Building on research undertaken by VetSurgeon.org and Veturse.co.uk in 2017, the RCVS Mind Matters initiative has published the results of a survey which found that 96% of student and newly qualified veterinary nurses feel that bullying and incivility are a serious problem in the profession.

The work done by vetsurgeon.org and vetnurse.co.uk attempted to identify the sorts of unpleasant behaviour that veterinary surgeons and and nurses found themselves on the receiving end of, and the impact that it had on them. It was not, however, able to quantify the prevalence of these types of behaviour other than to the extent that there were 677 reports. 

The new survey of over 650 vet nurses and student vet nurses found that not only did 96% agree or strongly agree that bullying and incivility is a serious problem in the profession, but 70% of respondents had personally experienced a mental health concern as a result.

Other findings from the survey were:

• 20% of respondents had witnessed or experienced discrimination in an educational setting and around 33% of respondents had witnessed or experienced discrimination in a practice setting
• Only 18% of respondents said they believed that veterinary nursing is a well-respected profession
• 82% said that they thought veterinary nursing was a stressful career.
• Just over half (51%) feel positive about their future in veterinary nursing
  However, the survey suggested there was a good level of awareness within the profession about how to access mental health support, with three-quarters (75%) of respondents saying that they knew where to access support for mental health if they need it and almost three-quarters (70%) found their clinical coach supportive.

The full findings of the survey will be revealed at the MMI Student Veterinary Nurse Wellbeing Discussion Forum, taking place on Wednesday 3rd November.

Attendees will have the opportunity to discuss the challenges highlighted in the survey and how they can be addressed. The results will also be published at a session led by Jill McDonald, VN Futures Project Coordinator at BVNA Congress, taking place Saturday 2nd  – Monday 4th October.

Lisa Quigley, Mind Matters Initiative Manager, said: “A number of our survey findings are extremely concerning, particularly the high levels of bullying, incivility and discrimination reported by participants. We conducted the survey with the intention of finding out more about what systemic issues across workplace practices were impacting on the profession’s mental health.

"We want to thank everyone who took part and shared their experiences with us. There were some upsetting accounts shared with us about experiences of bullying and discrimination – no one should go through this at any point in their life, let alone at their place of work.

"Decisive action needs to be taken to tackle this and we will be using the findings of the survey to help form our 2022-2027 strategy and decide what resources and training we create for the profession. Supporting the wellbeing of veterinary nurses and student veterinary nurses is one of our key priorities, and will be part of all future MMI activities.”

“I would encourage as many veterinary nurses and student veterinary nurses as possible to attend the upcoming Student Veterinary Nurse Wellbeing Discussion Forum and our session at BVNA to have your voice heard about what steps need to be taken to improve the mental wellbeing of the profession.

"We recognise that these results may bring some difficult emotions to the fore for many people, and we would encourage anyone who has experienced bullying or discrimination to seek help from an organisation such as Vetlife or the National Bullying Helpline.

"I would urge anyone who witnesses bullying or discrimination in the workplace to speak out, wherever it is safe to do so. This takes immense courage, but it is only by calling out this behaviour that it can begin to be addressed. We will be launching Active Bystander training in early 2022, to equip people with the confidence to call out unacceptable behaviour, and the skills to proactively support colleagues who have been targeted.”

Matthew Rendle, Chair of the RCVS Veterinary Nurses Council, added: “As a veterinary nurse some of these results were a difficult read and I would like to thank those student vet nurses and newly qualified vet nurses who came forward with great honesty and bravery with their views and experiences, as it couldn’t have been easy.

“We take these matters very seriously and opening up the conversation is an important first step. I hope that, following these results, we can take look at things such as strengthening reporting mechanisms for bullying and discrimination and encouraging better workplace practices to mitigate against these incidents.

“While it’s easy to focus on the negatives, I do think that these survey results have given us positive steps to build on, not least that people know how to access mental health support so they’re not suffering in silence and the role that our amazing clinical coaches are playing in supporting people with their mental health, and how we can better give them the tools for this support.”

The RCVS has updated its Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) with new environmental sustainability requirements, updates to current standards to incorporate sustainability and a new Environmental Sustainability Award.

The new changes are being introduced in the following phases:

• The new Environmental Sustainability Award is available to apply for now, with assessments starting from January 2023
• The social sustainability changes and other clarifications are effective immediately and will be assessed from October 2022
• The new and amended Core Standards and General Practice level environmental sustainability standards will be effective from June 2023

The new Environmental Sustainability Award allows practices to demonstrate that they have embedded environmentally sustainable behaviours and are excelling with their sustainability goals.

The Award includes points for reducing waste, consolidating medicines orders and minimising drug wastage, and calculating the practice’s carbon footprint and setting reduction targets.

The changes and additions to the standards at Core Standards and General Practice level cover the sustainability of a wide range of practice areas, including requiring a sustainability policy, communicating sustainability achievements, and minimising anaesthetic gas usage.

As well as improving environmental sustainability, the new and amended standards also include requirements to help make practices more socially sustainable, through measures including increasing diversity and inclusion.      

The PSS has produced a list of resources to support veterinary practices with meeting the new environmental sustainability standards and implementing sustainable practices in general.

Mandisa Greene, Chair of the Practice Standards Group, said: “We want to assure PSS-accredited practices that the new standards won’t mean an overhaul of ways of working or result in expensive investment in resources.

"Instead, the standards explain ways that practices can increase their sustainability by putting in place new measures gradually over the next 12 months, in time for them becoming mandatory.

"As with all standards updates, the PSS team are always available to answer any questions that practices have and anyone who is unsure about how to apply them is encouraged to get in touch with the PSS team.”

During the last Standards Committee meeting, there were also several approved clarifications to the standards in the form of guidance notes and minor changes across a range of accreditation levels.

These include updates to the guidance notes for requirements on sterilisation of dental instruments, environmental swabbing of clinical areas, and anaesthetic monitoring.

The new version of the standards that includes all the latest changes, and a separate document listing all the updates, are available to download here: https://www.rcvs.org.uk/setting-standards/practice-standards-scheme/additional-resources 

Any questions from practices about the updates can be sent to the PSS team at pss@rcvs.org.uk

The Roundhouse Veterinary Hospital in Glasgow has launched a new veterinary referrals service which, it says, is set to revolutionise access to advanced veterinary care throughout west central Scotland.

The practice has assembled a team of post-graduate certificate holding veterinary surgeons, supporting specialists, nurses and front-of-house staff to offer a comprehensive range of services, including advanced orthopaedic and soft tissue surgery and outpatient diagnostic imaging.

In order to make its service more accessible, the practice has also developed a number of innovative aspects to its service, including a 'fixed price fix', a guaranteed 'same week solution' and an interest-free credit payment option.

Lead veterinary surgeon Ross Allan (pictured right) said: "We consider the launch of Roundhouse Referrals to be one of the most exciting developments in the provision of advanced veterinary services to clients in the West of Scotland for many years.

"While there are existing referral options, we want to remove some of the current challenges that prevent vets and pet owners from accessing these services. 

"We all know how frustrating waiting lists can be for vets and their clients, and by creating the 'same week solution' we pledge to arrange an appointment and provide a referral consultation within one week, something we feel will be reassuring to referring vets and clients.

"In addition, we are delighted to improve provision for pet owners with financial restrictions such as low value or no insurance policies. Roundhouse Referrals has been established to address these concerns through the provision of a high quality, highly accessible service and 'same week solution' for referring veterinary practices, and through such services as our 'fixed price fix' and interest free credit.

"Similarly, we are committed to the principle of an easy-to-use service for referring vet and client: price certainty, the personal touch and great communication." 

Roundhouse Referrals says it can undertake an extensive range of investigative and surgical orthopaedic procedures including: fracture repair; lameness investigation; growth deformities; arthrodesis; arthroscopic surgery and ligament or tendon injury. Its soft tissue services include: endocrine surgery; ENT; gastrointestinal; hernia surgery; oncological; thoracic; urogenital; vascular; wound management and reconstructive surgeries. 

The practice also says it undertakes to work in partnership with referring veterinary practices to provide an easier referral system that will always return satisfied clients to the referring practice. 

For further information, contact 0141 649 1316 or visit: www.rhr.vet

Anthony Chadwick, a referral dermatologist, has teamed up with other experts to offer a series of web-based seminars with the aim of bringing accessible and convenient CPD to vets. 50 VetSurgeon members can attend the webinars for half price. Just enter the word vetsurgeon in the discount box on the site.

The webinars can be viewed from a practice or office and cover key veterinary topics including:

• Techniques for repairing cruciates
• Latest thinking on food intolerance and hypersensitivity
• Charging for professional time without feeling guilty

The webinars will be broadcast between 9.00 pm and 10.00 pm in a series running from 22 April to 27 May 2010. 

Anthony said:  "Many vets don't finish consulting until 7.00 pm and then have evening or family commitments. This can make finding the time to attend high quality CPD difficult, particularly if it's a long way away.

"Webinars are already proving popular as a convenient but effective form of CPD in many sectors so I'm hoping to help the veterinary profession share the benefits they offer. Certainly my own experience is that they are easy to access and offer excellent value without the hassle of travel and late nights."

To view the webinars vets need a fixed line broadband connection, a PC with a sound card and a headset. Once payment is made, delegates are given instructions online to enable them to view the webinar they have selected.

The cost to view the whole series is £80.

Further information, including the full course schedule, is available at http://www.thewebinarvet.com/ or by contacting Anthony Chadwick on 0151 270 1759.

CVS has announced the acquisition of four further veterinary practices bringing the total number of practices it owns across the UK to 92 operating from 253 sites.

The latest practices to join CVS are: Crescent Veterinary Clinic Ltd, Melton Mowbray; Miller & Swann Veterinary Surgery, Elgin; West Mount Vets, Halifax and Anchorage Veterinary Hospital, Acle.

CVS now employs more than 2,300 staff at its veterinary practices and surgeries across the UK and in its related veterinary businesses, including an online pharmacy, two pet crematoriums and six veterinary laboratories.

Companion Care has opened its 80th surgery, within the Ilford Pets at Home store.

Companion Care Vets managing director, Jane Balmain said: "The opening of our 80th surgery proves the success of our joint venture partner business model. At present the majority of our surgeries are located inside Pets at Home stores but we also have four very successful standalone surgeries. Our standalone surgery network is now being developed to create further exciting opportunities for future growth, with our first new standalone surgery opening in Scotland this December."

Joint venture partner and veterinary surgeon at Companion Care Vets Ilford Alberto Arciniega said: "Alongside the fantastic team we have on board, my partners Nick and Claire and I are extremely proud to be opening our second surgery here in Ilford. Having been partners at the Romford surgery since July 2009 we have seen the company grow consistently and successfully. We feel honoured to be opening the groups' 80th surgery and look forward to the challenge of managing both practices and to delivering outstanding veterinary care."

With 102 Joint Veterinary Partners, 83 of whom are veterinary surgeons, 12 veterinary nurses, 6 practice managers and 1 receptionist and a further 789 staff employed by the group Companion Care Vets is one of the largest veterinary employers in the UK. Dividend payments to joint venture partners in the 2010/2011 period totalled £2.181 million and the group says it plans to open a further 10 surgeries across the UK before the end of year.

RCVS President, Professor Stephen May, has chosen Medical Detection Dogs and The Horse Trust and as the recipients of this year’s RCVS Christmas Box, a £3,000 annual donation.

The Horse Trust provides a range of services to support working horses, while Medical Detection Dogs trains dogs to alert their owners to cancers and other medical conditions, providing pre-emptive non-invasive warning. 

Stephen said: "These two charities' work in strengthening and supporting the human-animal bond is truly remarkable. Though The Horse Trust was originally founded in 1886 as a retirement home for working horses, and this remains a core focus of theirs to this day, it has now evolved to provide a whole range of services, from education to research to rescuing neglected equids.

"Medical Detection Dogs, though founded much more recently in 2008, has already done an incredible amount in its short history - 76 of its dogs are now partnered with people with critical medical conditions, ensuring essential emotional as well as medical support."

Jeanette Allen, CEO of The Horse Trust, said: "The Horse Trust is extremely grateful to the RCVS for this enormously generous donation. We care for 130 horses, ponies and donkeys that have either retired from public service or been rescued from appalling conditions. We also provide dedicated training programmes for first responders who have to deal with horses in crisis situations, as well as being the second largest funder of equine specific veterinary research in the UK. We survive as a charity on donations, and this one is most welcome and greatly appreciated."

Claire Guest, co-founder and chief executive of Medical Detection Dogs, said: "We are so grateful to the RCVS for their very generous donation. We receive no government funding for our work, so we rely entirely on the generosity of organisations like the RCVS. Thanks to this donation, we can continue our pioneering research into the detection of human disease using the extraordinary smelling power of dogs."

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, Riding for the Disabled Association, Canine Partners, Hounds for Heroes, and Vetlife.

Katherine Heyes RVN has been reprimanded and warned as to her future conduct by the RCVS VN Disciplinary Committee after she was convicted of being drunk in an aircraft. 

At first glance, one might ask why? After all, who - other than the pilot - would fly with Thomas Cook sober?

However, there's a world of difference between being not entirely sober and Ms Heyes's level of intoxication, which according to the judge at Greater Manchester Magistrates Court, made her 'every passenger's worst nightmare', and earned her a sentence of 80 hours community service, a victim surcharge of £80 and £250 in costs. 

At the start of her disciplinary hearing, Ms Heyes admitted the facts of her 2020 conviction, but denied that the conviction rendered her unfit to practise as a veterinary nurse.

The Committee then considered whether Ms Heyes's conduct amounted to serious professional misconduct.

The Disciplinary Guidance states: “A conviction may be related to professional or personal behaviour and whether it renders a respondent unfit to practise is a matter of judgment for the Disciplinary Committee.

"Behaviour unconnected with the practice of veterinary surgery can cause concerns about the protection of animals or the wider public interest.”

The Committee concluded that the conviction and underlying behaviour was sufficiently serious that it required a finding that Ms Heyes was unfit to practise veterinary nursing on public interest grounds and that it also breached Code 6.5 of the Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Nurses which states: ‘Veterinary nurses must not engage in any activity or behaviour that would be likely to bring the profession into disrepute or undermine public confidence in the profession’.

The Committee then considered the most appropriate sanction for Ms Heyes, taking into account the relevant aggravating and mitigating factors.

Aggravating factors included the risk Ms Heyes caused to passengers, including children and that she had behaved recklessly, falling far below the standard to be expected of a member of the veterinary nursing profession. 

In mitigation, the Committee considered this was a single and isolated incident, Ms Heyes had no previous disciplinary findings against her and following her conviction she had shown developing insight.

It also noted that she had continued to practise as a competent and dedicated veterinary nurse.

Cerys Jones, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee decided to reprimand Ms Heyes because of its finding that the charge amounted to disgraceful conduct and rendered Ms Heyes unfit to practise.

"Such a sanction was necessary in the Committee’s view because the conviction brought the profession into disrepute.

"Whilst the charge was not so serious as to require suspension or removal from the register, the Committee decided it is necessary to issue a formal warning to Ms Heyes as to her future conduct.

“Taking into account the overall circumstances of the case including the positive references and the fact that a number of mitigating factors set out in the Disciplinary Committee Sanctions Guidance were present in this case, the Committee was satisfied that this sanction would meet the public interest and protect the reputation of the profession and uphold standards within the profession; thereby maintaining public confidence in the College as the regulator for veterinary nurses.”

The full details of the hearing and the Committee’s decision can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary

Dechra Veterinary Products has launched a respiratory relief product to treat bovine respiratory disease (BRD), swine respiratory disease (SRD) and infectious pododermatitis (foot rot) in sheep.

Rexxolide contains 100 mg/ml of tulathromycin, which is widely used to treat BRD and SRD. It also has a single dose and low injection volume of 1 ml/40 kg BW, to make it more convenient.

Dechra says Rexxolide has an immune-modulating and anti-inflammatory action and offers equal viscosity and syringability as other products on the market¹. It can be used for treatment and metaphylaxis of BRD and SRD and offers early-stage treatment for infectious pododermatitis.  

Dechra’s Equine and Food Producing Animal Brand Manager, Emma Jennings said: “Launching Rexxolide into the market provides an alternative option to existing BRD, SRD and foot rot treatments for farm vets across the UK and Ireland.  

"We support an integrated approach to the control of BRD, with good husbandry, early detection and correct therapy being vital tools in managing the multi-factorial condition."

Rexxolide is available in 50ml and 100ml vials. For more information visit www.dechra.co.uk. 

Dechra Veterinary Products - maker of Zycortal - has teamed up with some of Europe’s leading endocrinologists to draw up 'Five Golden Rules', a set of guidelines designed to help veterinary professionals who are diagnosing and treating canine hypoadrenocorticism.

Addison’s disease is caused by a reduction in corticosteroid secretion from the adrenal glands. Symptoms can include lack of appetite, tremors or vomiting, diarrhoea, lethargy, low heart rate, muscle weakness, low body temperature and collapse. If left untreated, Addison’s disease can present as an acute, life-threatening emergency.

Zycortal is the only European licensed treatment for the disease. It is a prolonged-release suspension used as replacement therapy for mineralocorticoid. Dechra says it has proved highly effective in clinical trials with more than 80% of dogs responding positively to treatment¹.

The golden rules are available at: www.dechra.co.uk/goldenrules.

Dechra has also produced a series of six video presentations to help veterinary surgeons in their diagnosis and treatment and created a dedicated owner website - www.myaddisonsdog.co.uk - to help owners understand the condition and monitor their pet's progress.

Dechra Brand Manager Craig Sankey said: "Addison’s can be a hidden disease but Zycortal presents a very visible answer. With the wealth of expertise from the endocrinologists, the Five Golden Rules should be an important reference tool for vets.

"We hope that the series of resources we have produced, used in partnership with Zycortal, will make the diagnosis, treatment and management of dogs with Addison’s an easier journey for both vets and owner."

Reference

1. CVMP Assessment report for Zycortal (EMEA/V/C/003782/0000) 2015 pg. 19

Zoetis has announced that PropoFlo Plus is now back in stock following a huge surge in demand caused by supply issues with a competitor propofol.

Licensed for use in dogs and cats, PropoFlo Plus is an anaesthetic injection for the induction and maintenance of general anaesthesia for up to 20 minutes. It is used for dental treatment, biopsies, radiographs, mass removals and endoscopy.

Ned Flaxman, companion animal business unit director at Zoetis said: “Following an unprecedented demand for PropoFlo Plus, which we believe was caused by an out of stock situation from a competitor product, we have quickly ramped up production in order to return PropoFlo Plus to the market as quickly as possible. I am pleased to confirm that we now have sufficient stocks to supply the entire UK veterinary market for the foreseeable future”.  

For further information, contact your Zoetis Account Manager.

Isle of Wight based veterinary surgeon Dan Forster has had his mobile practice named as the best Business to Consumer Start-up at the inaugural Ready for Business Awards 2013.

Dan launched The Mobile Vet in June 2013, since when he has treated patients from across the Isle of Wight and allowed members of the community who may have been unable to take their pets to the vets for years due to illness or age-related conditions access care for their animals. He says his service has also reactivated many dormant patients who had not visited a vet for many years and had fallen behind with vaccinations, plus those who had decided not to visit because their pets were too nervous or aggressive. Apparently, the service has also gone down well with busy families and households with multiple pets. 

The judging panel included David Hitchcock of Barclays, Amanda Hurford from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and Titus Sharpe, chief executive of MVF Global and winner of the Sunday Times Tech Track 2013. They selected The Mobile Vet as the winner due to its innovative approach whilst still offering all the traditional veterinary services its customers require. The judges were also impressed by its potential for growth, not just in the South East, but possibly throughout the UK and its drive to continually invest in the latest equipment and create additional job opportunities.

Dan said: "We are truly delighted to have our achievements recognised with such a prestigious accolade so soon after launching The Mobile Vet. The help we received to get started and the on-going support available to us has made it possible to develop our idea into a thriving business operation and we now look forward to pushing ahead with our plans for the future."

Kevin Horne, chairman of the Cavendish Consortium added: "In what was a highly competitive category, The Mobile Vet stood out as offering a very difference proposition to its customers and demonstrated a clear understanding of the needs of its clients. We were impressed by the drive and determination shown by Dan and his colleagues to make what is an extremely novel idea a business reality and wish them, and all the other worthy finalists, well as they strive forward."