The RCVS has announced that its Professional Standards Advice Team, which offers advice about the Code of Professional Conduct and its supporting guidance, is now trialling extended hours and remaining open until 7pm Monday to Friday.

The trial will last for three months.

The closing time of 7pm was decided by the RCVS Standards Committee because research conducted by both the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons and the RCVS determined that this is the average closing time for veterinary practices in the UK.

On average the Professional Conduct Department deals with 7,500 calls a year (which includes calls from veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses looking for advice about professional responsibilities and standards) as well as around 2,000 written requests which are dealt with exclusively by the Professional Standards Advice Team.

Laura McClintock, Standards and Advisory Manager, said: "The aim of the trial is to determine if the profession would take advantage of these extended hours and, therefore, if our team should permanently extend its operating hours to provide a better service to the profession.

"However, it must be remembered that this is not an emergency service but an extension to our standard service and advice during the extended hours will not necessarily be any more immediate than at any other time during the day because it may need further research or input from members of the Standards Committee.

"Prior to launching the trial we also liaised with 10 other UK healthcare and professional regulators and found that our current professional advice service compared favourably to others and that we were providing a more extensive service than many."

The team aims to provide clear, concise and consistent advice to help veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses understand their professional responsibilities and support compliance with the Code. It also distinguishes between professional requirements, legal requirements and suggested good practice and may offer suggestions about how professional responsibilities can be applied in practice.

However, there are some areas on which the team is unable to offer guidance. For example, it cannot offer clinical advice or advice on legal matters such as employment law, maternity rights, or contractual or civil disputes.

Advice is also available for members of the public, for example, to help animal owners understand what they can expect from their veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses.

To contact the team call 020 7202 0789 or, alternatively, email profcon@rcvs.org.uk

TV vet and writer Emma Milne has just returned from two weeks working at IFAW-supported animal clinics in Soweto and Mdzananda with a plea to other vets:

“I would urge other vets in the UK to consider spending some time helping out there; I can guarantee it will be an incredibly fulfilling experience they will never forget!”

Both clinics offer much-needed medical care to the pets of people living in some of South Africa’s poorest communities, as well as caring for and neutering homeless dogs and cats and rescuing animals from cruelty.

The Mdzananda clinic has just one vet to serve the Khayelitsha township, which has more than one million inhabitants and no other veterinary services, while the mobile clinics in Soweto often operate without a full-time vet.

Emma said: “Working at these township clinics and meeting the people and their pets has been life-changing for me and I am eager to get back to Soweto again and do what I can to help.

Meanwhile, I hope that through words and pictures I can convey what I saw and experienced and get help for people who love and need their pets just as much as we do.

Vets wishing to volunteer at the projects are asked to email their names, email addresses and phone numbers to: info-uk@ifaw.org

A PVC-U window company based in Oldham has launched a new range of animal cages specifically for use in veterinary surgeries, animal rescue centres, kennels and catteries.

Liversidge Windows was approached by its local animal rescue centre Pennine Pen last year to build a series of bespoke cages for its sick animals, and the company says the results were so successful that it is now marketing the range nationwide.

Ian Liversidge, Managing Director of Liversidge Windows, said:  "Once we started building the cages, we wondered why no one had thought of it before.  Our REHAU PVC-U is the perfect material for this application and overcomes all of the problems associated with the steel or wooden alternatives."

He added: "The cages exploit all of the inherent benefits of PVC-U as a construction material to deliver a safe, hygienic and warm environment for virtually any kind of pet.

"They are robust and durable and overcome all of the maintenance and cleaning problems normally associated with plywood or steel cages. They are hygienic and easy to wipe clean, with a smooth internal and external surface which does not harbour germs or disease."

Weather proof for either indoor or outdoor use, Liversidge says they are also much warmer than cages made with conventional materials and can also be supplied with insulated panels for additional comfort.

Liversidge can design pens to customers' own sizes and specifications, with options including double or single accommodation, left or right hand door opening and castors if required.  They are supplied fully assembled and can be delivered nationwide.

Further details are available at: http://www.liversidgeupvcwindows.co.uk/animal_pens.html

The RCVS Day held last Friday saw the investiture of Professor Stuart Reid as the new President for 2014/15, the formal adoption of a new Royal Charter that recognises veterinary nurses, and a smorgasbord of awards.

Professor Reid, who graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987, began by outlining three things he wants to pursue during his term in office:

• To continue to push forward with improvements to the governance of the RCVS in light of the success of the Legislative Reform Order last year and its changes to the composition of the Preliminary Investigation and Disciplinary Committees.
• To further the amount of work the College does on a global stage, including the possibility of the RCVS helping to set standards of veterinary education outside of the United Kingdom.
• To look at the possibility of veterinary graduates being able to use the title 'Doctor' based on their registerable degree, as is the case in some other countries.

Jacqui Molyneux then stood down as Vice-President, replaced by Dr. Bradley Viner, who in turn was replaced as Treasurer by Amanda Boag.

After approving of the minutes of last year's RCVS Day and the Annual Report and Statement of Accounts for 2013, members of the College were then asked to vote on a motion to adopt the new Royal Charter. The motion, which was proposed by Professor Reid and seconded by Robin Hargreaves, President of the BVA, was passed unanimously. The proposed new Charter was delivered to the Privy Council that afternoon. According to the College, approval should be given later this year or early next.

Introducing the new Charter, Professor Reid said it would better define the objects of the College, provide a clear framework for the existing functions of the RCVS and give Council the power to create new classes of associate.

However, the greatest impact of the new Charter will surely be felt by veterinary nurses, as it formally recognises them as professionals and associates of the College for the first time. Professor Reid said: "Words like 'historic' should be used sparingly, but on this occasion it is justified. We now have some 12,000 veterinary nurses on the books, nine-tenths of them being registered veterinary nurses. Yet the present Charter does not so much as mention their existence.

"The new Charter gives the RCVS a formal duty to keep the Register of Veterinary Nurses and makes the Veterinary Nurses Council responsible for setting standards for their training, education and conduct."

After adopting the Charter, David Bartram, Mandisa Greene and Susan Paterson were formally welcomed on to Council. Amber Richards was welcomed onto VN Council, which Neil Smith is also joining. 

Outgoing President, Neil Smith, then conferred a range of awards including:

• The new Queen's Medal to Des Thompson OBE, a distinguished veterinary surgeon from Northern Ireland and past-President of the RCVS and several other organisations, including the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) and the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS).
• Honorary Fellowships to pathologist Andrew Holliman, Professor Maxwell Murray, Emeritus Professor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Glasgow, and Donald Rutty, a former president of the Laboratory Animal Veterinary Association.
• Fellowships by Meritorious Contributions to Learning were awarded to Dr Alan Conley for his research on comparative reproductive endocrinology, and Dr Robert Hanna for his research into certain digenetic tremadote parasites in domestic ruminants.
• Veterinary diplomas in Cattle Health and Production, Small Animal Surgery (Orthopaedics), Zoological Medicine (Avian) and Zoological Medicine (Reptilian) were also awarded.
• 16 veterinary nurses were presented with Diplomas in Advanced Veterinary Nursing (DipAVN) small animal, and one equine.
• The VN Golden Jubilee Award to Hayley Walters, an Anaesthesia and Welfare Veterinary Nurse at the University of Edinburgh Hospital for Small Animals

Nick Stace, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary of the RCVS, then gave an update on what the College had achieved in the last year.  Among the achievements he noted was the introduction of a new system to reduce the time it takes to process complaints; the imminent launch of the new Advanced Practitioner status; and the development of a new Practice Standards Scheme, due to come into force next year.

He said: "In addition, we have listened and responded to fair criticism from the profession, including a very productive evidence-gathering session on 24/7 emergency care, which has resulted in important changes.

"I believe listening and responding is a sign of strength and confidence. We do not seek to be popular but to be sensible in how we regulate and respectful in how we carry out our Royal College duties."

He also outlined how he wanted the RCVS to be a "force for good" in the world by supporting the very best veterinary practitioners and ensuring that the public feels properly protected.

Hill's has launched 'Lose 60 Tonnes in 6 months', a campaign to help clients get their pet to a healthy weight. 

Sixty tonnes is equivalent to the weight of twelve elephants, which is a huge target. Hill's says that if every practice makes a small contribution, it can be achieved.

Hill's support includes a public relations pack which the company says contains everything veterinary surgeons and nurses need to help raise awareness and encourage pet owners to bring their pets in for a weight assessment. The pack includes proforma press releases and guidance on how to cultivate a mutually beneficial relationship with local media. There is also a 'Lose 60 tonnes in 6 months' point of sale kit that includes a poster, stickers and a noticeboard kit for clinics, to drive awareness while clients wait for consults.

As part of the campaign, Hill's is also hosting a series of nurse webinars on weight management and offering additional support material such as consult room posters, weight clinic packs and pet tape measures, an item often requested by nurses. There are also promotional offers available through Hill's Territory Managers, subject to stock availability.

Hill's Customer Marketing Manager, Sara Locke MRCVS said: "We feel it is important to support practices at the grass-roots level and to develop a campaign that will have real meaning within the local community. I hope practices will get behind it, engage with pet owners and as a result, gain new clients. They are also helping thousands of pets live longer and happier lives."

Further information is available from local Hill's Territory Managers or by calling Hill's on 0800 242438 or in ROI 1 800 626002.

Defra has announced the detection of Bluetongue (Serotype 1) (BTV1) in five imported cattle on a premises near Blackpool in Lancashire.

The animals originated from within the BTV1 and 8 Restricted Zone in the south west of France and were detected as a result of post-import testing carried out by Defra on all Bluetongue susceptible animals arriving from continental Europe. The animals' documentation complied with the EU Bluetongue rules governing the movement of livestock as the movement occurred at least 60 days after they had been vaccinated.

This is the first case of BTV1 infection in the UK and the five animals have been culled as they may pose a disease threat to other animals. One further animal from the same consignment has also been culled.  Test results for that animal were positive for bluetongue although it was not possible to determine the serotype.  

There is no evidence that BTV1 is circulating in the UK and no additional control zones have been declared.

This response is in accordance with Defra's Bluetongue Control Strategy. The premises are now under restriction while an epidemiological investigation takes place.  This will include further checks on the other animals present on the premises.

Chief Veterinary Officer Nigel Gibbens said: "This is the first case of BTV1 infected animals being imported into the UK. Taking into account the epidemiological evidence and the consideration of the risk represented to British livestock, I have taken the decision to cull these animals.

"This incident shows how important it is for farmers to consider potential disease risks when buying stock. Buyers need to consider how best to protect their own businesses and those of their neighbours and make sure they are clear about the stock they are intending to buy."

Defra continues to test all susceptible animals imported to the UK from continental Europe for all strains of Bluetongue and continues to urge industry to consider the risks and check the health and vaccination status of animals when sourcing any animals from within the UK or abroad.  

In line with EU legislation, and our UK Control Strategy agreed with industry, control measures are in place in UK and abroad to prevent the spread of Bluetongue from existing zones around Europe:

• Restricted Zones around infected premises where disease is circulating (such as the BTV8 Protection Zone in GB);
• Controls on movements of animals out of these zones to minimise the risk of disease spread by animal movement;
• Vaccination programmes to protect animals from disease and prevent its spread (as rolled out for BTV8 in GB in 2008);
• Surveillance to detect disease, including post import testing in UK to look for disease in imported animals.

Cover starts from just £1 a week per employee, a very affordable choice for employee healthcare cover.  Employees will have access to six healthcare benefits and services, including money back towards their everyday healthcare treatments, such as

• optical - glasses, contact lenses and sight tests
• dental - check ups, scale & polish and fillings
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• consultations 

For further information visit www.bva.co.uk/membership/benefits/westfield_health.asp

An annual dog licence fee of as little as £21.50¹ could help reduce the number of strays and help tackle irresponsible dog breeding, according to a new RSPCA report released today.

Owners would face a cost of less than 42p a week per dog, in order to provide huge improvements to dog welfare and dog control services.

The report - 'Improving dog ownership - The economic case for dog licensing' - suggests a licensing scheme could deliver resources to improve dog welfare worth in excess of £107.4 million¹. With an estimated 10 million dogs in Britain², this works out at £21.50 per dog with a compliance rate of 50 per cent¹. A compliance rate of 75 per cent would work out even less at £14.30 per dog¹.

The new report was written by the RSPCA's director of communications David Bowles and is based on research by Reading University, which was commissioned by the Society.

It makes three recommendations in its conclusion: 

• The government should establish a dog health and welfare strategy underpinned and funded by a dog licence scheme. This would fund resources to tackle the issues, such as strays, injuries caused by dog bites and the prevention of disease, as covered in the report.
• The scheme could be set at £20-£30 per dog annually, with discounts for selected dogs (e.g. assistance dogs, neutered dogs) and people (e.g. pensioners).
• Microchips would be used to identify the dogs, with details entered on a national database, improving dog ownership and reducing numbers of unwanted dogs.

David said: "Now is the right time to invest in the future health and welfare of Britain's dogs. A dog licence would raise money which could be targeted into improving enforcement of laws at a local level, improve the welfare of dogs and reverse the use of certain breeds of dogs as a status symbol or weapon.

"The dog licence would achieve three important goals. It would raise money for dog welfare, increase the numbers of responsible dog owners by getting people to think before they get a dog and start to reverse the surplus of dogs on the market by providing incentives such as reduced fees for neutering dogs."

He added that the costs are given as an indication of what the licence fee could cover, and a dog licensing scheme could in reality be set at between £20-30 per dog per year - between only three and four per cent of the annual costs of owning a typical breed of dog.

Twenty-three countries in Europe currently have a dog licence or registration scheme³. In some countries, such as Germany, Slovenia and the Netherlands, the RSPCA says there have been improved dog control provisions and low numbers of strays with compliance rates of more than 50 per cent.

David said: "The RSPCA believes that Britain has slipped behind other countries which have started to tackle and solve the problems of dog over supply and only the introduction of a dog licence could ensure we catch up.

"In countries which have a dog licence it is seen not as a tax, but as an important part of owning a dog. In Britain we know that a dog licence is welcomed by two out of every three dog owners, more than 70 per cent of who are happy to pay more than £30 for the pleasure and responsibility of owning a dog."

References
1. Figures taken from Table 2, p16, Improving dog ownership - The economic case for dog licensing (see below).
2. Murray, J.K., Browne, W.J., Roberts, M.A., Whitmarsh A. And Gruffydd-Jones T.J. (2010) Number and ownership profiles of cats and dogs in the UK. The Veterinary Records 166: 163-168.
3. Tasker, L. (2007) Stray Animal Control Practices (Europe). WSPA and RSPCA.

Vet Futures, the joint initiative by the RCVS and BVA to stimulate debate about the future of the profession, is running an essay competition with a prize of an all-expenses-paid trip to the London Vet Show (London Olympia, 19th-20th November).

To win, you need to submit an essay of 1000 words or less which outlines an idea that will transform the veterinary/veterinary nursing profession by 2030. The College suggests that entrants might might look at a new business model, a new approach to education, a technological innovation or perhaps a way that the working lives of those in the practice team could be improved.

Anyone with an interest in the veterinary profession can enter the competition, including veterinary surgeons, nurses, practice managers and students.

The entries will be judged by the Vet Futures Project Board, which includes the Presidents and Chief Executives of both the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and the British Veterinary Association.

Entries will be anonymised then scored on a range of criteria, including originality, potential impact for the future and realistic prospects of change. The winning entry will be placed in a time capsule, to be opened by the veterinary profession in 2030.

The closing date for entries is midnight on Monday 31 August 2015, and the winner will be notified on Monday 7 September 2015.

The full rules and details of how entries can be submitted can be found on www.vetfutures.org.uk/essaycomp.

H5N8 avian flu has been confirmed in a backyard flock of chickens and ducks near Thornton, Wyre, Lancashire.

A 3 km Protection Zone and a 10 km Surveillance Zone have been put in place around the infected premises to limit the risk of the disease spreading.

The infected flock contains nine birds. Defra says a number had died and the remaining live birds at the premises are being humanely culled. A full investigation is under way to determine the source of the infection.

Full details of the control measures in place can be found here.

MSD Animal Heath has launched a new dispensing pack to help veterinary practices develop retail sales for Cosequin DS, the joint supplement for pets.

The new dispensing pack, which doubles up as a display pack, contains 300 chews foil-wrapped for extra freshness in 30 packs of 10 strips, allowing Cosequin to stand in the waiting room or on reception.

The new pack, available now in wholesalers, replaces the previous 90, 120 and 180 DS chewable tablet pack sizes.