The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has ended an inquiry against Hampshire-based veterinary surgeon Jose Ignacio Messa MRCVS, after finding no case of serious professional misconduct against him. 

The case against Jose Ignacio Messa MRCVS related to two heads of charge against him.

The first charge was that, on 13th September 2015, Mr Messa failed to provide adequate and appropriate care to Barney, a border collie. The second charge was that on 14th September 2015 Mr Messa failed to ensure adequate and appropriate on-going care for Barney after his examination of him, including failing to take sufficient steps to ensure that Barney was referred urgently to the care of a referral practice and failing to ensure there were adequate arrangements in place for his ongoing care.

Barney was presented to the Basingstoke practice where Mr Messa was employed having suffered a severe 'stick injury' to his jaw on 12th September. 

The Committee heard that, on 13th September, Mr Messa re-examined Barney, administered medication and then discharged him to be cared for at home by his owners. During the examination the owners alerted Mr Messa to the condition of the skin on Barney’s neck, but the Committee heard Mr Messa had felt the area and reassured them it was not something to be concerned about.

The Committee heard that at some point on 13th September, after he was discharged, Barney developed a foetid smell from his mouth caused by an infection and the next day his owners went back to the practice because Barney’s condition had deteriorated – he was unable to walk and had laboured breathing.

On 14th September Mr Messa admitted and sedated Barney and examined him again, noting a hole in the side of his throat that was infected. He recommended referring Barney to a referral practice for further treatment, which was agreed by his owners.

The Committee heard that the referral practice was contacted by a veterinary nurse at the practice and that an appointment for 9am on 15th September 2015 was booked directly with the owner. It also heard that, during his time at Mr Messa’s practice, Barney did not receive intravenous fluids or any further antibiotics.

Barney’s owners said they met with Mr Messa again at around 5pm on 14th September when they came to collect Barney, this was disputed by Mr Messa, and the Committee were not satisfied so as to be sure that it had been Mr Messa who had met the owners and discharged Barney although the Committee found that all the witnesses had been honest and reliable.

Barney was admitted to the referral practice on 15th September but, as a result of sepsis, he suffered a cardiac arrest and died at 10.30pm.

In respect of the first charge the Committee concluded that, on 13th September, Mr Messa made only a rudimentary examination of Barney, and the absence of such basic clinical examination of the temperature, the respiration rate and the pulse of Barney was a failure on the part of Mr Messa and that, furthermore, he did not choose the best course of antibiotic treatment for the wound and infection.

In respect of the second charge Mr Messa admitted that he did not provide fluid therapy to Barney on 14th September before he was discharged.

With reference to the remaining aspects of the charge the Committee took into account the Code of Professional Conduct, particularly in respect of the need for veterinary surgeons to refer cases responsibly and the Code’s supporting guidance on referrals.

The Committee determined that, having delegated the arrangements of the referral to a veterinary nurse, Mr Messa made no attempts to follow up and ensure it was a same-day appointment when this would have better suited the severity of Barney’s condition. The Committee found that he was unaware of Barney’s location or of the time of the appointment and did not make provision for antibiotic or fluid therapy.

Having found the majority of the charges against Mr Messa proven, the Committee then considered whether this amounted to serious professional misconduct. 

Disciplinary Committee member Stuart Drummond, who was chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "In the light of the facts found proved and considering that disgraceful conduct in a professional respect is that which is conduct falling far below that expected of a veterinary surgeon, the Committee had concluded that the heads of charge, when taken individually, or collectively, do fall below the standard expected.

"However, as a matter of judgement, the Committee did not conclude that Mr Messa’s conduct fell far below the requisite standard and therefore did not amount of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.

"Whilst the Committee did not find Mr Messa’s actions fell far below the requisite standard, there were concerns expressed about several aspects of this case. There were a number of missed opportunities which occurred; in particular the Committee notes the failure of the care plan and to take adequate steps to ensure that the referral process has been timeously effected."

Elisa Best, a referral practitioner at Rowe Veterinary Referrals in Bristol, has received a 'Vet of the Year' award from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) at the House of Lords, for her work getting members of the public to support centres rescuing rhinos and other threatened African wildlife.

Elisa, pictured right next to Bill Oddie, is the founding member of a craft conservation charity called Blankets for Baby Rhinos. In less than three years the group has amassed a Facebook community of around 3,500 members, primarily knitters, crocheters and crafters, to make blankets and other items to supply to wildlife centres taking in orphaned and sick rhinos in Africa, as well as other wildlife threatened by poaching.

Originally from South Africa, Johannesburg-born Elisa had planned to work as a vet treating wildlife but found herself working in small animal practice in Cape Town before moving to the UK.

Still, colleagues and friends often told her of the injuries they saw inflicted on rhinos targeted for the illegal trade in their horns, so she and a friend decided to help. 

After building a following and supplying thousands of blankets for a growing number of wildlife orphanages in Africa, she wanted to harness the enthusiasm of members to help meet the other practical needs of the centres, as well as helping rangers and dogs working in anti-poaching units.

Now a registered charity, members supply all kinds of equipment including animal feed, medicine and veterinary supplies to a wide list of centres, as well as food for anti-poaching dogs while continuing to run appeals which crafters can assist with. Currently they are asking knitters to knit hats, scarves and blankets in black or dark colours for rangers, so they can keep warm at night without being spotted by poachers.

James Sawyer, UK Director of IFAW, said: "Elisa’s pioneering approach to harnessing practical public support to help rhinos and other rescued African wildlife is really impressive and she is a great example of animal welfare in action. We hope her efforts will inspire the next generation of animal welfare and conservation campaigners. She is a very deserving winner of IFAW’s Vet of the Year Award."

The RCVS has announced the results of the 2016 RCVS Council elections.

Current members Christopher Barker (2,838 votes), Amanda Boag (2,689 votes), Kit Sturgess (2,586 votes) and Stephen May (2,452 votes) were returned to four of the six available seats on RCVS Council. Melissa Donald and Lucie Goodwin are joining Council for the first time with 2,532 votes and 2,307 votes respectively.

The re-election of Stephen May means that he will serve as Junior Vice-President of the RCVS for 2016-17.

Voter turnout was down this year at 15.6% (or 4,403) of those eligible to vote, compared to 18.1% last year and the 17.2% average over the past 10 years.

Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Acting Registrar, said: "I’d like to congratulate all those who were successfully elected, and re-elected, to Council, and thank all those who took part in this year’s elections – whether by standing as a candidate, casting a vote or submitting questions for the candidates to answer."

The successful candidates will take up their positions at RCVS Day – the College’s Annual General Meeting and Awards Day – on Friday 15 July 2016 at the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Each candidate in the elections was invited to produce a short video in which they answered questions put to them by fellow members of the professions and which appeared on the RCVS YouTube channel. The videos provided by the RCVS Council candidates received 1,169 views while those provided by the VN Council candidates received 779 views.

The elections were run on behalf of the College by Electoral Reform Services.

The RCVS Veterinary Nurse Disciplinary Committee has struck off an unnamed veterinary nurse after they were convicted of grooming someone they believed to be aged under 16 for the purposes of sexual gratification.

The Disciplinary Committee took the unusual step of granting an application by the respondent for anonymity, after seeing evidence of a real and immediate threat to the individual’s security if their details were made public.

For the purposes of the hearing, the respondent was therefore referred to as 'X'.

The Committee heard that the individual pleaded guilty in court in 2020 to intentionally and knowingly attempting to communicate with a person under 16 years for the purposes of sexual gratification.

Following this they were sentenced to a two-year probation order, were ordered to register on the Sexual Offences Register for five years; and were made subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order for five years.

At the outset of the hearing the individual admitted to all the charges against them and the Committee also noted that there was a certified copy of the conviction available.

The Committee then considered whether the conviction amounted to serious professional misconduct. In considering this, it set out the aggravating factors surrounding the case, these being that there was the risk of actual harm to a minor, that the misconduct was premeditated as the respondent had sent a number of messages via a number of online platforms over several days, that the individual displayed predatory behaviour including sending pictures and making comments of a sexual nature, and that it involved what the respondent believed to be a vulnerable individual, namely a 15-year-old child.

In mitigation, the Committee considered that there had been no actual harm caused to a human or animal in light of the fact that the 15-year-old child, who the respondent believed they were communicating with, was not real. It also took into account that the conduct related to a single isolated incident and that the individual had made open and frank admissions at an early stage.

Cerys Jones, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee was satisfied that the sentence imposed on X, which included X being subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order until 2025, resulted in the profession of veterinary nurses being brought into disrepute and, in the Committee’s judgement, public confidence in the profession would be undermined if the Committee did not find that the conviction rendered X unfit to practise as a veterinary nurse.”

In considering the individual’s sanction, the Committee heard from a character witness who said that the respondent’s actions were out of character, that they had a previously long and unblemished career, that they had made full admissions and demonstrated insight, and that they had a low risk of reoffending in the future.

Cerys said: “The Committee accepted that X had been an excellent veterinary nurse and that X’s criminal conduct did not relate to X’s practice as a veterinary nurse. However, in the Committee’s judgement, the aggravating factors outweighed the considerable mitigating factors in this case.”

She added: “The Committee decided that a suspension order was not the appropriate sanction for such a serious offence because it did not reflect the gravity of X’s conduct. In the Committee’s judgement, the wider public interest, that is the maintenance of the reputation of the profession and the College as a regulator, required a sanction of removal from the Register. The Committee considered that X had much mitigation and was clearly a dedicated veterinary nurse but the reputation of the profession was more important than the interests of X.

“Further, the Committee noted that in circumstances where X’s probation order expired in 2022, and where the ancillary orders, a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a requirement to register on the Sexual Offences Register did not expire until 2025; the only proportionate sanction was to direct the Registrar to remove X’s name from the Register of Veterinary Nurses.”

The full findings for the case can be found at: www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary

The Royal Veterinary College has raised £45 million to invest in campus developments supporting education, research and veterinary services.

The finance was raised via a private placement with Sun Life Investment Management.

The College says it chose to finance via the private placement market due to the supportive buy and hold nature of the investor base, the strong demand within it for high quality higher education credits and the negotiated nature of the market. 

In the top three of the QS world university rankings and with a strong financial performance history, the RVC’s £45 million senior unsecured note offering generated significant investor interest both within the UK and North America; with the offer four times over-subscribed, the RVC was able to take advantage of highly competitive long-term interest rates.

The secured funding will allow capital developments on both of the College's campuses.

Professor Stuart Reid, the RVC Principal, said: "I am absolutely delighted that we have secured this innovative blue chip financial backing in a deal which reflects our international reputation and leadership in the veterinary and biomedical sciences. We now look forward to investing in the next phase of capital development at the RVC, securing our position for years to come."

Candace Shaw, Head of Private Fixed Income, Sun Life Investment Management, said: "We are pleased to support the continued growth of the RVC, a specialised higher education institution with a renowned reputation both in the UK and internationally.  The financing of the RVC represents a sound investment and aligns to Sun Life’s long-term investment objectives in this sector."

The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) has clarified regulations on equine dental procedures following a survey which showed confusion, even amongst vets, over who is allowed to do what in a horse's mouth.

In the survey of BEVA members, more than half were unaware of the dentistry techniques that equine dental technicians (EDTs) are permitted to perform and the levels of veterinary supervision required.

In response, the association has put together a new information leaflet which explains the regulations surrounding equine dental care and describes where recommended practice differs from the letter of the law.

All diagnostic and treatment procedures in the horse's mouth are Acts of Veterinary Surgery under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966. The only exception is the manual removal of small dental overgrowths and sharp enamel points with hand instruments.

However it is acknowledged that there are a limited number of procedures that, despite being considered Acts of Veterinary Surgery, may be delegated safely to suitably qualified EDTs without compromising the horse's welfare and safety. In 2009 the RCVS, with assistance from BEVA, BVDA and BAEDT, listed these processes and categorised all dental procedures into three groups:

• Category 1 - Procedures that are not Acts of Veterinary Surgery, and which can be performed after recognised training but without qualification
  
  • Examination of teeth
  • Removal of sharp enamel points using manual rasps only
  • Removal of small dental overgrowths (maximum 4mm reductions) using manual rasps only
  • Rostral profiling of the first cheek teeth (maximum 4mm reductions), previously termed 'bit seat shaping'
  • Removal of loose deciduous caps
  • Removal of supragingival calculus.
• Category 2 - Procedures that are Acts of Veterinary Surgery but can be safely delegated to suitably qualified EDTs
  
  • Examination, evaluation and recording of dental abnormalities
  • The removal of loose teeth or dental fragments with negligible periodontal attachments
  • The removal of erupted, non-displaced wolf teeth in the upper or lower jaw under direct and continuous veterinary supervision
  • Palliative rasping of fractured and adjacent teeth
  • The use of motorised dental instruments where these are used to reduce overgrowths and remove sharp enamel points only. Horses should be sedated unless it is deemed safe to undertake any proposed procedure without sedation, with full informed consent of the owner.
• Category 3 - Procedures that are Acts of Veterinary Surgery and cannot be safely delegated.
  All other procedures and any new procedures, which arise as a result of scientific and technical development, would by default fall into category 3, which are those procedures restricted to qualified veterinary surgeons and are not proposed for deregulation. It is therefore NOT legal for these to be performed by non-veterinarians. 

Despite there being no legal basis supporting non-vets performing Category 2 procedures, the RCVS has stated that there would be no public interest in prosecuting vets who collaborate with suitably qualified EDTs to perform non-invasive (Categories 1 and 2) procedures.

BEVA recommends that, for their own protection, all vets who deal with horses:

• Are familiar with Category 1 and Category 2 procedures (see below and http://www.beva.org.uk/_uploads/documents/current-regulations-on-equine-dental-procedures.pdf)
• Ensure they know whether or not any EDT that they are collaborating with is qualified to perform Category 2 procedures (i.e. has a "Defra approved" qualification - BEVA/BVDA or WWAED).
• Report to the VMD instances of non-vets supplying oral sedatives or other prescription only drugs.

Vicki Nicholls, equine vet at Wright and Morten in Cheshire, chair of BEVA council's Paraprofessional Committee and member of the British Association of Equine Dental Technicians (BAEDT) said: "The lack of awareness is alarming and clearly emphasises the need to make vets and equine dental technicians fully conscious of current regulations regarding equine dentistry. Non-adherence to the regulations is a serious matter and could lead to prosecution of the veterinary surgeon, EDT and/or owner."

The number of vets taking the BEVA/BVDA exam in equine dentistry has increased in recent years with about 15% of those who have passed the exam being vets. BEVA says this is indicative of the growing awareness, amongst owners and vets, of the importance of dental health. It also reflects a desire to develop and demonstrate both practical skills and a theoretical understanding of equine dental care to augment the vet's broader medical knowledge. Expertise in equine dental care has, for many veterinary practices, become a valuable asset.

Copies of the dental regulations information leaflet can be downloaded from the BEVA website at www.beva.org.uk. BEVA also runs regular dentistry CPD courses, details of which can be found on the website.

Image source: Rachel C from Scotland

The British Equine Veterinary Association has announced that colic will be a key topic on the scientific programme at Congress this year, which runs from 11th to 14th September at the Birmingham ICC.

Global names in gastroenterology will be sharing the latest knowledge to help veterinary surgeons and nurses support the work of the BHS and Nottingham University’s REACT to colic campaign, which is designed to help vets and horse owners work together for colic patients.

On Friday 13th September there'll be a two-hour session chaired by Harry Carslake, a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary internal medicine (ACVIM). The session will involve five experts speaking about aspects of colic, followed by discussion and the opportunity for questions from delegates.

• Natasha Jocelyn, Internal Medicine Specialist, Sussex Equine Hospital, will speak about managing the acute colic in the field: what to do when flunixin doesn’t work.

• Prof. Dr. Gunther Van Loon European Veterinary Specialist in Equine Internal Medicine, Ghent University, Belgium, will discuss managing acute colic in the equine hospital.

• Dr Nathan Slovis member of the American College of Internal Veterinary Medicine, Director of the McGee Medicine Department and a partner at Haygard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, Ky will explain colic guidelines – can ‘algorithms’ help?

• Prof. Dr Lutz Goehring European Veterinary Specialist in Equine Internal Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, will explore the question ‘is there an evidence-based approach to managing enteritis?’

• David Rendle European Veterinary Specialist in Equine Internal Medicine, Rainbow Equine Hospital, North Yorkshire, will look at parasitic disease as a cause of colic and methods of management.

All BEVA Congress delegates get a certificate of attendance worth seven hours of CPD.

If you're struggling for time or torn between several lectures you can use the BEVA Congress Encore Room to play back missed lectures at your convenience. BEVA Congress is also providing day crèche for children between the ages of 0-8 years. Find out more here.

Anyone who registers for Congress before 8 May 2019 will receive significantly reduced booking fees, and BEVA members save up to £379 on their Congress passes.

CVS is launching an app which will allow veterinary locums to see available shifts at its practices, negotiate rates, book shifts, message practices and submit invoices for payment.

The new app has been specifically developed for CVS, is unique to the group, and is owned by the company.

It is powered by LocumBell technology.

When registering on the app, locums can input their work preferences - including their skills, desired travel radius and preferred shift times - so that they are only served up shift advertisements relevant to them.

Users can also set up notifications for upcoming jobs.

The app then allows locums to set minimum shift rates, submit the rate they would like to receive for a shift and negotiate their fees directly with a practice.

Shifts can be then be booked or cancelled on the app at the touch of a button.

All upcoming booked shifts appear on the users’ calendar.

Once a shift has been completed, locums can submit the invoice for their work using the app.

The app allows locums to see every CVS practice invoice and its status, which CVS says will allow queries to be resolved quicker and payments issued faster.

The app is being rolled out to all of CVS's practices from this August.

Amy Hughes, Head of Recruitment at CVS, said: “Locum administration can be time-consuming – as locums first have to identify work, liaise with a practice and our central support team, to negotiate and book a shift, then complete all invoice paperwork.

"We wanted to remove that pain and make it easier for locums to work with us. 

The app is available for Apple devices on the App Store and for Android devices on the Play Store.

For any technical difficulties or assistance, contact: support@locumbell.com or call 0161 556 7685.

Linnaeus is inviting applications from final year undergraduates and newly-qualified veterinary surgeons to join its two-year Graduate Development Programme (GDP).

As part of the scheme, Linnaeus offers one-to-one mentoring, professional and clinical skills development in primary care practices across the UK as part of the scheme. 

The group, which now has more than 3,000 employees, delivers all clinical training in-house through its network of specialists, referral clinicians, certificate holders and primary care clinicians.

The 2021 programme applications will remain open until the end of May, unless all positions are filled sooner. 

Chloe Roberts, clinical and educational development manager at Linnaeus, said: “This will be the fourth cohort to join our GDP and we’re looking forward to building on the successes we have enjoyed over the last three years.

“This has been a challenging year for obvious reasons, so it has been extremely heartening to see our new vets rise to that challenge and continue their professional journeys with our support. 

“We’re excited to hear from the next intake of new vets and look forward to supporting them in their transition to clinical practice and recognise the additional challenges they faced joining the profession in the midst of a global pandemic.”

For more information, visit graduates.linnaeusgroup.co.uk or www.instagram.com/linnaeusgdp. 

Ceva Animal Health has launched the ASAP Salmonella differentiation test to provide assurance on how well birds have been vaccinated and as part of a standard laboratory method to differentiate its Cevac Salmovac vaccine strain from field strains of Salmonella Enteritidis.

All laying flocks that adhere to the British Lion Code of Practice must be vaccinated against Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium during the rearing period. 

Environmental sampling is carried out to monitor the flocks for Salmonella infection from 22-26 weeks of age and continuing every 15 weeks throughout the laying period. 

Version 8 of the British Lion Code of Practice states that approved Salmonella testing laboratories must undertake testing to differentiate between field and vaccine strains of Salmonella.

The Cevac Salmovac vaccine strain can occasionally be detected during routine sampling. 

When this happens, the accredited laboratory can carry out the differentiation testing whilst also sending the samples to the official confirmatory laboratory for final identification.

Ceva says ASAP significantly improves and speeds up the differentiation between vaccine and field strains, providing early reassurance to the producer that the official confirmation will identify the vaccine strain.

The ASAP Salmonella differentiation test has 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity for differentiating the Cevac Salmovac vaccine strain from any Salmonella field strain.

Pippa Abbey, poultry national veterinary services manager at Ceva Animal Health said: “Several tests are available to differentiate Cevac Salmovac from Salmonella field strains, however using ASAP as a second medium significantly improves and speeds up the differentiation process, ensuring that laboratories can quickly and efficiently detect the presence of the Cevac Salmovac strain.

“The ASAP media is also a useful tool for monitoring Cevac Salmovac drinking water vaccination and helps with vaccination auditing.”

Ceva also says that using ASAP media as a tool for monitoring the application of its vaccine can provide reassurance that it has been given successfully. 

On the day of vaccination, following priming of the drinker lines, a water sample can be taken from the end of the line and sent to the laboratory for testing. 

Cevac Salmovac will grow in dark blue/purple colonies indicating vaccine availability throughout the poultry house and a good vaccination process.

David Rendle, an independent equine medicine and therapeutics consultant and sheep farmer has been appointed as President of the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) for 2022/23.

He takes over the role from Huw Griffiths at the end of BEVA Congress 7th -10th September 2022. Roger Smith becomes President Elect.

Following graduation from The University of Bristol in 2001, David worked in farm animal and equine practice in Somerset before completing an internship at Liphook Equine Hospital.

A three-year Horserace Betting Levy Board residency at The University of Glasgow and Liphook Equine Hospital enabled him to train as a specialist in equine internal medicine and to gain a masters by research into equine asthma and an RCVS certificate in equine medicine.

David spent several years at Liphook Equine Hospital in Hampshire and had spells at The Royal Veterinary College, London and Charles Sturt University in Australia before moving to Rainbow Equine Hospital in Yorkshire where he led the internal medicine and laboratory services as a director and subsequently a clinical director following the hospital’s acquisition by the VetPartners group.

David returned to his Westcountry roots in 2020 and now combines work as an independent equine medicine and therapeutics consultant with running the family farm on the edge of Exmoor.

He is chair of BEVA’s health and medicines committee.

During his presidential year David is keen to continue build on his recent work around antimicrobial and anthelmintic resistance as well as expanding BEVA’s global outreach to support more equine vets and have a greater impact on equine welfare.

He said: “I’ve had a great time being part of the profession for the past 20 years and I am now in a position to give something back.

“Huw has driven much activity in the past year around recruitment and retention and I hope to be able to build on this and action results from the recent survey, under Huw’s continued supervision. I am also determined to maintain momentum around BEVA’s antimicrobial and anthelmintic resistance work as well as step up collaboration internationally on these and other projects to extend BEVA’s global outreach.

“Around 99% of the world’s horses are cared for by around 1% of the world’s vets so we are not going to change things overnight; however, BEVA has so much to offer and we should use our resources to support equine welfare, irrespective of where equine vets and their patients live and work.”

Vets4Pets’ Graduate programme has become the first of its kind to be recognised outside of the profession for the work it does in supporting graduates with the transition from university to full-time practice.

The company has won the Institute of Student Employers (ISE) 'Best Graduate Onboarding and Induction Activities Programme.' (Dear god. Not to take anything away from Vets4Pets' considerable achievement, but is it just me that finds it like fingernails on a blackboard when people take a perfectly serviceable preposition like 'on board' and turn it into a verb?). 

Gordon Dunn, People Director at Vets4Pets, said: “As a leading UK veterinary employer, we view it as our personal responsibility to fully prepare graduates at the beginning of their career. This includes, but isn’t limited to, ensuring they are equipped with the right skills and behaviours to forge their own individual career pathway, and increase the chances of them remaining in the profession.

"The induction and onboarding of our graduates forms the lynchpin of our programme, and clearly sets out what is to come. Being recognised for the work we’re doing to develop the next generation of veterinary talent is a huge celebration for us and is a testimony to the investment made and hard work over the last few years to develop and evolve a world-class development programme. We’re extremely proud to be recognised for this achievement.”