conclusion is drawn through examining healthcare savings through reduced number of doctor visits.

Given the scale of the potential impact, the report concludes that research into companion animals and their economic impact on society needs further investigation and should be supported by government. While UK data were used in the report, many of the points raised relate to other industrialised nations, demonstrating the global nature of this issue.

Zoetis Business Consulting has released figures showing that Profit Solver, its financial analysis tool, has delivered an average EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) growth of 36% for the 28 UK practices that have used the new service since its launch.

Profit Solver was first launched in the USA, where the company says more than 300 practices have now benefited from the service.

Zoetis says that traditionally, veterinary practices have set their prices by simply adding a set mark-up, without knowing which services make a profit or loss and without understanding exactly how overall practice profit is being generated.

Profit Solver instead uses the practice’s own data to calculate the exact cost for the 130 most commonly performed veterinary services, representing 90% of the revenue generated by the practice. It then combines labour, inventory and equipment costs with time-and-motion studies for each service, and assesses the variance between cost and price to reveal profit or loss.

By using a collection of cost data, which staff perform which part of the procedure, how long the procedure takes and what equipment and materials are used, Profit Solver calculates the correct pricing to both cover costs and deliver a pre-determined profit margin.

Implementing Profit Solver is done with a Zoetis business consultant who guides the practice through the process, from data collection to examining the time-and-motion studies. They discuss the level of profitability the practice needs to deliver and help analyse prices to achieve this goal whilst preserving the price-point of highly competitive services and covering all the practice’s costs.

Ian Camm, Group Director of B&W Equine Vets in Gloucestershire heard about Profit Solver from a vet in a neighbouring practice who was impressed with how it had helped his business. Ian discussed Profit Solver with his Zoetis account manager and booked an appointment with Zoetis Business Consultant Anthea Pike who has helped him implement the software across B&W Equine Group.

He said: "Initially I was concerned that Profit Solver would suggest we put prices up where we felt that we would not be able to - people shop around for their veterinary services these days and many services are very price sensitive. The first stage in the process addressed this by looking at our figures, calculating the cost price for each procedure and then, by comparing with our fees charged, identified where we were losing money. The big question was whether we would be comfortable to increase our fees on loss-making procedures. The beauty of the system was that by looking at a large number of procedures which were done frequently, very small increases in fee would total to a significant improvement in the bottom line.

"The software has made us recognise where the real costs are and how to address these areas accordingly, for example we have identified that current stud packages are not profitable. One of the problems in arriving at true costs is the difficulty in accurately allocating time to various procedures when several different vets are involved or an expensive scanner is used, which can have a significant impact on the results. It’s early days, but I can already see the difference that Profit Solver could make to our bottom line and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it providing the practice is prepared to make changes in light of the results. We are looking at improving our bottom line by a six figure sum over a 12 month period with what we hope, will be hardly noticeable price rises.”

For further information visit www.zoetis.co.uk/businessconsulting.

The Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ) has joined forces with Equine Veterinary Education and Veterinary Radiology and Ultrasound to showcase an online collection of the latest articles on imaging the equine head and spine at http://bit.ly/2gUxtN8.

Until the arrival of Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), radiographs were the only feasible option. More recently, the availability of bigger, wider and more adaptable scanners has allowed horses to be examined in a standing position, significantly improving diagnostic and treatment strategies and avoiding the need for general anaesthetic.

Against this background the collection considers the advantages of cutting-edge modalities and draws comparisons with more readily available tools such as radiography.

Given the increase in use of CT in horses and the contamination hazards faced particularly by horse handlers, two practical articles in the collection describe the role of equine head CT, how to set up standing equine CT and the radiation exposure risks.^1,2

The most revolutionary recent advance in diagnostic imaging for dental disease in horses is CT. However, a study of horses with diseased mandibular cheek teeth found that while CT is useful to identify defects in the bone and tooth it is far less useful for the identification of inflammation and tissue destruction which is far better served by MRI.³

The structure of the equine head is complex and subject to great variation so several articles focus on practical anatomy and interpretation of radiographs of this region.^4.5 Advanced diagnostic techniques are helping with clinical and surgical approaches to problems with the equine head. The sphenopalatine sinus is challenging to assess radiographically because of its tricky position but CT can help overcome this obstacle. One of the studies describes how CT can help unravel the pathology of various equine sinonasal tumours. Other articles cover less common pathological conditions including the historical, clinical, diagnostic imaging findings and outcomes of five horses with pneumocephalus. ^6,7,8

Practitioners recognise MRI as the gold standard for neurologic imaging because of the excellent soft tissue detail but the size of horses and the size of scanners makes it a challenge to use. An additional constraint is the longer acquisition time compared to CT. Notwithstanding these limitations three studies in the collection display the various benefits of using MRI for the spine and neck, including the evaluation of 84 equine head disorders, the diagnosis of cervical stenotic myelopathy, and the assessment of two foals with closed head trauma.^9,10,11,12

Despite the significant advances in imaging, the horse’s back is still defying conventional systems, primarily because of its size, concludes a spinal evaluation article. New technologies such as robotic fluoroscopy and cone-beam CT, may provide a cross-sectional method to evaluate the equine spine, but for now radiographs are still better to help evaluate findings of spinous process impingement seen on scintigraphy. The take home message here is that the wide variety of abnormalities seen on scintigraphy and radiography in horses with and without back pain makes a diagnosis more likely to be achieved by physical examination rather than the imaging findings.¹³

Anthony Pease, associate editor of the EVJ said: "Advanced imaging is still in its infancy with sequences still being developed to help optimise the time and detail needed for diagnosing complex musculoskeletal and neurologic disorders. Continued research in a controlled environment and comparing to histopathology will allow clinicians to further their knowledge and understanding of the CT and MRI findings in the equine patients."

References

1. Dakin, S.G., Lam, R., Rees, E., Mumby, C., West, C. and Weller, R. (2014) Technical set-up and radiation exposure for standing computed tomography of the equine head. Equine Vet. Educ. 26, 208-215.
2. Manso-Diaz, G., Garcia-Lopez, J.M., Maranda, L. and Taeymans, O. (2015) The role of head computed tomography in equine practice. Equine Vet. Educ. 27, 136-145.
3. Casey, M.B., Pearson, G.R., Perkins, J.D. and Tremaine, W.H. (2015) Gross, computed tomographic and histological findings in mandibular cheek teeth extracted from horses with clinical signs of pulpitis due to apical infection. Equine Vet. J. 47, 557-567.
4. Wyn-Jones, G. (1985) Interpreting radiographs 6: The head. Equine Vet. J. 17, 274-278.
5. Wyn-Jones, G. (1985) Interpreting radiographs 6: Radiology of the equine head (Part 2). Equine Vet. J. 17, 417-425.
6. Tucker, R., Windley, Z.E., Abernethy, A.D., Witte, T.H., Fiske-Jackson, A.R., Turner, S., Smith, L.J. and Perkins, J.D. (2015) Radiographic, computed tomographic and surgical anatomy of the equine sphenopalatine sinus in normal and diseased horses. Equine Vet. J. 48, 578-584.
7. Cissell, D.D., Wisner, E.R., Textor, J., Mohr, F.C., Scrivani, P.V. and Theon, A.P. (2012) Computed Tomographic Appearance of Equine Sinonasal Neoplasia. Vet. Radiol. Ultrasound 53, 245-251.
8. Dunkel, B., Corley, K.T., Johnson, A.L., Witte, T.H., Leitch, M., Marr, C.M. and Weller, R. (2013) Pneumocephalus in five horses. Equine Vet. J. 45, 367-371.
9. Manso-Diaz, G., Dyson, S.J., Dennis, R., Garcia-Lopez, J.M., Biggi, M., Isabel Garcia-Real, M., San Roman, F. and Taeymans, O. (2015) Magnetic Resonance Imaging Characteristics of Equine Head Disorders: 84 Cases (2000-2013). Vet. Radiol. Ultrasound 56, 176-187.
10. Janes, J.G., Garrett, K.S., McQuerry, K.J., Pease, A.P., Williams, N.M., Reed, S.M. and MacLeod, J.N. (2014) Comparison of magnetic resonance imaging with standing cervical radiographs for evaluation of vertebral canal stenosis in equine cervical stenotic myelopathy. Equine Vet. J. 46, 681-686.
11. Zani, D.D., Zani, D.D., Binanti, D., Riccaboni, P., Rondena, M. and Giancamillo, M.D. (2013) Magnetic resonance features of closed head trauma in two foals. Equine Vet. Educ. 25, 493-498.
12. Mitchell, C.W., Nykamp, S.G., Foster, R., Cruz, R. and Montieth, G. (2012) The Use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Evaluating Horses with Spinal Ataxia. Vet. Radiol. Ultrasound 53, 613-620.
13. Zimmerman, M., Dyson, S. and Murray, R. (2011) Comparison of Radiographic and Scintigraphic Findings of the Spinous Processes in the Equine Thoracolumbar Region Vet. Radiol. Ultrasound 52, 661-671.

White Cross Vets has announced the launch of a new practice designed to offer patients, clients and staff the best possible environment, whilst at the same time being environmentally-friendly.

Located in Wolverhampton, the new practice uses different lighting in different parts of the building: 'cool' for public areas such as the waiting room, 'comfortable warm' for the dog, cat and exotic wards and daylight for clinical areas. The LED system uses 60% less energy than conventional lighting and requires half the number of fittings. In addition, following research in the USA at Banfield, consulting rooms are fitted with dimmable lights to ease stress for patients and clients during euthanasia.

Other highlights include a specialist cat ward that White Cross says exceeds the iCatCare Cat Friendly Clinic requirements. The ward includes raised cat kennels that are carefully positioned so that cats can’t see each other, to further minimise stress-levels. There are also separate, sound-proofed wards for dogs and exotic pets.

To reduce anxiety in dogs and cats pre- and post-surgery, the practice uses pheromone diffusers and specially composed music played in the wards.

Managing Director, Tim Harrison said: "We’re delighted to launch our latest practice in Wolverhampton, which is our most environmentally-friendly yet. We’ve incorporated the most successful attributes from all of our 15 other UK practices into its design, and it’s immediately proving popular with clients and most importantly their pets."

Clinic Director James Millington says: "The facilities and attention to detail in this practice are the best I’ve ever seen. There’s no doubt this will translate into the quality of care that our clients receive and their pets deserve."

MSD Animal Health has announced the launch of 'Be Active', a new campaign to support veterinary practices and encourage more clients to bring in their older cats for a six-month health screening.   

The company says that the campaign has been launched in response to a survey it conducted amongst pet owners which found that more than half had never consulted their vet about their aging pets. 58% admitted that they were unaware of the signs of aging in their pets, and 45% said they were unaware that something could be done to help pets as they get older¹.

Karland King, Brand Manager for Established Brands at MSD Animal Health said: "Our Pet Owner Survey reveals missed opportunities for vets to educate their clients, and cat owners to ensure they get the best advice and preventative care for their older cats.

"Our new Be Active campaign has therefore been designed to support vets in this education process and supply a pack of resources for them to actively encourage clients to seek advice and regular checks from their vet. It aims to help vets position themselves as the best source of information and support for clients with older cats, helping older cats stay healthier and more active for longer, starting with a six-monthly health check."

The World Small Animal Veterinary Association recommends that most pets have an annual health check². As cats get older or start receiving treatment for long-term conditions such as diabetes or hyperthyroidism, it is recommended that the veterinary examination is increased to every six months³.  

To support the Be Active campaign MSD Animal Health has produced a range of resources for veterinary practices, including promotional leaflets and posters, and a PR toolkit with advice and materials to help veterinary surgeons promote their practices and support the campaign locally. 

For further information, contact your MSD Animal Health representative.

References

1. MSD Animal Health Pet Owners Survey 2016 – Pet Owner Market Research conducted by Dr Emmanuel Streel, Consultant  http://www.wsava.org/default/files/WSAVA%20vaccination%20Guidelines%202015%20Full%29Version.pdf (accessed Sept 2016)
2. WSAVA Vaccination Guidelines Group, Guidelines for the vaccination of dogs and cats (Jan 2016).
3. AAFP Senior Care Guidelines. J Feline Med Surg 2009;11(9):763-78.

Petplan has joined forces with Panasonic to launch a Smart Home Monitoring Kit for pets, allowing owners to check on their pets via an app on their smartphone or tablet. 

The Smart Home Monitoring Kit for pets includes an indoor camera which comes with an in-built temperature sensor and night vision, a door sensor and a Smart Plug which can be remotely activated to turn on a radio, lamp, portable heater or fan to help keep animals content.

Although designed primarily for pet owners, Petplan says the kit is also being used by some veterinary practices to help provide additional security and monitoring capabilities within the practice. 

The kit also contains an SD card allowing clients to share footage of their pet in the home with their veterinary surgeon when explaining behavioural symptoms. Likewise the practice will be able to record and share footage with their staff or clients. 

Isabella Von Mesterhazy, Head of Marketing at Petplan, said: "For Petplan, keeping pets healthy always has been and always will be our priority. Spending time away from your pet can be hard, so the new pet Monitoring Kit addresses this problem by providing welcome peace of mind that they are safe and well. We are delighted to be able to offer Petplan veterinary practices and their staff the chance to get their hands on a Monitoring Kit at an exclusive price."

To find out more about the exclusive offer available for Petplan veterinary practices and staff until 9^th December, visit petplanvet.co.uk.

The British Equine Veterinary Association is encouraging members to continue to reduce their use of critically important antibiotics by inviting them to attain the BEVA Antibiotic Champion Award.

Last year BEVA received a national Antibiotic Guardian award from Public Health England in recognition of its work to promote responsible use of antibiotics. It was the only organisation from the veterinary profession to be shortlisted. BEVA launched its Protect ME antimicrobial campaign in 2012 to coincide with European Antimicrobial Awareness day. The Association has launched additional resources each year to facilitate compliance and educate the public about the importance of antimicrobial awareness. 

This year, to recognise World Antibiotic Awareness Week (16th to 22nd November, 2016) and European Antibiotic Awareness Day (18th November), BEVA is encouraging members to document their efforts to reduce the use of critically important antibiotics.

To enter for the award, veterinary surgeons need to share practice sales data (in mls) of chosen antibiotics. Practices that document a reduction in antibiotic sales of these drugs will be presented with a BEVA Antibiotic Champion Award to endorse their commitment to responsible use of antibiotics and to help promote public awareness of the campaign. Members are also encouraged to sign up to be antibiotic guardians at www.antibioticguardian.com

Gayle Hallowell, Co-Chair of the BEVA Health and Medicines Committee said: "We are extremely proud of the equine veterinary profession’s commitment to the responsible use of antibiotics. We hope the introduction of our Champion Award will inject new vigour into efforts to continue to reduce the use of our precariously limited antibiotic resources."

To apply for BEVA Antibiotic Champion Award status visit http://www.beva.org.uk/Antibiotic-Champion-Award The BEVA Protect ME toolkit is free to BEVA members and can be downloaded at www.beva.org.uk.

Miele Professional has released the results of a survey¹ looking at how practices handle their laundry, finding that two thirds do not comply with WRAS Category 5 Regulations.

The research found that 93% of practices have a washing machine on site, but two thirds of those use a domestic machine rather than a commercial one. 69% of staff also take their uniform home to wash in a domestic machine.

Only commercial machines conform to the WRAS regulations, with thermal disinfection capabilities to minimise the risk of cross infection. 

The survey also provided an argument for using a robust commercial machine able to cope with high levels of usage and the variety of materials needing to be cleaned: 83% of practices said they use their machines more than once a day and listed bedding, drapes and gowns as the most common materials that need to be cleaned regularly. 

Les Marshall, Sales & Marketing Director at Miele Professional, said: "Our research shows that veterinary staff realise the importance of hygiene when cleaning their laundry. At Miele Professional we understand that preventing infection is key. When caring for animals who need medical care, reliable and effective equipment that can wash items ranging from bedding to gowns to reusable bandages is essential.

"As a leading supplier to the care and hospital sectors, all our machines are tested and approved to Water Regulatory Advisory Scheme (WRAS) category 5 for mains connection in any high-risk establishment."

The company says that in addition to meeting WRAS category 5 requirements, it's machines:

• have thermal disinfection capabilities, which kill 99.99% of all pathogenic germs and are suitable for killing both vegetative bacteria (including mycobacteria and fungi) and deactivating viruses.
• use commercial filters to capture any animal hair during the washing process, thereby stopping it get stuck in the drum or blocking drain pipes.
• are available with different drum sizes so they can handle the differing laundry requirements of a small animal practice to an equine practice which may require larger and denser items such as horse rugs to be cleaned.  

Miele Professional is exhibiting at the London Vet Show and will be holding a seminar on 'Controlling the risk of infection with a commercial laundry system' in the Business Theatre on 18 November, 12-12.50pm.

The seminar will explore the benefits of using a commercial laundry over a domestic machine, best practice around thermal disinfection and why it’s vital for veterinary practices to meet WRAS category 5 requirements.

For more information visit www.miele.co.uk.

Reference

• 95 respondents were surveyed online in June 2016

The RCVS Council has approved a pilot of a new outcomes-based approach to measuring and recording continuing professional development (CPD).

In June the College held a six-week consultation with the profession, asking for opinions on its proposal for an outcomes-based approach to CPD which would concentrate less on hours logged and more on interactive, reflective learning and measuring the impact that CPD has on the individual’s practice and patient health outcomes.

The proposed model for CPD had four key components: planning, doing, recording and reflecting. While an overall majority of the 3,357 people who responded to the College’s consultation agreed with the proposed changes to the CPD requirement, certain elements received less support than others. The lowest amount of support was received for the ‘reflection’ component with 35% of respondents disagreeing with it.

The RCVS Education Committee therefore decided that a pilot of a new outcomes-based approach should be held during 2017 with a group of volunteers, before making a recommendation to Council.

Professor Stephen May, who chaired the Working Group that developed the CPD proposals, said: "Because of the concern voiced by members of the profession responding to the consultation we decided that, at this stage, it would not be appropriate for the RCVS to move straight into this new way of doing CPD but that it would be more appropriate to hold a pilot. The idea is that we will explore some of the concerns around reflection and around the extra time and paperwork that people felt that a more reflective approach may lead to.

"We have taken all these comments into account and are now seeking to work with individual volunteers on this pilot. It is important to note that we are not only looking for volunteers who agree with what we are doing but also those who are apprehensive about it or even some who see it as something they do not support. We want to explore the full range of views and how we can move forward in changing our approach to CPD."

The pilot is expected to be launched in February next year and the College is now looking for volunteers who both support the proposals and have a ‘healthy scepticism’ about them. Volunteers will receive help and support throughout the trial and will also be invited to attend an introductory CPD meeting at the RCVS offices in February.

If you are interested in volunteering, contact Jenny Soreskog-Turp, RCVS CPD Officer, on cpd@rcvs.org.uk.

Further information, including the CPD Policy Working Party’s response to the consultation and the full interview with Stephen May, is available at www.rcvs.org.uk/CPDpilot.