RE: RCVS says Unite's call for regulatory shake up is misguided

grumpyoldman — Fri, 14 Feb 2014 18:23:52 GMT

I have to say not really sure I would be chuffed about DEFRA being involved , not sure that the art of masterly inactivity is what is really required.

Some external scrutiny would be welcome ,but during or at the same time as the disciplinary process not a retrospective delayed bun fight.

why only annually ?

Why is everyone obsessed with being first rate? ,I think most of us would settle for 2nd or 3rd rate with fewer boobs.

The word "Union", is a problem for me , it brings back memories of the 1970s and yobos travelling the country as flying pickets in transit vans with mullet hair cuts porn star moustaches bomber jackets and all round terrible dress sense. Not something we really want to be associated with .

RE: RCVS says Unite's call for regulatory shake up is misguided

Arlo Guthrie — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 09:42:35 GMT

The BVU / Unite's response to this response ...

The British Veterinary Union (BVU) in Unite, in keeping with the ethos of any union, was set up by members of the veterinary profession to support members of the veterinary profession. The organising professional committee consists of practicing vets and veterinary nurses who are well placed to understand the profession.

BVU/Unite would welcome the opportunity to meet with Mr Stace to discuss our proposal further and in particular would be interested to hear about the current overview and scrutiny provided by Defra and the Privy Council as the process for and outcomes of this are not identified on the RCVS website. In particular we would welcome information on how concerns about decisions made by the disciplinary committee are currently independently reviewed.

We consider that the decision by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee on Mr Chikosi’s case illustrates why there needs to be an organisation such as the PSA who can independently review disciplinary decisions. We are of course aware that the PSA’s current remit is around the human healthcare sector, their role being to;

review the performance of the regulators on an annual basis. Identify where things are being done well, and where improvements can be made.

review all final decisions made by those fitness to practice committees.

carry out an audit of the initial stages of regulators’ fitness to practice processes, looking at a sample of the decisions made by each regulator to close a case without referral to a formal hearing in front of a fitness to practice committee.

Their role therefore is to ensure that the regulators’ decision-making processes are fair and effective and the decisions taken protect the interests of service users and the public. For these reasons we consider that extending their role could support the RCVS in its vision of becoming a First Rate regulator in line with the principles of ‘Right Touch’ regulation.