Mr Dobson was struck off in 2021 after the DC found that he'd carried out an act of veterinary certification after being removed from the Register for non-payment, failed to have professional indemnity insurance in place and failed to respond to requests from the RCVS about these things.
Mr Dobson submitted a restoration application by email at the start of June, but then didn't reply to any further correspondence from the College, didn't provide any detail supporting his application, didn't attend the hearing and didn't contact the RCVS to explain why.
The Committee decided to go ahead with the restoration hearing in Mr Dobson's absence.
It decided that although Mr Dobson's email on 2nd June 2023 did suggest that he accepted the original findings for which he was removed from the Register, there was not enough evidence of remorse or insight into the the failings which led to him being struck off in the first place, or that he had attempted to keep his continuing professional development (CPD) up-to-date or that, if restored, he would pose no risk to animal health and welfare.
Paul Morris, chairing the Disciplinary Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Disciplinary Committee will only restore the name of the applicant veterinary surgeon to the Register where the applicant has satisfied it that he or she is fit to return to unrestricted practice as a veterinary surgeon and that restoration is in the public interest.
“The Committee’s real concerns about this application and this applicant are that it has before it no evidence of any value or substance to satisfy either of these criteria.
"There is no basis on which the Committee could conclude that the applicant is fit to return to unrestricted practice.
"In turn, there is no basis on which the Committee could conclude that it is in the public interest that this applicant’s name be restored to the Register.
“It is of importance to the profession and to members of the public that restorations to the Register should only occur when the applicant has established by clear evidence that the criteria which are set out in the public documents produce by the College have been satisfied.”
He added: “Having regard to the above criteria and its findings on them, the Committee considers that it remains the case that the protection of the public and the public interest requires that his name be not restored to the Register and therefore refuses this application.”
www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary
CEVA Animal Health has launched Marbokem, a Marbofloxacin-based antimicrobial for the treatment of respiratory disease in cattle which offers the advantages of a one-shot protocol and a shock-resistant vial.
Marbokem is used for the treatment of respiratory infections caused by sensitive strains of Pasteurella multocida, Mannheimia haemolytica and Histophilus somni. CEVA says Marbofloxacin's efficacy has been proven in terms of re-treatment rate, success, speed of action and MICs in comparison with many frequently used quinolones and macrolides. (1,2,3,4)
According to CEVA, Marbokem's one shot protocol means it's quick and economical to use, while its presentation in an ergonomic CLAS vial makes for light and shock-resistant handling, resulting in fewer breakages and reduced costs. The company says Marbokem is also very competitively priced.
For further product information, please contact CEVA Animal Health Ltd, 90 The Broadway, Chesham, Bucks, HP5 1EG, telephone 01494 781510 or visit the website at http://www.ceva.uk.com/
1 Grandemange, E., Fournel, S., Woerhle, F. (2009) Field evaluation of the efficacy of 2 antibiotics in treating bovine respiratory infections. Poster, Journées Nationales des GTV, Nantes, France. 2. Grobbel, M., Lübke-Becker, A., Wieler, L., Froyman R., Friederichs, S., Filios, S. (2007) Comparative quantification of the in-vitro activity of veterinary fluoroquinolones. Veterinary microbiology 124 (73-81). 3. Roy, O., Pillet, F., Heurtin-Vallé, A., Frontczak, N. (2008) Comparative field clinical efficacy of a single intramuscular injection of marbofloxacin in the treatment of bovine respiratory disease. Poster, World Buiatrics Congress, Budapest, Hungary.4. Wu, C. (2004) Determination of minimum inhibitory concentrations of danofloxacin and other commonly used cattle antimicrobial agents against Mycoplasma bovis isolated from cattle with clinical disease. Le médecin vétérinaire du Québec. 34 (1-2).
Andy (pictured right) will be joined at the The Moores Orthopaedic Clinic by fellow surgical specialist Chris Jordan, and Managing Director Richard Hoile.
The clinic is situated just off the M3, thirty minutes from the M25.
It is equipped with a CT scanner, mobile digital radiography and two surgical theatres with a full complement of orthopaedic kit including for total hip replacement in cats and all sizes of dogs.
To ensure best patient outcomes the surgical suite has its own HEPA-filtered ventilation system, isolated from the rest of the clinic, which Andy says exceeds guidelines for human orthopaedic theatres and will reduce the risk of infection.
Andy said: “The Moores Orthopaedic Clinic fills a gap in the market to provide high-class specialist orthopaedic care at a reasonable price.
"We have two very experienced specialist surgeons and a clinic designed from the ground-up to reduce the risk of complications after surgery.
"We will be able to provide the very best orthopaedic care and the best possible outcomes after surgery.
"And without the high overheads many referral centres often face, we will be able to achieve this at a very competitive price.
"I can’t wait to start seeing cases in May.”
Non-urgent cases can be booked from April 2023 using the online referral form: https://mooresortho.com/contact/
In the lead up to opening in May, Andy is available for remote consultations, client visits, to consult/operate on select cases in your own clinic or to discuss cases via email andy@mooresortho.com
mooresortho.com
The consultation is open to veterinary surgeons, nurses, students, and the public.
One of the main - and most controversial - proposals in the consultation, which was unveiled by RCVS President Sue Patterson at BVA Live last week, is that the elected councils would be replaced by an independent merit-and-skills appointment-based system.
Sue discussed the main benefits of an appointment-based system at BVA Live:
Other proposed changes include:
The good governance proposals are part of the College’s overall legislative reform agenda in which it is seeking to replace the 1966 Veterinary Surgeons Act with new and more modern, flexible and forward-looking legislation, which would expand the regulatory remit of the College to encompass veterinary practice premises and paraprofessionals, while empowering veterinary nurses and creating a new fitness to practise system.
Sue said: “The current governance structure of the RCVS is set by the VSA and updating our governance systems is a vital prerequisite to getting new primary legislation, as the outdated and out-of-step nature of our current arrangements will be clear to see.
“Governance may not be the most exciting topic, but it is the foundation on which all other aspects of the College’s work rests.
"As a professional regulator with animal health and welfare at our heart, the RCVS has a duty to ensure that our arrangements best serve the public on whose behalf we are entrusted to regulate and uphold veterinary standards, while still maintaining veterinary input in all our decision-making processes.
“We believe these good governance proposals help us meet this mission, ensuring that we are bringing our governance in line with regulatory norms, while still recognising our unique role as a dual regulator and royal college.
"The proposals would also help us get the best talent with the right skillsets and experience to serve on RCVS Council, VN Council and our committees, drawing on both laypeople and the broad sweep of the veterinary professions.
“We acknowledge that there has been some disquiet over the fact that, under these proposals, we would no longer be holding the annual elections to either RCVS Council or VN Council.
"However, we believe that an independent, fair and skills-based appointment process would be a superior way of selecting the membership of RCVS Council and VN Council than the elections which, unfortunately, the vast majority of the veterinary professions do not currently engage in, and which risk creating the impression that the RCVS is some sort of representative organisation.
“We look forward to hearing the considered views of the professions and public regarding our good governance proposals and will carefully review the feedback we receive.”
Belinda Andrews-Jones RVN, current Chair of VN Council, added: “In many ways VN Council is ahead of the curve in terms of governance reform with a smaller number of members and two independently-appointed veterinary nurse members – of which I am one – as well as appointed lay members.
“I can personally vouch for the robust nature of the application and independent appointment process for VN Council and how it took into account what I had to offer to the role in terms of my skills, my knowledge and my experience.
“I would like to thank my fellow members of VN Council, including my elected peers, for their positive engagement with the good governance proposals and their recognition that these reforms aren’t about reducing scrutiny of the College or the amount of challenge to its decisions, but about improving outcomes for the public, their animals and the professions at large.”
The good governance recommendations have been drawn up on the basis of the Law Commission’s 2014 Report ‘Regulation of Health and Social Care Professionals’, the recommendations from which were adopted by the UK government as being the ‘regulatory norm’.
The College says any future appointment processes for RCVS Council and VN Council would also be based on the Professional Standards Authority’s appointment principles of merit, fairness, transparency and openness and having a process that inspires confidence.
The deadline for completing the consultation is Monday 22 July 2024.
https://www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/our-consultations/ensuring-good-governance/
The College will also be presenting the proposals at a Zoom webinar called being chaired by Sue between 7pm and 8pm tomorrow evening, Tuesday 11 June 2024: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ensuring-good-governance-tickets-920243973497
Propomitor can be used for the induction and maintenance of general anaesthesia for procedures lasting up to five minutes by the administration of incremental doses or as a constant rate infusion (CRI).
It can also be used for the induction of general anaesthesia where maintenance is provided by the inhalation of anaesthetic agents.
Animalcare Product Manager Kai Crawshaw said: "Propofol is the ‘go to’ solution for short-acting anaesthesia in many practices so we are delighted to add Propomitor, our new affordable propofol solution, to our range. It complements our already extensive anaesthetic toolkit, which offers options for analgesia, sedation, gaseous anaesthesia and recovery."
Propomitor is available in boxes of 5 x 20 ml bottles.
For more information, contact your Animalcare Territory Manager or Animalcare’s head office on 01904 487687.
SPVS has announced that Professor Noel Fitzpatrick will appear ‘In Conversation’ with Martin Whiting, lecturer in ethics at the RVC, at the SPVS/VPMA Congress at the Celtic Manor Resort on 29/30th January 2016.
Noel is both an inspirational and a controversial figure. Few would question that his orthopaedic and neurology work has been both brilliant and life saving. Anyone close to him will tell you he is a dedicated workaholic who believes passionately in the sanctity of life.
However, some would argue that programmes like the BBC’s Bionic Vet and Channel 4’s Super Vet may raise expectations among pet owners as to what the average vet practice can do. And then there's the question of just how far practitioners should go to save / prolong an animal's life. Just because you can, does it mean you should?
These are the areas that will be explored in this hour long ‘conversation’ in a format borrowed from literary festivals. There will be an opportunity for the audience to submit their questions from the floor.
For further details and to to book, visit www.spvs-vpma-events.co.uk or call 01453 872731.
Tony Noble, managing director at Noble Futures, said: "We have been working with organisations of all shapes and sizes since our foundation in 2002 and it became clear that while we can ensure that our clients recruit the top people for the job - through finding them the best permanent, contracting or temporary employees - the resources are not always present to ensure that this human resource potential is maximised. The team at The Partners deliver a world-class service and we are 100% confident that their professional and expert support services will make a real difference to our clients’ businesses."
Noble Futures and The Partners have launched three new services:
The Human Resources support service is aimed at organisations that need additional support or more expert advice within the human resources function, whether it relates to a particular employee issue such as managing a long-term illness, or a wider corporate challenge like implementing a company-wide performance management system.
The Psychometric Profiling service is designed to give unique insights into the individual traits of employees, to help with recruitment, promotion, coaching and career development.
Finally, the Management Development service has been developed to help ensure a company’s employees receive the right training for success.
Paula Summerscales (pictured right with husband Graham) from The Partners said: "We are delighted to partner with Noble Futures to deliver our range of people-building services to organisations in the animal health sector. Our unique mix of skills and experience allows us to bring a tailored approach to every single project we work on and we’re looking forward to working with Noble Futures clients to implement innovative solutions that gain commercial results."
For more information, contact Noble Futures on 0161 820 3510 or email: info@noble-futures.com.
Alternatively, contact The Partners directly on 01484 860849
Vetnapp offers a secure alternative to traditional paper records, allowing for the entry of drugs administered, recording of physiological parameters (for example, heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure), and recording complications occurring during an anaesthetic.
The final anaesthetic chart can be converted to a PDF and attached to patient records, simplifying the paper trail.
Alastair, who works at Willows Referrals, says his motivation for developing the app was born out of frustration with handwritten anaesthetic records which can often be incomplete, illegible and easily lost.
Alastair said: "Vetnapp is excellent for ease of data entry via the use of sliders and drop-down lists. It also stores records, allowing easy retrieval, which is not possible with paper records.
"Now the app is available for both Apple and Android devices, it is much more accessible. I have even had people downloading it in Australia, America and China, which is fantastic."
"It’s still very much early days and I hope its popularity grows over time. Ideally, I would like it to be downloaded by veterinary groups, as well as independent practices."
To download Vetnapp, visit the App Store or Google Play and search 'Vetnapp'.
Medichem International has produced an A4 sized laminated poster which illustrates the correct way to wash and disinfect hands thoroughly.
The poster has a sticky back enabling it to be placed near to hand washing facilities in the practice.
If you would like copies of the poster, they are available free of charge by emailing info@medichem.co.uk and stating your name, practice, address and postcode.
Organised by The Veterinary Edge in association with Simon Guiton of VETcpd, there will be three streams running throughout, with delegates able to gain 14 hours of CPD – or 16 if prepared to skip the tempting two-course lunches.
Speakers include:
Sessions run from 10am to 6pm on the first day (followed by a happy hour in the exhibition) and from 9am to 5.15pm on day two.
A two-day pass for vets costs £285 and a one-day pass £170 plus VAT.
The prices will increase after 31st August.
Passes include access to all three streams, a two-course lunch, other refreshments and the congress handbook, which will include summaries of the sessions.
Accommodation is available at the recently opened Courtyard by Marriott Hotel at Sandy Park; other hotels nearby include a Premier Inn and Holiday Inn Express.
www.theveterinaryedge.com.
1243 farmers took part in the survey, which was held in partnership with the National Beef Association, British Dairying magazine, the relevant farming unions and the four eradication programmes.
Matt Yarnall from Boehringer said: "Reliance on veterinary input for this decision shows how valuable client discussion and guidance is. And further interrogation of the data shows other areas of BVD control where veterinary input could be extremely valuable.
"Too many producers are still holding onto PI animals in the hope they can be reared successfully and too many are making basic mistakes when it comes to herd biosecurity.
"The survey data revealed that 43% of farmers in Wales have identified a PI, but it is hugely concerning that almost half (42%) of these producers would not cull them immediately; these animals will go on to spread virus throughout the herd."
In Northern Ireland, 26 individual producers said they have kept a PI. "However, 20 had to be put down before reaching adulthood or had to be treated for other health conditions," said Matt. "Even in Scotland, with its well-established scheme, a small percentage of farmers claim they would isolate a PI and try to rear to slaughter and it was exactly the same in England."
Similarly, when it came down to the definition of a closed herd, Boehringer reports that there was significant lack of understanding about what this actually means.
Matt said: "Of the 62% of English producers that state they are closed herds, 2% rear calves away, 19% bring bulls in, 2% buy in heifers or cows and 1% purchase fattening stock.
"Obviously, this means they are not truly a closed herd and supports previous years when 23% and 24% of ‘closed herd’ producers in 2018 and 2017 respectively also brought bulls onto the farm.
"Add to this that 10% of these herds do not currently vaccinate so will not be protected against the BVD virus, and it is clear to see how vulnerable they are."
In Wales, 56% of herds were classified as closed, yet 12% still brought bulls on to the farm. Likewise in Northern Ireland, 60% of farms classified their herds as closed but 20% brought bulls on to the unit. The vast majority of Scottish herds also claimed to be closed, yet there were still inconsistencies around buying policy and biosecurity.
Matt said: "A certain lack of awareness about both the BVD Stamp it Out initiative and Gwaredu BVD schemes (43% English and 27% of Welsh producers respectively claimed to have no knowledge of these programmes) could actually be a positive for vets. It could be the perfect opportunity to engage in proactive conversations with clients, covering issues such as testing, PI removal and biosecurity."
The protocol provides evidence-based best practice criteria so that hospitals and other health settings can introduce animals into the care environment.
By following it, the RCN says services will be able to ensure the safety of patients and health care staff as well as the animals and their owners, while allowing patients to reap the benefits that interaction with animals can bring.
Publication of the protocol was prompted by an RCN survey last year which found that although the majority of respondents thought animals were hugely beneficial to patients, most nurses said animals were not allowed in their workplace.
The survey found that nine out of 10 nurses believe animals can help improve the health of patients with depression and other mental health problems with 60% of respondents also acknowledging that animals can help speed patient recovery.
Amanda Cheesley, RCN Professional Lead for Long-term Conditions and End-of-Life Care, said: "Anyone who’s worked in this area can see the amazing impact animals have on the health of adults and children alike.
"However there are so many myths around the dangers of having animals in health care settings that most organisations are too concerned to try it out.
"This protocol will help to dispel these fears by supporting hospitals to include animals in the care they deliver in a safe and professional way.
"We hope that it will encourage all health services to consider how animals can help their patients and help us to remove the taboo from what is a really remarkable area of care."
The protocol has been welcomed by the British Veterinary Association. Simon Doherty, BVA Junior Vice President, said: "This new protocol highlights the importance of the bond between humans and animals. It also serves as a welcome reminder at the start of Mental Health Awareness Week of how caring for and interacting with ‘man’s best friend’ can help to relieve stress and enhance wellbeing and a sense of companionship.
"It’s positive that the working group consulted with a wide range of organisations on welfare and safety considerations in developing this protocol, as ensuring the wellbeing of both humans and animals in these settings is paramount. As a fellow member of the UK One Health Coordination Group, BVA is very pleased to see a joined-up and forward-thinking approach to this important area of work."
Photo: Therapy Dog Visiting Young Female Patient In Hospital, Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock
This, say the authors, should in turn help them to communicate potential performance problems more effectively with their clients.
Conducted by Dr Sue Dyson, Head of Clinical Orthopaedics at the Centre for Equine Studies at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket, the study compared the real-time application of the Ridden-Horse-Ethogram with analysis of video recordings of the horses by a trained assessor and determined whether vets, after preliminary training, could apply the ethogram in real time in a consistent way and in agreement with an experienced assessor.
Twenty horse and rider combinations were used for the study. The horses were in regular work and were capable of working ‘on the bit’. They were assessed by a chartered physiotherapist and then a Society of Master Saddlers (SMS) qualified saddle fitter checked the fit, placement, balance and suitability of each horse’s saddle. Eleven horses were found to have ill-fitting saddles and 14 had back muscle tension or pain but these did not influence the behaviour scores.
The horses were also assessed by an independent lameness expert. Sixteen showed low-grade lameness or abnormalities of canter, which were likely to be pain induced but did not prevent the horses from being used for the study.
All 20 horses were given a 15-minute ridden warm-up before executing an 8-minute purpose-designed preliminary level dressage test. During each dressage test a team of 10 equine vets, who were selected from 40 volunteers and given preliminary training, applied the Ridden-Horse-Ethogram. They assessed each horse for the presence of a total of 24 behaviours that occur more commonly in lame horses compared with non-lame horses. It has previously been shown that the presence of ≥8 behavioural markers is likely to indicate the presence of musculoskeletal pain.
All behaviours were scored with a binary method as present or absent. The ethogram was also applied to each horse by an experienced trained assessor (Dr Dyson) and the tests were filmed so that the experienced assessor could make a comparison between her real-time behaviour assessments and video analysis.
There was good agreement between the expert’s scores and the volunteer vets’ scores and excellent consistency in overall agreement among the volunteers. The scores also reflected the volunteers’ capacity to use the ethogram to identify lameness status, with higher scores awarded to the lame horses compared with the non-lame horses.
There was no significant difference in real-time scores and video-based scores for the experienced assessor, verifying the reliability of the system.
Sue said: "The study confirms that with basic training veterinary observers can use the ridden horse ethogram with consistency as an effective tool to help identify musculoskeletal pain which could reflect lameness or back or sacroiliac pain.
"The volunteers were unanimously positive about the potential value of the ethogram in helping them to determine the presence of musculoskeletal pain in horses performing poorly or at pre-purchase examinations."
Sue and her team are now working with the evidence-based online educational resource Equitopia, in conjunction with Padma Videos, to produce a training video to enable vets, owners, riders, trainers and paraprofessionals to learn how to apply the Ridden-Horse-Ethogram.
For more information, email info@equitopiacenter.com.
Andrew, who graduated in 2002 from The University of Bristol, started as a farm vet in Devon and Cornwall, which is where he first became interested in cardiology.
He went on to undergo Specialist Training at The University of Edinburgh and then spent four years working in the pharmaceutical industry.
Andrew then spent almost two years as Head of Cardiology at a large referral hospital in Winchester, before leaving to co-found the first ever video consulting platform for pet owners, Pawsquad.
Since then, he has led teams in some of the largest specialist veterinary referral hospitals in Europe.
More recently, Andrew has run his own specialist-led visiting cardiology service, providing clinical consultancy services to 50 veterinary practices across the south of England for the last five years.
Andrew has been an EBVS European Veterinary Specialist in Small Animal Cardiology and a RCVS Recognised Specialist in Veterinary Cardiology for 10 years.
At Lumbry Park, Andrew plans to use his new role to provide specialist-led care to pets from across the South of England, and to provide cardiac clinical input for the multi-disciplinary team at Lumbry Park who manage patients with some of the most complex clinical problems in the country.
www.lumbrypark.co.uk
Eleven members of staff at the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons are growing moustaches this month in support of the Movember Challenge, a campaign which raises funds to help combat prostate cancer.
Simon Wiklund, Advisory Manager and instigator of the College's participation in Movember 2010, said: "Visitors to the College over the next few weeks shouldn't be alarmed if some members of staff begin to resemble a Village People tribute band. I suggested this to the chaps last week, and was delighted so many were willing to look daft for such a good cause."
According to the Movember website, the aim is simple: "One man dies from prostate cancer every day in the UK. Movember challenges men to change their appearance and the face of men's health by growing a moustache. All MoBros should be clean shaven on 1 Movember and then grow a moustache for the entire month. The moustache becomes the ribbon for men's health, the means by which awareness and funds are raised for cancers that affect men."
The RCVS team - 'All 'Taches Great and Small' - comprises at least one member of every department in the College, so whilst the team as a whole will be raising as much money as it can, the College says it expects interdepartmental competition to get "quite hairy".
"In spite of ourselves, reputations are at stake here," admits Simon. "We're a mixed-ability team, so it will be interesting to see who sports the best tache at the end of Movember. This is no trivial hirsute."
Lending his support to the team's efforts, and off to something of a head start in the facial forestry department, is RCVS President Peter Jinman. He said: "I'm impressed that so many of the gents on the staff have taken it upon themselves to support The Prostate Cancer Charity in this way. If it's true that eight out ten chaps really do prefer whiskers, they should raise a decent amount of money."
Anyone wishing to support the All Taches Great & Small team in their bristling endeavours should please visit their fundraising pages (via www.rcvs.org.uk/movember). Donations can be made to individual MoBros, or to the team as a whole.
Petplan's Veterinary Awards are designed to celebrate the nation’s most outstanding vets, vet nurses, practices, practice managers and support staff who are nominated by their colleagues and clients for continually going that extra mile, keeping pets healthy and giving owners peace of mind.
The independent panel of judges said that Johanna's nomination stood out for her ability to create a balance between leading a practice which maintains incredibly high clinical standards along with a welcoming, caring ethos with patients at the heart of everything they do.
Johanna said: "I’m absolutely ecstatic! I wasn’t expecting to win at all, so this is a real surprise – I just want to say thank you to those who nominated and all my staff for supporting me every day. What a brilliant feeling!"
The other big winner on the night was 387 Veterinary Centre. Two members of staff, Nicky Smith RVN and Joanne Civil, won 'Veterinary Nurse of the Year' and 'Veterinary Practice Support Staff of the Year' respectively, and the practice also took the overall 'Veterinary Practice of the Year' award.
'Veterinary Practice Manager of the Year' went to Anne Corson of Pennard Vets in Tonbridge.
Massimo (pictured left) qualified from Bologna Vet School in 1990 and spent two decades working as a specialist in veterinary neurology in Italy and Germany, following a three-year residency in neurology and neurosurgery at Bern in Switzerland.He has also spent almost 20 years lecturing at universities in Italy, including ten years as head of neurosurgery and advanced neurology diagnostics.
He said: "During my career I’ve spent short amounts of time in the UK and once I was aware of the opportunity to work with Northwest Veterinary Specialists, I jumped at the chance to move here.
"It has a fantastic reputation in providing the very best care to pets, and the recent investment in state-of-the-art facilities means we can offer the very best service to patients.
"I have a particular interest in continually improving our work around brain and spinal surgery and biopsies, and will be further researching technology and techniques to support treatment of epilepsy in pets."
Luca, who is currently a member of the Examinations Committee of the European College of Veterinary Neurology, also qualified in Italy (in 2007) at the University of Perugia, before moving to England where he completed his internship program in small animal medicine & surgery in 2009. He gained residency at a multi disciplinary referral hospital in the UK and was awarded the European College of Veterinary Neurology (ECVN) in 2012.
Luca has authored scientific papers in peer reviewed international journals and he has also been a reviewer for the Journal of Small Animal Practice and for the BMC Veterinary Research.
He said: "We’ll be focusing on changing the way we do neurosurgery to ensure the pets referred to us receive the very best treatment for their condition.
"We often see patients with intervertebral disc disease and epilepsy, and I’m looking to increase work around my main interests, including surgery of the central nervous system and epilepsy."
Liz Cousins, hospital manager at Northwest Veterinary Specialists said: "This year we’ve been making significant investment in our facilities and people, so it’s fantastic to be able to attract two experienced neurology specialists in Luca and Massimo,” said Liz Cousins, hospital manager at Northwest Veterinary Specialists.
"Luca and Massimo’s appointments clearly demonstrate our emphasis on creating teams of experienced and extremely knowledgeable specialists across the centre."
The BVA Board oversees the performance of the Association and is responsible for corporate and financial governance and for setting the BVA’s strategic direction. It consists of nine members: the three Officers of the BVA, four Directors appointed by BVA Council and up to 2 non-veterinary Directors appointed by the Board. The Chairman is elected by the Board.
Philip, a Bristol University Veterinary School graduate, spent seven years in mixed practice in Sussex, Kent and Suffolk before embarking on a career in the veterinary pharmaceutical industry.
He became CEO of Novartis Animal Health UK Ltd in 1996 (where, incidentally, he was ultimately responsible for signing up a wet-behind-the-ears PR consultant by the name of Arlo Guthrie and giving the go-ahead for the development of vetnurse.co.uk, which in turn led to the launch of vetsurgeon.org). In 2003 he became the company's Head of Global Marketing, and in 2005, Head of Global Business Development.
Philip has also run business elective training at the Royal Veterinary College, which has provided first-hand experience of the concerns and opportunities facing new graduates within a changing profession.
Gudrun Ravetz, President of the British Veterinary Association, said: "We are delighted to announce Philip Lowndes as the new Chairman of the BVA Board. His experience and expertise in business, knowledge of the veterinary profession and involvement with BVA will be of great value as we continue to grow our membership and expand our services and support for vets, especially during the uncertainty caused by Brexit."
Philip holds previous chair experience, as Chairman of the National Office of Animal Health (NOAH) between 1997-2004, and currently sits as Chairman of both the Novartis UK Pension Trustee Board and its Investment Committee. He joined BVA’s Board in 2013 and was re-elected by BVA Council for a second term in 2016. He will be taking over from Derek Williams, who stepped down in March after seven years of tireless work as Chairman.
Gudrun said: "I also want to take this opportunity to thank Derek Williams for all the hard work he has put in over many years. In his role as Chairman Derek’s experience and expertise have been vital in helping BVA grow as an organisation."
Philip said: "I am honoured to be elected as the next Chairman of the BVA and look forward to chairing the Board as it addresses the challenges ahead. The veterinary profession needs and deserves vibrant representation and it is the Board’s role to ensure that the organisation has the ability and the resources to achieve this to the benefit of our membership."
The BVA Board also gained a new non-veterinary Board Director, Steven Anderson Dixon, from April. Mr Dixon brings with him a successful career in newspaper and magazine publishing, which will be an asset as BVA consolidates and continues to develop its portfolio of veterinary journals.
The Disciplinary Committee heard that Miss Oakes had signed a Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) Veterinary Surgeons Residential Kennel Inspection Form which indicated that there were 55 greyhounds in the kennel, when there were in fact more; that she had stated that the kennels were in an acceptable condition, when they were in fact not; and that she knew the form was inaccurate and/or was dishonest in relation to what she had indicated on the form.
The kennels in question, Rough Cottage, were owned by Louise Eccles and her husband, Rod Eccles. Mrs Eccles was licensed by GBGB as a trainer, allowing her to train and race greyhounds and making the kennels accountable to inspections by veterinary surgeons.
At the time of the form in question, Miss Oakes had been attending Rough Cottage for about a year-and-a-half on a monthly basis, up through August 2016. At that point, on or around 1 August 2016, Mrs Eccles had left Rough Cottage for personal reasons.
Miss Oakes subsequently visited the premises on 14 August 2016 along with Amanda Gething of Northern Greyhound Rescue, when she learned that rather than there being 55 dogs, there were more than 80.
On 16 August, she and Amanda Gething returned to Rough Cottage with Lucille Cavadino, from Lancky Dogs, a greyhound rescue organisation. They became aware of the existence of kennels on the premises that were not of acceptable standard, but Miss Oakes found that the dogs housed in these kennels were fit and healthy.
Miss Oakes also spoke to Mr Eccles around this time, and although he had plans to rehouse some of the dogs she was concerned that he might change his mind. Miss Oakes took the decision to complete and sign the kennel inspection form that Mr Eccles had handed to her, knowing that the details contained therein were incorrect. She stated that the reason that she did this was to appease Mr Eccles so that he would not hinder the plans to remove and rehouse the dogs. She admitted to the area GBGB Stipendiary Steward that she had signed the form and that it contained incorrect information.
At the beginning of the hearing Miss Oakes admitted all the charges except for the final one, namely that she had been dishonest about what she had indicated on the form. When she gave evidence during the hearing, however, she admitted that she had been dishonest and so all charges were found proved.
The Committee then turned to deciding whether these charges, having been found proven, would result in a finding of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect against Miss Oakes. The Committee considered her motives in signing the form were to try and safeguard animal welfare, but considered that she was misguided in how she chose to achieve that aim. The Committee, therefore, found that signing a form that is known to be misleading or inaccurate is in definite breach of the Code of Professional Conduct, and concluded that her conduct constituted disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.
When considering a suitable sanction, the Committee took into account a number of mitigating factors, including some 62 testimonials that were submitted in favour of Miss Oakes, and the fact that she believed she was acting in the best interests of the animals’ welfare.
Chitra Karve, Chair of the Disciplinary Committee, said: "So far as mitigating factors are concerned, the Committee is satisfied that the Respondent’s motivation for what she did was governed by her overwhelming wish to promote the health or welfare of the greyhounds at Rough Cottage.
"The Committee is satisfied that no actual harm or risk of harm to any animal occurred in this case. There was no financial gain to the Respondent and the Committee has been told that she charged no fee for her extensive efforts in organising or assisting with the removal and rehousing of the greyhounds from Rough Cottage.
"The Committee considers that this was a single and isolated incident and that the risks of similar behaviour being repeated in the future are low."
Chitra added: "The Committee has decided that it will be sufficient to protect the welfare of animals, to maintain public confidence in the profession and to declare and uphold proper standards of conduct, for the Respondent to be given a formal warning as to her future conduct."
A campaign to reform English libel law to allow for robust criticism of scientific and medical claims without fear of legal action has been launched by journalist and author Simon Singh. It's a campaign which anyone working in the caring professions might wish to support.
The campaign comes as a consequence of legal action taken against Mr Singh by The British Chiropractic Association, which took exception (perhaps unsurprisingly) to an article he'd written in The Guardian. In the article, Mr Singh denounced claims on the BCA website that its members could use spinal manipulation to treat children with colic, ear infections, asthma, sleeping and feeding conditions, and prolongued crying as 'bogus', and criticised the BCA for 'happily promoting' these claims.
Out of curiosity, VetSurgeon rang the BCA press office this morning, and asked to be given the references for studies which it feels would support the original claims made on its site. Non have been forthcoming so far, which is a surprise. Under the circumstances, we'd have expected the BCA would have a raft of supporting evidence readily available.
But this isn't really about whether or not chiropractic works or not. The case seems to hinge upon whether Mr Singh's article implied that the BCA was being deliberately dishonest, or just delusional. He say's the latter. Unfortunately for him, Mr Justice Eady recently ruled the former, leaving Mr Singh with a bill for £100,000 worth of legal fees.
Mr Singh is to appeal. At stake is the freedom to be able to challenge scientific claims without fear of being sued. If you'd like to support this campaign, visit senseaboutscience.com and add your name to the 7000 others (including some pretty illustrious names) who have already done so.
The Blue Cross is calling for nominations from veterinary practices across the country for its Veterinary Nurse of the Year Award 2010.
The annual award is presented at the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) Annual Congress in October. It recognises the contribution of veterinary nurses in educating the public about responsible pet ownership and the welfare of pets in the community.
Last year's award was won by Vania Brasseleur for her outstanding contribution to animal welfare, both within her veterinary practice and among the local community in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire
Vania was nominated for the award by student vet nurse and colleague Emily Martin at Astonlee Veterinary Hospital in Newport Pagnell.
Emily said: "Vania is committed to helping student nurses broaden their knowledge and help them on to the path to qualification. Her charity work, serving the public, helping colleagues and of course her nursing abilities are all truly fantastic! I don't think anybody could ask for a better nurse."
Nominations for this year's award can be made by completing the nomination form on The Blue Cross website at: www.bluecross.org.uk/BVNA2010 or by contacting Sally Leathem on 01993 825577. The deadline for nominations is Friday 20 August 2010.
Virbac Animal Health has launched Allerderm, a topical spot on product designed to rebuild the epidermal barrier in dogs and cats with skin problems.
According to the company, Allerderm Spot-On contains a mimic of the normal lamellar lipids found in the stratum corneum: essential fatty acids, ceramides and cholesterol.
Virbac Product Manager Chris Geddes MRCVS said: The "outside-in" theory of inflammatory skin disease is now widely accepted - that is, the belief that a faulty epidermal barrier is the primary problem, allowing penetration of allergens which then triggers inflammation in the underlying skin.
"A healthy epidermal barrier is designed to keep in water and moisture, and keep out allergens and pathogens. The 'barrier repair' approach has been developed in human medicine and is now proving true in companion animal care.
"It is currently possible to help restore this barrier with oral essential fatty acid supplements like Complederm and with Allermyl shampoo, but this is an exciting new addition to the armoury."
Mr Geddes added: "In a study of allergic dogs1, researchers found that Allerderm spot on caused the level of lipids on the stratum corneum to return to almost the level of normal dogs."
Allerderm Spot-On is applied along the back of the dog or cat initially at weekly intervals, eventually reducing to monthly applications. It is available in packs of 6 pipettes in 2ml (suitable for cats and dogs less than 10kg) and 4ml (suitable for dogs over 10kg).
For further information on Allerderm Spot-On, contact your local Virbac territory manager or call Virbac on 01359 243243.
Reference1. Effects of a Topically Applied Preparation of Epidermal Lipids on the Stratum Corneum Barrier of Atopic Dogs, A. Piekutowska, D. Pin, C.A. Réme, H. Gatto and M. Haftek, Journal of Comparative Pathology 2008, Vol. 138, 197-203
The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has directed that the name of a Berkshire-based veterinary surgeon, previously convicted of four offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, should be removed from the RCVS Register of Veterinary Surgeons.
Dr Ohene-Gyan was convicted at Reading Magistrates Court on 13 June 2012 of offences involving causing unnecessary suffering to three dogs and a cat that he had treated whilst working at Woosehill Vets, Wokingham, between February and October 2011. These offences related to failing to provide adequate or appropriate veterinary care or treatment, or failure to investigate and address an animal's poor condition. He was sentenced to 21 weeks' imprisonment concurrently for each offence.
Dr Ohene-Gyan did not attend the one-day Disciplinary Committee hearing and was not represented, although College records showed that he was aware of the dates of the hearing, and had had opportunity to apply for an adjournment. In the absence of any known good reason for Dr Ohene-Gyan's non-attendance, the Committee concluded that it was in the interests of justice that the hearing go ahead.
In considering whether the Respondent's convictions made him unfit to practise as a veterinary surgeon, the Committee depended on the findings of the District Judge and the remarks she had made when sentencing. "I found as a matter of fact that some of your actions were taken simply to run up a bill for the owners of pets," she had said. "You were in a position of special responsibility, trusted by the owners of the animals to treat them appropriately and to alleviate their suffering. You ignored advice from staff. Several animals were affected by your cruel disregard of their welfare. Some of the cruelty arose due to your incompetence. You have demonstrated that you are not fit to be trusted with the care of animals."
The Disciplinary Committee Chairman, Professor Peter Lees, speaking on behalf of the Committee, said: "The Respondent's actions, motivated by financial gain, caused serious actual injury to the four animals over a prolonged period of time. Clients are entitled to expect that veterinary surgeons will treat animals in their care humanely and with respect, and make animal welfare their first priority. The Committee considers that the care described in the District Judge's findings demonstrated a total disregard for the professional responsibilities of a veterinary surgeon."
The Committee concluded that the removal of Dr Ohene-Gyan's name from the Register was the only appropriate and proportionate sanction in this case in order to protect the welfare of animals, maintain public confidence in the profession and uphold proper standards of conduct, and it directed the Registrar to do so.
The competition is open to all UK-based undergraduate veterinary students and offers them the opportunity to work as a team to brainstorm, develop and present an innovative idea to a board of industry professionals.
Students can enter either as a single applicant or as a group (of roughly five members), with single applicants then being placed in a group with other applicants from their university. There can be more than one team representing each university.
Each student’s project can cover any aspect of veterinary health innovation. The RCVS suggests potential projects might include: innovations within veterinary education, innovations to improve sanitation and hygiene, innovations to improve veterinary-public communication and innovations to improve patient safety.
Entries must show how they have improved upon – or extended beyond – current expectations of best practice in their chosen area.
Each applicant will receive support from one of the Association of Veterinary Students’ (AVS) Vet Futures Ambassadors, as well as a mentor session with a chosen industry professional to guide them on their project.
Teams will need to submit three components for judging: a log of their progress throughout the project (which can include social media updates using the hashtag #ViVetStudentInnovation), mentor engagement and feedback, and a five-minute video ‘business pitch’.
The three finalist groups of the competition will be invited to present their pitch to a board of industry professionals at a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style event held at the RCVS ViVet 2019 Innovation Symposium on Tuesday 1 October 2019 in Manchester.
The winning and runner-up groups will then be selected and will be presented alongside the ‘mentor’s choice’ award. The Mentor’s Choice award will be selected by the team mentors. The prize will be awarded to an individual who shows excellence and enthusiasm within their work on the project.
Anthony Roberts, RCVS Director of Leadership & Innovation (pictured right), said: "This competition provides a great opportunity for veterinary students to engage with their fellow classmates across different fields of study and to work on projects that could genuinely make a difference to animal health and welfare and the way veterinary services are delivered. Teams will receive one-on-one mentoring and will be guided through the innovation process, developing skills that will be useful throughout their careers. We look forward to seeing the three finalist teams presenting at the RCVS ViVet Innovation Symposium in Manchester on 1 October."
Zoe Skinner, Vet Futures Student Representatives Team Leader, said: “This competition is a great opportunity for veterinary students to receive mentoring from experienced veterinary professionals and form contacts within our profession. It gives students a way to work together as a team and allows them to learn how to produce and develop innovative, problem-solving concepts as well as skills in delivering presentations. These are all important aspects of our career ahead, which will look brilliant on our CV’s.”
ViVet is now accepting registrations for the competition for the 2018/19 academic year. To enter, applicants must submit an online registration form. For further information, email info@vivet.org.uk.