The BVA and the RCVS have issued a joint response to the Migration Advisory Committee’s Call for Evidence on the impact of the UK’s exit from the EU, in which they say that Brexit will exacerbate recruitment problems for the veterinary profession, making the placement of vets on the Shortage Occupation List an immediate priority.

The joint submission points to evidence from recent surveys indicating a current workforce shortage of 11% in small animal practice and an overall deterioration in the ability of practices to hire suitably qualified staff. 

Following the exit from the EU, existing shortages will likely worsen, whilst changes in trade could increase the demand for veterinary skills, producing a shortfall in the UK’s capacity to ensure animal health and welfare, food safety and public health. 

Placing the veterinary profession on the Shortage Occupation List would reduce restrictions on recruiting veterinary surgeons from abroad, something the response says will become a necessity post Brexit.

Currently about half of vets registering each year in the UK are graduates from the EU. If there are no appropriate immigration measures in place when the UK leaves the EU, this EU contribution could decline, leaving a large gap in the veterinary workforce. Research among BVA members has indicated that since the EU referendum, about one fifth are reporting that recruitment has already become harder. Meanwhile, a study commissioned by the RCVS has shown that nearly a third of veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses whose nationality is non-UK European are considering a move back home.

The BVA / RCVS response highlights that although the veterinary profession is relatively small, it performs a range of roles that are vital to the UK’s economy and maintaining standards in society. Agriculture and food production would suffer from a lack of veterinary input, potentially reducing its livestock outputs worth £12.7bn in 2016, whilst the equine industry and aquaculture would also struggle. The companion animal veterinary market, that has a turnover of £3 billion, could experience significant losses due to workforce shortages.

Veterinary surgeons from the EU make a particularly significant contribution to critical roles in public health with estimates suggesting that 95% of Official Veterinarians working in abattoirs are from overseas and the large majority of these are from the EU. Reducing the veterinary presence in slaughterhouses would increase the risk of food fraud, provide the potential for animal welfare breaches and remove a level of public health reassurance.

While the number of UK veterinary graduates has increased year-on-year from the established veterinary schools, with potentially more schools in the pipeline, it is unlikely that UK universities can meet this increased demand in the short timeframe required. BVA, RCVS and Defra recently launched the Veterinary Capability and Capacity Project (VCCP) to help ensure the veterinary sector can continue to play its role in society.

BVA Senior Vice President Gudrun Ravetz said: "Our members have been reporting problems with recruitment and retention of vets for several years and this situation will only worsen under Brexit unless appropriate measures are in place. Vets are vital to our society. Across the UK vets are needed to certify imports and exports, conduct cutting-edge research, prevent disease outbreaks, ensure food safety in abattoirs and achieve our world leading standards in animal welfare.

"We are setting out a very strong case to add the profession to the Shortage Occupation List now to help us manage the immediate shortfall in critical veterinary roles, while the UK negotiates a longer term immigration policy that must meet the UK’s veterinary workforce needs post-Brexit without creating disproportionate administrative burdens for veterinary businesses."

Chris Tufnell, RCVS Senior Vice-President and Chair of the College’s Brexit Taskforce, said: "The first of our recently published Brexit Principles is that ‘vital veterinary work continues to get done’. In order to ensure this is met we want the Government to recognise that there are significant current and potential shortages in the profession that can only be mitigated by putting it on the Shortage Occupation List so that animal health and welfare and public health is safeguarded.

"Our ideal outcome is that EU veterinary surgeons currently living and working in the UK are allowed to stay indefinitely and that, in terms of any post-Brexit immigration system, graduates of European schools accredited by the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE) are allowed to work here with the minimum of restrictions."

More information is available in BVA/RCVS’s full response to the Migration Advisory Committee’s Call for Evidence:www.bva.co.uk/uploadedFiles/Content/News,_campaigns_and_policies/Get_involved/Consultation_archive/Migration%20Advisory%20Committee%20BVA%20RCVS%20Submission%20FINAL.PDF

The RCVS has announced the results of the 2013 Council and Veterinary Nurses Council elections.

4,661 veterinary surgeons voted, the highest turnout seen in ten years. 1,329 veterinary nurses voted, the highest ever number.

Veterinary surgeons voted incumbents Christopher Gray, Peter Jinman, Bradley Viner, Christopher Tufnell, and Jeremy Davies back onto the RCVS Council. However, the highest number of votes was given to Thomas Witte, who will be new to Council when he takes his seat in July. Veterinary nurses voted similarly by returning Andrea Jeffery to VN Council, whilst giving to Amy Robinson, another newcomer, the largest number of votes.

According to the College, turnout in both elections has increased markedly on last year in both absolute and proportional terms. Votes were cast by 4,661 veterinary surgeons (18.8%) and 1,329 veterinary nurses (12.5%), compared to 3,625 (15.1%) and 743 (7.5%), respectively, in 2012. 

Gordon Hockey, RCVS Registrar said: "We're delighted with the increase in turnout. It's difficult to pinpoint the reasons for the increase, but hopefully, it's because increasing numbers of vets and nurses are feeling more engaged with the College. We have also undertaken extra communications activities this year, such as the 'hustings', which we hope have helped."

The Council election 'hustings' was a new venture this year, with RCVS Council candidates able to select three questions, submitted by voters, to answer in a live webinar run by The Webinar Vet.

Veterinary surgeons and VNs could cast their votes by post, online, or by text. The majority of vets voting chose to cast postal votes (3,247), as did the majority of VNs (1,055). Whilst voting online was used by 1,330 veterinary surgeons, only 227 VNs chose it as a means of voting. Voting by text was used by only 84 veterinary surgeons and 47 VNs.

The successful candidates will take up or resume their seats at RCVS Day on 5 July.

The full results of the two elections are as follows:

RCVS Council election

WITTE, Thomas Hermann - 2,251 (Elected)
GRAY, Christopher John - 1,974 (Elected)
JINMAN, Peter Charles - 1,949 (Elected)
VINER, Bradley Phillip  - 1,927 (Elected)
TUFNELL, Christopher Wynne - 1,883 (Elected)
DAVIES, Jeremy Vincent - 1,830 (Elected)
STURGESS, Christopher Paul - 1,809   
CONNELL, Niall Thomas - 1,596   
ROBINSON, Peter Bayley - 1,366   
ELLIS, Robert Nigel Ward - 1,302   
GRANT, Lewis George - 832   
TORGERSON, Paul Robert - 824   
LONSDALE, Thomas - 337   

Twenty-two votes in the RCVS Council election were found to be invalid.

VN Council election

ROBINSON, Amy - 725 (Elected)
JEFFERY, Andrea Karen - 607 (Elected)
BADGER, Susan Frances - 459
TOTTEY, Helen Wendy 332   

One vote in the VN Council election was found to be invalid.

The 2013 RCVS and VN Council elections were run on behalf of the RCVS by Electoral Reform Services.

Veterinary Prescriber has published a critical appraisal of the evidence regarding the use of Pexion (imepition) for the reduction of anxiety and fear associated with noise phobia in dogs, for which the drug is now licensed.

Andrea Tarr, Veterinary Prescriber’s founder and director said: "Imepitoin is a new licensed option to consider in the management of noise aversion. Our critical look at the available information saves vets time in having find and appraise it themselves, so they can just get on with making the prescribing decision."

Veterinary Prescriber’s reviews are presented as e-learning modules which represent the result of a literature search and collaboration between practising specialists, generalists and the editorial team.

Subscriptions cost £9.95 per month (cancel anytime); practice subscriptions cost £25 per month (for a 12-month contract) and come with free access to cpd.veterinaryprescriber.org, a sister site for vet nurses, receptionists and SQPs.

To subscribe visit: https://www.veterinaryprescriber.org/subscribe

Vets: Stay, Go, Diversify (VSGD) is hosting a 2-day event to inspire veterinary surgeons about their next career move, and open doors between veterinary organisations, businesses and people, in London next weekend (28th – 29th April 2018).

Taking place at Code Node, VSGD Live will bring together 300 veterinary professionals, offering TED-style talks, Q&A sessions, small group workshops, panel discussions, a VSGD art gallery, awards, and time for networking.

On day one, the event will explore the options open to veterinary surgeons, with talks from those who've stayed in practice, left the profession or diversified their career paths.

There to share their experiences will be Julie Ross (From the clinic to consultancy), Niall Connell (Discovering life after ill health retirement), James Greenwood (Presenter, vet, potter), Jade Statt (Starting Streetvet), Greg Dickens & Guen Bradbury (Work to innovate), Chris Tufnell (Advocating for the profession in practice), Rob Petitt (Mind over matter and surgery), Kimberly Wells (Talk is cheap action is priceless lessons from welfare and Cal Major (Paddling against plastic). 

On day two, there will be small group workshops and panel discussions to help you build the confidence and knowledge to move into a new career path or gain a new skill. Subjects include:

• Working out what you want: Vet Your Life!

• Stop selling yourself short: CV clinic

• Taking an idea to business

• Practice makes perfect: Starting a veterinary business

• Becoming a portfolio professional or a part-time pro

• Working in science and communications

• Careers in education

• Carving out a charitable career

• Beyond veterinary: working in the civil service

• Locumming: be the independent professional

Lunch on both days is included, as well as drinks and nibbles on Saturday night. 

All ticket holders will also receive a follow up e-book with top tips, videos and advice from the inaugural VSGD LIVE! event.

Essity, the global hygiene and health company, has launched Time Out Training: free wound care CPD in a box.

The box, which is aimed at both veterinary surgeons and nurses, contains two USB sticks which contain the wound care education sessions, a Bluetooth speaker, product samples, clinical literature, case studies and Time Out wafer bars to enjoy while you learn.

You can also book a timeslot with a representative from Essity to answer any clinical or product related questions raised by the contents of the box. 

Richard Barker, Account Sales Executive at Essity said: "Time Out Training allows us to educate vets and vet nurses directly in practices within timescales that we could not previously achieve. We feel this is the future of education in busy veterinary settings, allowing for emergency interruptions, and allowing training of all staff within the convenient setting of their own practice."

Fiona Garrard RVN said: "I found this to be a very easy to follow and very informative webinar. It is full of content that is very useful and aids a good, underpinning knowledge of infections in wounds, and why they happen. It was packed with content and not long-winded or boring at any point."

Time Out Training takes an hour to complete. You can order it for your practice by emailing animalhealthcare@essity.com or dialing 01482 670124.

Kent-based veterinary surgeon, David Edward Smith has been struck off by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee following a conviction for fraud, and for a number of clinical failings.

Mr Smith was convicted of conspiracy to commit a fraud in which potentially dangerous horses were drugged and then sold to unsuspecting owners, at Maidstone Crown Court in June 2016. He was given 30 months' imprisonment, which formed one of the charges heard by the Disciplinary Committee.

There were also a number of charges related to his treatment of five different animals while in practice at the Lakeview Veterinary Centre in Folkestone, Kent. The charges were: 

• In relation to a Clydesdale mare named Grace on 14 August 2014 he failed to perform an adequate examination and/or undertake sufficient investigation and/or take a history of her; that after his initial visit to Grace on that day he failed to respond adequately to the owner’s telephone reports that Grace had deteriorated and/or failed to improve; and, that he failed to make adequate clinical records for Grace.

• Between 29 September 2014 and 31 January 2015, in relation to a Labradoodle named Holly, he failed to keep adequate clinical records.

• In relation to a cat named Maisey the allegations were that he failed to examine and investigate the cat adequately, he made a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus and gave insulin to administer to the cat without first undertaking the minimum investigation required, failed to keep adequate clinical records and sent an incorrect, misleading and dishonest statement to the RCVS regarding his treatment of Maisey. All charges date between 30 October and 19 December 2014.

• In relation to a cat called Comet the allegation was that between 1 April and 17 April 2015 he failed to keep adequate clinical records and failed to respond adequately and appropriately to concerns raised by the owner.

• Regarding a Yorkshire Terrier with diabetes named Poppy the allegation was that in two emergency out-of-hours calls made by Poppy’s owner to Mr Smith in April 2015 regarding the dog’s condition, he failed to recommend veterinary treatment or keep adequate clinical records. Furthermore, when the owner attended the practice following the two calls and the death of Poppy, he attributed the care to another member of the practice and failed to communicate effectively with the owner. 

Having heard from a number of witnesses, including Mr Smith, and having received representations from Mr Smith in relation to the above charges, the Committee found almost all of the charges proven, with the exception of those relating to Mr Smith’s alleged conversation with Poppy’s owner at the practice following her death.

The Committee then went on to consider whether the various proven charges amounted to disgraceful conduct in a professional respect and whether the conviction rendered Mr Smith unfit to practise veterinary surgery.

In relation to the clinical charges the Committee found that, both individually and cumulatively, they amounted to disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.

The Committee also determined that the conviction rendered Mr Smith unfit to practise veterinary surgery and noted that it involved prolonged dishonesty, breach of trust, disregard for animal health and welfare and a "total abrogation of Mr Smith’s professional responsibilities."

Cerys Jones, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "The Committee was particularly concerned because the dishonesty went to the heart of Mr Smith’s responsibilities as a veterinary surgeon. His registration as a veterinary surgeon enabled him to take part in the conspiracy, and that role involved him conducting certified examinations on animals and supplying drugs for administration to animals. Reliable and honest certification is a vital element of the veterinary surgeon’s public role."

In considering the sanction against Mr Smith the Committee looked at the clinical charges and the conviction separately.

In relation to the clinical charges the Committee found that his treatment of the animals in these cases was fundamentally incompatible with being a veterinary surgeon. The Committee therefore directed that Mr Smith’s name should be removed from the Register of Veterinary Surgeons.

The Committee said that the case demonstrated that Mr Smith’s lack of treatment or his inappropriate treatment of these animals caused harm and that in some regards, for example the writing of accurate and contemporaneous clinical notes, Mr Smith demonstrated a total disrespect for the Code of Professional Conduct.

The Committee went on to say: "Further, he deliberately lied to his regulator. He demonstrated deep-seated attitudinal issues including a misplaced belief in his own abilities and had no insight or commitment to do anything different in the future. In those circumstances the likelihood of repetition was significant in the Committee’s view."

In considering the sanction for his conviction of conspiracy to commit fraud the Committee took into account a number of aggravating factors including the premeditated nature of the conduct, the fact it was repeated over four years and the fact that harm was caused to both animals and people as a result of his actions. 

Cerys Jones said: "As the decision notes, some of the riders were novices or children and as a result of their experience they lost confidence in riding a horse. As the independent veterinary surgeon Mr Smith was in a position of responsibility because he was certifying the horses as to their suitability. A particularly aggravating feature in this case is that Mr Smith had previously been removed from the Register for falsely certifying horses for export."

In relation to the conviction the Committee also directed that the Registrar remove Mr Smith from the Register.

Mr Smith has 28 days from being informed of the Committee’s decision to make an appeal against it.

The full findings can be found here.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has today published the results of its review of the Official Veterinarian - OCQ(V) - training qualification and revalidation process, announcing a round of changes designed to make the qualifications more relevant and easier to renew.

The main changes announced today are:

In the future, the revalidation interval, which currently ranges from two to five years depending on the course, will be standardised at 4 years.

Currently, there is a two-month window in which Official Veterinarians (OV) can submit their final declarations, on completion of the course, if they want to set their next revalidation interval from the end of the window.

The revalidation window will be extended to a six-month period prior to the completion deadline date. If completed in this window, the date of the next revalidation would be taken from the deadline date and not the date of completion. 

APHA is discussing ways of making invigilation more flexible, to help those working in sole-charge or remote practices. One option being investigated with course accreditation providers is remote invigilation, though this would come at extra cost.

All the multiple choice questions in the online exams are being reviewed to make sure they test the ability to perform the role, and in the future, candidates will be given more feedback at the end of the test (ie which questions they answered incorrectly).

In terms of CPD requirements, there will be clarification on what can be considered relevant CPD towards the 10 hours that need to be completed over the four-year timeframe. 

Lastly, APHA has announced a raft of changes concerning course content, and that it will itself review all the courses to consider how the number of courses and topics can be rationalised, how to reduce the number of qualifications any OV might need and/or the time spent revalidating, and how to reduce the content without losing quality.

The BVA, which spearheaded the campaign for reform, has welcomed the announcement. Simon Doherty, BVA President, said: "We’re delighted that APHA has taken on board our members’ concerns with the current system and proposed improvements that should make the process much more fair and consistent while continuing to maintain high standards. This is a really crucial time for ensuring that the workforce retains skilled professionals and is at full strength to keep animal welfare standards high, protect public health and meet demand for export certification after Brexit.

"This piece of work is a shining example of what can be achieved when vets pull together to air concerns and make the case for change. We will continue to work closely with APHA to explore and put in place ways of making the revalidation process as fit for purpose as possible for this critical section of the workforce."

Full review: http://apha.defra.gov.uk/documents/ov/Briefing-Note-0519.pdf

Whilst you're here, take a moment to see our latest job opportunities for vets.

White Cross Vets, the family-run group with 17 practices in the Midlands and the North, has announced the launch of its 18th practice in Hyde, near Manchester.

It's the second of five new practices that White Cross says it plans to open in a 12-month period. 

The Hyde team will be headed up by clinic director Mike Robinson MRCVS, pictured with veterinary nurses Anneliese O'Toole & Aimee Lee.

Located on the site of a former pub, the new Hyde practice opened this month following an investment of £250,000. It is equipped with digital dental x-ray and ultrasound machines, an on-site laboratory, pheromone diffusers to relax pets, ultra-soft bedding and warm, cosy LED lighting in the pet wards.

There are separate, sound-proofed wards for dogs and a specialist cat ward featuring kennels positioned so the cats can’t see each other, to minimise stress-levels. Music specifically composed to reduce anxiety in both dogs and cats is also played in the wards.  

Tim Harrison, managing director at White Cross Vets, said: "Hyde is a busy suburb of Manchester with a large number of pets in the surrounding area, which made it the ideal location to continue our expansion into the North West.

"Mike and the team are all highly experienced professionals and bring lots of enthusiasm to their new roles.  When this is combined with the practice’s state of the art design, there’s no doubt it will prove to be hugely popular.

"It also offers the potential to expand the team to approximately 20 people in the next five years, which is an exciting prospect."

Ceva Animal Health - maker of Zeleris - is running a competition for farm animal veterinary surgeons to win a Berghaus fleece gilet by spotting the Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) risk factors in this cartoon.

To enter the competition, click here and list the BRD risk factors you can see. 

The competition closes on 8th February 2019, when ten gilet winners will be picked at random from those entries that contain the most risk factors.

After the competition ends, you will also be able to download the cartoon for use in your practice and with your farming clients. 

Dechra Veterinary Products has launched Floxabactin (enrofloxacin), a new antibiotic product to treat urinary tract infections in dogs and upper respiratory tract infections in cats.

Floxabactin is indicated for use in dogs with lower UTIs including those associated with prostatitis, upper urinary tract infections caused by Escherichia coli or Proteus mirabilis in dogs, and superficial and deep pyoderma. For cats, the 15 mg dose can be used with upper respiratory tract infections.

Floxabactin is presented in blister packs: 15mg for cats and dogs, plus 50mg and 150mg for dogs.

Dechra Brand Manager Carol Morgan said: “Floxabactin has been developed with the responsible administration of antibiotics in mind. We would always promote only using antimicrobials when an infection has been documented and based on the results of culture and sensitivity testing, and or cytology testing, if applicable.

"Other treatment options should also be considered before the systemic use of antibiotics such as topical treatment for superficial  pyoderma."

For more information, visit: https://www.dechra.co.uk/new-from-dechra 

Merial Animal Health has launched its new Bovalto Respi respiratory disease vaccines in Europe.

Bovalto Respi vaccines contain a newly developed combination of viral and bacterial antigens. Merial says the recent vaccine isolates effectively target current European-circulating Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) strains. Bovalto antigens are also proven by challenge, including at six months post-vaccination to confirm long-lasting protection.

Henry Berger, Global Head of the Ruminant and Equine Business Unit at Merial, said: "Merial is committed to understanding the needs of cattle producers and delivering unique, targeted solutions. Merial is dedicated to expanding its portfolio of parasiticides, vaccines and other disease prevention solutions, with high-value products like Bovalto Respi, to improve productivity, and keep herds healthy."

Merial highlights that BRD is complex to manage and each year affects an estimated 1.9 million animals¹, costing the UK cattle industry around £60 million². In Ireland BRD is responsible for 30% of deaths in stock under one-year old³.

At a Merial symposium at WBC 2016, Prof. Sandro Cavirani, Director of the Department of Animal Health at the University of Parma, Italy highlighted the importance of successful BRD control programmes in calves to optimise herd immunity and productivity, including early, repeated and targeted BRD vaccination.

Bovalto Respi 3 contains strains of Parainfluenza Virus 3, Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus, and Mannheimia haemolytica serotype A1. The combination in Bovalto Respi 4 combines the three pathogens in Bovalto Respi 3, with the added strain of Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Virus (BVDV).

References

1. Cattle Health and Welfare Group Report (2014)
2. National Animal Disease Information Service (NADIS). (2007). Health Bulletin: Respiratory Disease in Cattle. UK, NADIS, pp 1-3.
3. All-island Animal Disease Surveillance Report 2014, AFBI / DAFM Veterinary Laboratories

The University of Surrey has announced the launch of ArroGen Veterinary Forensics, the first forensic service dedicated to combating crimes against animals.

The new service, a partnership between the university's School of Veterinary Medicine and Arrogen Forensics, will arm enforcement agencies such as the RSPCA and UK police forces with detailed evidence to help prosecute individuals for crimes against or involving animals.

Arrogen Veterinary Forensics is led by Dr Alex Stoll, Lead Forensic Veterinary Pathologist at the University of Surrey and Operations Director at ArroGen, and Jo Millington, Scientific Director and Lead Forensic Scientist at ArroGen, pictured right. 

Alex said: "A key objective is to help investigators increase the success rate in the prosecution of individuals who commit crimes against animals. We are working closely with the RSPCA and UK police forces to optimise the scientific evidence that could form the missing link in their investigations.

"Another objective of the collaboration is to develop a strong social justice agenda with the aim of disrupting crime patterns. It is becoming increasingly well documented that animal cruelty can be used as a component part of domestic violence and there is a growing body of evidence to indicate that people who harm animals are more likely to abuse humans. We want to work with agencies to address the progression of animal to human criminal behaviour."

Jo said: "This unique collaboration brings together experts in animal diagnostics and research with specialists who have worked within the forensic sphere of the UK human Criminal Justice system for many years.

"Why not apply the same principles to the investigation of animal crime? By harnessing our collective knowledge of forensic and animal science we are simply building on our existing infrastructure and experience as human medico-legal practitioners to offer a novel and focussed integrated animal forensics service."

For more information, visit: http://vetforensics.co.uk