The RCVS Veterinary Nurses Disciplinary Committee has ordered that Karen Tracey Hancock be removed from the Register after finding that she had been dishonest about an injury she claimed to have sustained while working in practice in August 2015.

The inquiry in regard to Karen Tracey Hancock took place in her absence in January, after she indicated that she was content not to appear or to be represented. 

The charges against Mrs Hancock related to an injury she falsely claimed she sustained to her knee while moving a euthanased dog in August 2015 that was then exacerbated while moving another dog a couple of weeks later.

The charges also stated that she made entries in the practice’s accident book also stating that she had injured her knee at work and then aggravated it later.

The charges also stated that, in County Court civil proceedings against the practice in relation to the alleged injuries, she falsely:

• issued a claim notification form dated 22 January 2016 stating that she had sustained a knee injury caused by her work at the practice in August 2015;
• signed a statement dated 30 June 2017 stating that she had sustained a knee injury at work on 13 August 2015 which had then been aggravated at work on the 29 August 2015;
• issued Particulars of Claim dated 13 July 2018 stating that she had sustained a knee injury caused by her work at the practice on 13 August 2015.

The Committee noted that the County Court claim made by Mrs Hancock was listed for a trial and concluded with a consent order dated 21 June 2019 which stated that the claim was dismissed.

It also considered evidence from eyewitnesses regarding the two alleged events that led to and exacerbated her knee injury in August 2015. In doing so the Committee found that, though Mrs Hancock did have an injury to her right knee, this was due to a horse-riding incident a number of years earlier and that her account of the incidents on 13 and 29 August, and therefore her claims to have been caused injury by them, were false and that her conduct had been dishonest.

The Committee therefore found all charges against Mrs Hancock proven.

The Committee then considered whether the proven charges amounted to serious professional misconduct. In doing so it considered submissions made by Counsel for the RCVS that there were a number of aggravating factors in the case of Mrs Hancock’s conduct including that the misconduct was sustained over a long period of time, was premeditated and involved lying for financial gain.

In commenting on whether the conduct was serious professional misconduct Judith Way, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee found all of the aggravating factors set out… in this case applied to its decision on whether or not the conduct amounted to disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.

"Such conduct would bring the profession of veterinary nurses into disrepute and would undermine public confidence in the profession because the dishonesty was directly concerned with the respondent’s work as a veterinary nurse in the veterinary practice.

"The Committee concluded that the dishonest behaviour was serious misconduct, particularly so because it took place at the respondent’s workplace. It considered that honesty and trust between veterinary nurses and their employers is essential to the profession and that such conduct as set out in the charges would be considered deplorable by other members of the profession."

The Committee was therefore satisfied that all four charges individually and cumulatively amounted to serious professional misconduct.

Committee members then considered the appropriate sanction for Mrs Hancock, taking into account the aggravating factors, including a lack of insight in that, in correspondence before the hearing, she continued to deny the charges. In mitigation it noted that there had been a significant lapse of time and that she had a long and hitherto unblemished career.

On balance it decided that removal from the Register was the appropriate and proportionate sanction and requested Mrs Hancock be removed from the Register, particularly as dishonesty is considered ‘in the top spectrum of gravity’ for misconduct.

Judith Way added: “The Committee acknowledged that the respondent was physically unwell with her knee between 2015 and 2019. However there was no evidence that her health had caused her to commit the misconduct. It noted the representations that the respondent made regarding the need to support herself financially but the Committee determined that the public interest outweighed the respondent’s own interests in this case because the proven dishonesty in the circumstances in which it took place was fundamentally incompatible with continued professional registration.

“In the Committee’s judgment without any evidence of remorse or insight by the respondent a suspension order could not meet the public interest in this case. It therefore concluded that removal of the Respondent’s name from the register was the proportionate and appropriate sanction in this case.”

The RCVS has announced the winners and losers in this year's Council elections. 

7,383 veterinary surgeons voted in this year's election, a turnout of 19.7%. 

This compares to turnouts of 16.7% in 2023, 18.6% in 2022, 24.5% in 2021, and 26.2% in 2020. 

Of the 14 candidates, Professor David Barratt, Sinead Bennett and Zara Kennedy were all elected to serve for a four year term, with 1,747 votes, 1,796 and 2,264 votes respectively. 

Mark Bowen (1,404), Richard Brown (1,030), Paddy Gordon (1,612), Gerard Henry (1,157), Peter Higgins (496), Penelope Morgan (1,584), Kate Richards (1,264), Richard Sanderson (1,380), Sally Schroeder (1,630), Lara Wilson (1,399) and the inevitable Thomas Lonsdale (257) were all unsuccessful. 

The winning candidates will take up their posts at Royal College Day, which is open to all vets to attend on Friday 5th July at the Royal Institute of British Architects.

www.rcvs.org.uk/vetvote24

Ceva Animal Health has extended the licence for Eprecis, its injectable wormer for cattle, so it can now be used in sheep and goats as well. 

Eprecis injection (eprinomectin) is an broad spectrum endectocide with activity against gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep¹ and goats².

After Eprecis injection Haemonchus contortus in the abomasum in goats were reduced by 97.8%² and Trichostrongylus colubriformis in the small intestine were reduced by 98.7%².

In lactating dairy ewes Eprecis injection was found to be 99% effective against gastrointestinal nematodes³ and was associated with an increased milk yield of 8%⁴.

The bioavailability of eprinomectin after one Eprecis injection in goats is larger than that reported for eprinomectin pour on^{5, 6,} with Eprecis injection found to be four times more efficacious than eprinomectin pour-on across four dairy goat farms⁷. 

In sheep, the efficacy of Eprecis injection against gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep is 99.6% versus 86.1% for a pour-on formulation⁸. 

Eprecis injection is associated with higher plasma levels of eprinomectin and has a higher efficacy compared to eprinomectin pour-on in dairy ewes naturally infected with gastrointestinal nematodes⁸. 

This is also achieved using five times less active than a pour-on formulation⁸.

Eprecis injection is administered subcutaneously and there is no need to part the fleece or coat along the animal’s back. 

Ceva says it has excellent syringeability⁹ and a low dose volume (0.1ml/10kg) to help with accurate dosing of animals.

Harry Walby, ruminant veterinary advisor at Ceva Animal Health, said: “Eprecis injection is a highly effective broad-spectrum wormer that is now available in sheep and goats, as well as cattle. 

"The injectable formulation not only allows accurate dosing, but there is no subclinical dose transfer between animals.”

Eprecis injection is available in 100ml and 250ml CLAS vials.

References

1. Charlier et al (2020).  Initial assessment of the economic burden of major parasitic helminth infections to the ruminant livestock industry in Europe. Prev. Vet. Med. 182:105103.
2. Holzhauer, M., Van Schaik, G., Saatkamp, H.W. & Ploeger, H. W. (2011) Lungworm outbreaks in adult dairy cows: estimating economic losses and lessons to be learned.  Veterinary Record 169, 494.
3. Termatzidou, S.A. et al., 2019. Anthelmintic activity of injectable eprinomectin (Eprecis 20mg/ml) in naturally infected dairy sheep.  Vet. Parasitol. 266, 7-11.
4. Termatzidou, S.A. et al., 2020.  Effect of injectable eprinomectin on milk quality and yield of dairy ewes naturally infected with gastrointestinal nematodes.  Vet. Parasitol. 286, 109245.
5. Eprecis 20mg/ml solution for injection for cattle, sheep and goats SPC (section 5.2).
6. Eprinex Multi 5mg/ml pour-on SPC (section 5.2).
7. Couasnon, F., 2019.  PhD thesis in French.  Translated summary from Ceva internal technical book P:47-49.
8. Bordes et al., 2020. Lack of efficacy of eprinomectin in dairy sheep and goats: resistance or poor exposition of worms to the drug? Poster presented at Congres National des GTV, Poitiers, 2020.
9. Comparison of syringeability of 3 different endectocides (eprinomectin 20mg/ml, doramectin 10mg/ml, ivermectin 10mg/ml).  Poster P04-004-079.  Presented at 29th WBC; Dublin, Ireland 2016.

The RCVS has published the results of its fifth coronavirus survey which was conducted with veterinary practices towards the end of the England-wide lockdown in November 2020.

The survey was sent to all UK veterinary practices on the 25th November with a deadline to respond by the 1st December and received 186 responses, a response rate of 6%.

The survey found that during this period:

• There was a fall in the number of veterinary practices reporting ‘business as usual’ to 17%, compared to 28% in the last survey conducted in September.
• There was an increase in the percentage of practices with at least some staff working remotely, with 37% of respondents saying yes to this question, compared to a notably lower 26% in September.
• There was a small increase in respondents reporting that their practice was using remote consulting, from 50% to 58%, although this was still notably lower than in June, when it stood at 80%.
• Although just 6% of practices reported they had veterinary surgeons currently furloughed, compared to 10% in September and 47% in June, there had been a notable increase since September in the percentage of respondents reporting adverse impacts from furloughing. In particular, 75% reported increased stress or impact on the mental health of teams continuing to work, notably higher than in September (56%) and almost as high as in June (79%). In total, eight of the ten adverse impacts have increased since September, and the percentage of respondents reporting no or minimal issues, at 14%, was notably lower than in September (26%) and only slightly higher than in June (12%).
• Although some practices were still experiencing difficulties in obtaining certain sorts of supplies, those reporting no issue had increased to 34%, compared to 13% in September.
• Of the 20% of respondents who said they were experiencing difficulty in obtaining an independent witness to attest to controlled drugs destruction during the pandemic, more than half (56%) had controlled drugs overdue for destruction for six months or more.

Lizzie Lockett, RCVS CEO, said: “Thank you once again to all the practice staff who took the time to complete this survey, it really is very useful for us to have a clear picture of how coronavirus and its restrictions are affecting day-to-day activities, as it has an impact both on our decision-making and policies, and what we can tell others about the impact on the professions, such as the UK and national governments.

"The overall picture from this survey is that, while for most it is not business as usual, veterinary practices and members of the professions are, to an extent, getting used to the disruption and have plans and policies in place to help mitigate the impact of the mosaic of different restrictions across the UK.

"While there is hope on the horizon with the start of the roll-out of coronavirus vaccines, we will continue to review and keep up-to-date our advice and guidance to ensure that you can practise to the best of your abilities, while keeping safe and within the rules.

“Of course, we also recognise the toll that the pandemic has taken on many people’s mental health and wellbeing, and this is reflected in some of the more concerning statistics around the impact that staff absences can have on the rest of the team.

"We also asked practices what might help them manage from a staff mental health and wellbeing point of view, and will take these suggestions into account when planning further support via our Mind Matters Initiative mental health project. In the meantime, we would like to remind those who are feeling stressed or are in distress that there are sources of help available during these difficult times – these can be found at www.vetmindmatters.org/help-links/help-during-covid-19/.”

The full report of the survey is available to view at www.rcvs.org.uk/publications

Zoetis has launched Cefshot, a first generation cephalosporin dry cow intramammary antibiotic.

Cefshot is indicated for treatment of subclinical mastitis at drying off with action against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria.

Jude Roberts MRCVS from Zoetis says this makes possible three-way selective dry cow therapy with products from the company's dry cow portfolio: "With evidence-based triage, this covers teat sealant solo, in combination with narrow spectrum cloxacillin, or now with broader spectrum long-acting cephalonium.

"This is in keeping with the trend from milk buyers for increasing precision in the use of antibiotic dry cow therapy, and only when it is justified in the first place."

Dry periods longer that 54 days require milk withhold for 96 hours. For shorter dry periods, milk withhold is 58 days. Meat withhold period is 21 days.

Cefshot is available in multiples of 24 and 120 tubes, for delivery September onwards.

Southfields Veterinary Specialists in Essex has recruited Dr Ane Uriarte, an assistant professor at Tufts University in Boston, who will join the centre as the head of neurology and neurosurgery in April.

Ane’s research interests lie in the surgical correction of neurological diseases leading to chronic pain and epilepsy. Amongst other things, she has developed an international database and phone application to help dogs and owners affected by epilepsy.

Ane began her veterinary studies in her native Spain before transferring to the Veterinary School of Paris (Ecole National Veterinaire d’Alfort) where she completed a three-year European residency in neurology. She then spent eight years working as a neurology-neurosurgery specialist in the UK.

Ane, who speaks five languages, then moved to the USA, where she joined Tufts University, training students, interns and residents and continuing her passion for research.

Henry L'Eplattenier, clinical director at Southfields, said: “We’re absolutely delighted Dr Uriarte has agreed to join the team.

"She is a very talented neurologist with a passion for neuro-oncology and will bring a wealth of experience and knowledge, which will benefit our world-class team."

Ane said: “I’m thrilled for the opportunity of leading the neurology service of such an outstanding hospital.

"Pets are part of our family and having a neurological disorder can be devastation. I’m committed and looking forward to helping referring veterinarians and owners in such circumstances."

Swadlincote Veterinary Centre in Derbyshire has become the first veterinary workplace to be awarded Gold accreditation through the Great Workplaces by BVA scheme.

The Swadlincote and Melbourne-based IVC practice worked with a Great Workplaces by BVA accreditor during the pilot of the new scheme, to demonstrate its strengths against an accreditation framework covering four key themes: health and wellbeing, leadership and management, culture and learning and development. 

In the report, the accreditor was particularly impressed by the practice’s strong leadership and management; its emphasis on accommodating flexibility for team members in various forms; a robust teamworking ethos; and a focus on continuous improvement.

British Veterinary Association President Elizabeth Mullineaux said: “We’re delighted to see Swadlincote Veterinary Centre become the first veterinary workplace to achieve Gold accreditation through Great Workplaces by BVA scheme.

"Congratulations to the whole practice team for this incredible recognition.

“Creating positive working environments and targeting areas for improvement are the key to tackling ongoing workforce challenges around recruitment and retention.

"We hope this first Gold accreditation inspires others to strive towards gaining recognition as workplaces where vet teams thrive.”

Ingrid Stevenson, Clinical Director at Swadlincote Veterinary Centre, said: “While we knew the practice was doing well, we didn’t go into this process expecting Gold at all.

"My practice manager and I were just both really keen to get some feedback and to find out what more we could do to help the team.

“We have several clinical accreditations in the practice, but it is the team that are responsible for achieving these and maintaining the high standards.

"I believe the team should be looked after, recognised and rewarded for their hard work and going above and beyond when necessary. 

"The team were really pleased when I shared the news.

"It has certainly been good for team morale and a positive outcome to share with potential new recruits. '

“The accreditation process was a thorough assessment of the practice and our accreditor made us feel all at ease during the interviews. 

"While we achieved Gold, which was unexpected, we have also learnt of areas to develop further over the coming months.

"Overall, it was a positive experience for our practice.”

www.bva.co.uk/take-action/good-veterinary-workplaces/

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has reprimanded and warned a Clwyd-based veterinary surgeon on charges relating to falsifying prescriptions to obtain drugs for her own use.

At the outset of the two-day hearing, Mrs Alina Grecko admitted that in 2009 she had written out three prescriptions for her own use whilst working as a veterinary surgeon at Greenfield Veterinary Surgery, Holywell, Clywd, and that this amounted to serious professional misconduct. The Committee found this to be the case, and said she was right to admit it. The Committee also said this was deliberate wrong-doing on three separate occasions and involved an obvious breach of Mrs Grecko's legal duties in relation to prescription which was bound to diminish the profession and public confidence in it. It was also a flagrant breach of the Guide to Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons.

In the Committee's opinion the charge was a serious one; it involved falsehoods and disregard of legal obligations and of the profession's standards, as well as compromising another professional - a pharmacist. In mitigation, however, the Committee accepted that the offence involved no harm to any animal or person, nor risk of harm except to herself; nor was there financial gain. Mrs Grecko was a young and relatively inexperienced veterinary surgeon, and the Committee's view was that the offence was the result of her not thinking straight at a time of great stress in her personal and professional life, rather than a clearly thought out course of deliberate conduct. It was in no doubt that Mrs Grecko was genuinely remorseful about her behaviour and had insight into its seriousness.

The Committee also considered evidence relating to the circumstances in which the prescription came to be written. It accepted the general case that the original idea of self-prescribing did not come from Mrs Grecko; however, the Committee did not find that she had been encouraged or persuaded; the most that could be said was that Mrs Grecko had taken up a casual suggestion that she might write the prescription herself.

When deciding on sanction, the Committee took into account both the facts of the particular case and the mitigating factors. It reiterated that the primary purpose of the sanction is not to punish the Respondent but to protect the welfare of animals, to maintain public confidence in the profession, and to uphold proper standards of conduct and said the sanction applied must be proportionate to the nature and extent of the Respondent's conduct, and weigh the public interest with the interests of the Respondent. The Committee also said that in a case involving the writing of false prescriptions the importance of public confidence in the profession and of upholding the standards of the profession mean that the Committee would normally feel that at least a suspension from the Register should be imposed.

Having given anxious consideration to the question whether that course could properly be avoided in this case, the Committee felt able to take an exceptional course and the sanctions it has imposed are that the Respondent will both be reprimanded and warned as to her future conduct. It directed that these sanctions will remain on her record indefinitely.

The European Society of Veterinary Dermatology and European College of Veterinary Dermatology have announced that their co-organised congress will take place at the ACC Liverpool from the 26^th to the 28^th September 2019

This year the congress is being organised in collaboration with the British Veterinary Dermatology Study Group and will form the Group’s autumn meeting.

The main scientific topics are skin and ear surgery, skin biology, host-microbial interaction, dermatophytosis, exotics dermatology and clinical pharmacology. There will be a three-tiered programme: 

• Basic level: providing updates on the topics covered

• Intermediate level: advanced information for those with a good grounding in veterinary dermatology

• Advanced level: more specialist subjects, including human dermatology

For the first time, there will also be a dedicated nurses programme, taking place on Saturday 28^th September.

Laura Buckley CertVD DipECVD MRCVS, Local Organising Committee (pictured right), said: "Congress is always a major event in the veterinary dermatology calendar, featuring some of the world’s leading specialists, and this year showcases some of Liverpool’s spectacular historic sites.

"As always there will be commercial and poster exhibitions featuring state-of-the-art veterinary products and leading research in veterinary dermatology respectively."

This year’s social programme includes the Welcome Reception on Thursday 26^th and the Dinner Dance on Friday 27^th September. The Welcome Reception will be held at Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral, designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott. It is the largest Cathedral in the UK and the fifth largest in the world.

The Dinner Dance will take place at Revolución de Cuba overlooking the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Albert Dock.

For further information and to register please visit the congress website: www.esvd-ecvdcongress.com

The Legislative Reform Order (LRO) to reconstitute the RCVS disciplinary committees separately from its Council has come into force and has amended the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 (VSA).

The LRO brings the RCVS in line with regulatory best practice and, says the College, improves the independence of its disciplinary processes, marking a major step towards the College becoming a 'First Rate Regulator'.

The amendment made by the LRO requires that the RCVS Preliminary Investigation and Disciplinary Committees are made up of veterinary surgeons and lay members who are not RCVS Council members, and who are appointed independently. This ensures that the same group of people is not responsible for setting the rules, investigating complaints and adjudication.

The LRO also brings lay people formally into the Preliminary Investigation Committee and will allow the RCVS to increase the pool of people available to investigate complaints and sit on disciplinary hearings.

The first external members will join the Disciplinary and Preliminary Investigation Committees from July 2013. After a two-year transition period, members of the RCVS Council will become ineligible for membership of these committees.

RCVS Registrar, Gordon Hockey, said: "The LRO has been the culmination of many years hard work by the RCVS and Defra, with the support of the British Veterinary Association. At first glance the change that the LRO makes to the Act may appear minor, but the reform fundamentally improves the way the veterinary profession is regulated, and will help to ensure public confidence in the RCVS disciplinary processes."

CCTV will be mandatory in all slaughterhouses in England under new plans announced today by Environment Secretary Michael Gove.

CCTV will be required in all areas where live animals are present, with unrestricted access to footage for Official Veterinarians.

In addition, the Government has also announced that it will be modernising statutory animal welfare codes to reflect enhancements in medicines, technology and the latest research and advice from veterinary surgeons. The codes will remain enshrined in law and the first to be updated will cover chickens bred for meat.

Consultations on these proposals have been launched this morning (https://consult.defra.gov.uk/farm-animal-welfare/cctv-in-slaughterhouses/ and https://consult.defra.gov.uk/animal-health-and-welfare/code-of-practice-for-the-welfare-of-meat-chickens/) 

Environment Secretary Michael Gove said: "We have some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world and the actions I am setting out today will reinforce our status as a global leader.

"As we prepare to leave the EU, these measures provide a further demonstration to consumers around the world that our food is produced to the very highest standards."

BVA President Gudrun Ravetz said: "Today’s announcement is extremely welcome. We have been campaigning on this issue for a number of years and this announcement represents a huge win for animal health and welfare in England.

"Mandatory CCTV in all areas of slaughterhouses will provide an essential tool in fostering a culture of compassion that could help safeguard animal welfare and we are particularly pleased to see a commitment to Official Veterinarians having unrestricted access to footage.

"Vets' independence and unique qualifications help ensure that the UK will continue to have the highest standards of animal health, welfare and food safety.

"We recognise that the cost of installing CCTV may be a burden for some very small abattoirs, but it is important that the animals we farm for food have both a good life and a humane death and CCTV has a key role to play in ensuring these requirements are met."

Gudrun added: "We welcome the consultation to update welfare codes for farmed animals and pets, many of which are in urgent need of updating to reflect the latest animal welfare science and good practice. We are keen to see Defra working with the veterinary profession, industry and all relevant stakeholders to ensure vital welfare codes are brought up to date."

John Tasker of the British Veterinary Poultry Association said: "BVPA are committed to supporting research and implementation of best practice in all aspects of poultry production, including welfare on farm and in the abattoir. We look forward to cooperating fully with Defra in development and implementation of these new initiatives. The British poultry industry has some of the highest welfare standards in the world and seeks to continually update and refine its practices in the light of new research, and to maintain public confidence in the industry."

Photo: Lititz, Pennsylvania. Hoisting a slaughtered steer in Benjamin Lutz's slaughterhouse, 1942. Wikipedia.

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has agreed to adjourn multiple charges against a County Durham-based veterinary surgeon following her undertakings to request removal from the RCVS Register and never to apply to be restored to it.

At the hearing held yesterday, Silke Birgitt Lindridge was charged with disgraceful conduct in a professional respect in regard to four separate allegations, spanning the period of June 2011 to September 2012 whilst in practice at the Safe Hands Veterinary Group. Two of the allegations related to failures to euthanase or arrange the euthanasia of a cat and a dog and being dishonest and/or misleading about these failures, with their respective owners. The other two allegations related to administering a vaccine (Fevaxyn) which was more than two years past its expiry date to a cat, and failure to provide or take adequate steps to provide promptly all the relevant clinical information to a veterinary practice taking over the responsibility for the treatment of a Labrador Cross.

However, before the Disciplinary Committee had heard evidence in respect of these charges, Mrs Lindridge, who did not attend the hearing, had lodged her application for adjournment on the basis that she would request that the Registrar remove her name from the Register with immediate effect and undertake never to apply to be restored to it. The Disciplinary Committee made no enquiry into the facts of the four charges and emphasised that they had neither been proved against, nor admitted by, the respondent.

Removal from the RCVS Register removes a veterinary surgeon's right to practise in the UK. The respondent informed the RCVS that she had no wish to return to the practice of veterinary surgery in this country. Should she subsequently apply to be restored to the Register, the Disciplinary Committee would resume its consideration of the charges, along with the breach of her undertaking.

The Disciplinary Committee was advised that the views of the animal owners involved had been sought and that all had agreed with the proposed course of action.

Speaking on behalf of the Disciplinary Committee, its Chairman, Professor Peter Lees, said: "Having considered the information before it, the Committee has decided it would not be in the public interest to proceed to a full hearing. It is satisfied that the undertakings offered by the respondent [Mrs Lindridge] protect the welfare of animals and uphold the reputation of the profession."

Professor Lees added: "The undertakings offered by the respondent to request the Registrar to remove her name from the Register with immediate effect and never to make an application for restoration to the Register, go beyond any sanction that this Committee could impose at the conclusion of a contested hearing. It does not consider that it would be proportionate for either party to incur the substantial costs of a contested hearing."