Northants vet suspended for failing to euthanase cat

RE: Northants vet suspended for failing to euthanase cat

Francesca Riccomini — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 06:41:42 GMT

"Obviously in this case there as been misconduct in being dishonest, but I can imagine that the vet may have had conflicting feelings of professionalism when faced with having to put to sleep an otherwise healthy and recovering animal".

This last post seems to sum up the sitution very well (from the evidence as presented to us). Which of us has not been faced with a difficult and deeply upsetting moral decision of this sort at some time or other - often quite frequently if one has been in practice for any length of time.

However, I do have trouble with the comment in the third post

"because his understanding of right and wrong was not set to UK standards?" - this professional person has chosen to work in the UK and is a member of the RCVS - if he can't set his understanding of fundamental UK veterinary standards accordingly it seems questionable that he is working here at all. The RCVS guide to professional conduct is quite straightforward and if a veterinarian cannot accept what is required of him he has the choice of whether to join the RCVS or not - having done so his professional path is quite clear - uncomfortable perhaps but not open to negotiation.

Also in the third post is the comment "Did the vet act out of dishonesty" - not in the first instance perhaps but for sure he was (apparently)dishonest after the event - an understandably human response to being "found out" but not a very admirable one and surely unacceptable in a professional person.

RE: Northants vet suspended for failing to euthanase cat

mariette asselbergs — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 22:06:11 GMT

I can imagine that there may have been a cultural conflict here. In the UK it is the owner who decide on euthanasia, the vet has to do it. In Holland and Germany it is considered unethical to euthanise an animal without a veterinary indication for euthanasia. In other words, you are not allowed to euthanise a healthy animal or a recovering patient for which the owner has no more money top pay for treatment. Obviously in this case there as been misconduct in being dishonest, but I can imagine that the vet may have had conflicting feelings of professionalism when faced with having to put to sleep an otherwise healthy and recovering animal.

Mariette

RE: Northants vet suspended for failing to euthanase cat

Rose Unsworth — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 22:40:04 GMT

This is such a blatant breach of a client's trust in all veterinary staff to carry out their explicit instructions and wishes that the disciplinary action seems to be quite inadequate. Veterinary ethics should be so ingrained as a standard of behaviour and practice that any breach should be dealt with far more severely in order to maintain public confidence in the profession.

RE: Northants vet suspended for failing to euthanase cat

Minnie — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 21:02:05 GMT

'Albeit that the registered veterinary nurse was sacked, she appears to retain an unblemished disciplinary record with the RCVS, and her identity has been protected...........'

And you definitely know that to be the case?

If you look on the RCVS website you will see that there is an RVN Disciplinary Committee meeting starting this coming Monday. I wouldnt know if this is the same nurse or not but would be interested in the outcome non the less

RE: Northants vet suspended for failing to euthanase cat

Pete Vernon — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 20:01:31 GMT

Yes target, I agree with both your comments. I'd be interested to know who the nurse was - I feel in some ways she was potentially more to blame and "dragged" the poor vet into it.

RE: Northants vet suspended for failing to euthanase cat

target — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 18:17:47 GMT

...... and regarding the cat, we are told "The Committee is satisfied that there is no evidence of actual injury to the animal and, to the extent that there was any potential risk, the situation is unknown". So they have no idea what happened to the poor animal, it would appear. The fact that there was no evidence of actual injury would appear to be because of lack of evidence rather than necessarily lack of injury.

:-(

RE: Northants vet suspended for failing to euthanase cat

target — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 18:01:39 GMT

Albeit that the registered veterinary nurse was sacked, she appears to retain an unblemished disciplinary record with the RCVS, and her identity has been protected...........

RE: Northants vet suspended for failing to euthanase cat

Pete Vernon — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 14:51:09 GMT

The nurse was sacked - see here:www.rcvs.org.uk/.../bogdanowicz-przemyslaw-pawel-december-2012-decision

RE: Northants vet suspended for failing to euthanase cat

Luis Sainz-Pardo — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 14:07:22 GMT

Could it have been avoided? Did the vet act out of dishonesty or because his understanding of right and wrong was not set to UK standards?

RE: Northants vet suspended for failing to euthanase cat

Minnie — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 00:30:11 GMT

the report mentions that she was registered, so I would be interested in the outcome of this one too - What has happened to the cat as there seems to be no further mention of it?

RE: Northants vet suspended for failing to euthanase cat

james herriot lied — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 11:01:46 GMT

Out of interest, any ramifications for the VN? Was she registered, and so open to disciplinary procedure?