The company says its new brand has also been designed to communicate choice more clearly, thereby making vets' busy lives a little easier.
Malcolm Dickinson, Category Manager at NVS, said: “As a familiar and trusted brand, we’re always listening to our customers and designing products that closely meet their needs.
"We understand the challenges vets are facing, including rising costs and supply chain issues.
"That’s why we’re always looking to help relieve the impact on the day-to-day burden of the profession with the right products that help deliver the very best animal care.”
The new brand will be on display at Stand P20 at the London Vet Show.
Reasonable adjustments can include changing working arrangements and providing equipment, services and support.
The campaign will address common myths and misconceptions surrounding reasonable adjustments and highlight the legal obligations of leaders and managers around implementation.
The campaign, which will run until the end of July, is being launched after an RCVS/British Veterinary Chronic Illness Support (BCVIS) survey concluded there is a need to increase awareness about reasonable adjustments, promote wider discussion and equip organisations with the information they need to implement them.
The research also indicated that improved knowledge of legislation is needed, with communication also being raised as an important issue, so that individuals feel empowered to ask for the support they need.
MMI Lead, Rapinder Newton, said: “Our ‘Let’s talk adjustments’ campaign will support people to have these important conversations by sharing information, educational resources and guidance on good practice.
"It will also provide examples of different types of adjustments, including examples that are specific to the veterinary context.
“We know that physical and mental health are deeply interconnected.
"Reasonable adjustments can support both physical and mental health but also helps to safeguard mental health through allowing individuals with disabilities to thrive.
“We will be keeping people updated on the campaign, which has its own dedicated section on the RCVS website, via the RCVS social media channels, as well as providing information in RCVS newsletters, so do keep an eye out for this over the coming months.”
https://www.rcvs.org.uk/lifelong-learning/leadership-diversity-and-inclusion/reasonable-adjustments-campaign/
Photo courtesy: https://depositphotos.com
The Bella Moss Foundation (BMF) is to launch the Human to Animal MRSA Advice Service at the offices of the British Veterinary Association on Friday 22nd October.
The charity says this new online service has been created to provide information and advice on resistant bacteria and their effects on animal health to veterinary professionals, pet owners and carers.
BMF clinical advisor David Lloyd, professor of veterinary dermatology at the Royal Veterinary College, said: "There has been a worrying increase in the numbers of pets reported with MRSA Infections. The causes for this seem to be complex, and research to understand this emerging infection in animals and people is continuing. The Bella Moss Foundation has been very helpful explaining to pet owners the complexity of these issues, and the new Animal MRSA Advice Service will be an educational tool for lay people and veterinarians to learn more about resistant bacterial infections in animals."
For pet owners and carers the Animal MRSA Advice Service will provide education on bacteria, the risk factors for transmission between humans and animals, keeping pets healthy, finding a vet, and the importance of hand hygiene in protecting pets and people from unwanted infection.
For veterinary professionals and practice staff the service will also provide academic reports and international research, as well as information on CPD seminars.
If you would like to attend the launch of this new service, please contact info@thebellamossfoundation.com, or call Jill Moss on 07581 736774.
Fifty young people from low and middle income backgrounds will have the opportunity to learn what it takes to become a vet and prepare to apply to a veterinary school, at a summer school run by the Sutton Trust and the Royal Veterinary College.
The RVC joins nine other UK universities in providing 1900 summer school places this year, helped by a three-year grant of £750,000 to the summer school programme from Barclays.
Each year, around 1,500 applicants apply for 664 places at the seven veterinary schools in the UK.
The 50 successful applicants to the RVC summer school this year will enter a week-long residential course with all expenses covered. The academic programme will focus on Bioveterinary Sciences, Veterinary Medicine and Veterinary Nursing taught by full-time academic staff. It will include practical dissections, clinical skills, farm-based sessions and laboratory periods. The participants will also be given sessions on the application process and interviews.
Sir Peter Lampl, chairman of the Sutton Trust and of the Education Endowment Foundation, said: "I'm delighted that the Royal Veterinary College has joined the Sutton Trust UK summer school programme. Veterinary courses are highly competitive, but it is vital that young people from low and middle income backgrounds have a fair chance to access them.
"Veterinary life is an attractive career choice for many bright young people, not just for the interest and variety of the work but also for the earning opportunities. The 50 students who enrol at the Royal Veterinary College this year will be given the best opportunity to prepare for university courses through our highly successful summer school model." Professor Stuart Reid, Principal at the Royal Veterinary College, said: "For many years the Royal Veterinary College has been focused on widening access to veterinary education to the most able students regardless of their background. The Sutton Trust has a long and successful tradition of supporting under-privileged students into higher education and we are proud to be working with the Trust's summer school programme.
"We hope that the summer school will demonstrate the broad range of exciting opportunities available to students with an interest in veterinary science and encourage more students from non-traditional backgrounds to consider a veterinary career."
Young people interested in applying to Sutton Trust summer schools can find more information at http://www.suttontrust.com/students/uk-summer-schools/
The NASAN is an audit for practices to share their data anonymously, to establish UK benchmarks in post-operative complications rates for small animal neutering.
Each year, RCVS Knowledge releases the national routine neutering benchmark to enable veterinary teams to compare their figures against the national average and use this data as part of a benchmarking exercise towards continuous improvements for neutering outcomes.
In 2020, 72% of neuters were complication-free, 13% lost to follow, and 15% of animals suffered an abnormality related to the operation, mostly requiring medical treatment.
Chris Gush, Executive Director of RCVS Knowledge, said, “Data submitted to the NASAN last year, and so far this year, has been lower than expected – likely due to the strain put on the professions by the pandemic.
"We believe many practices have neutering data that they have not been able to submit yet. We would be grateful for any unsubmitted neutering data for 2020 and 2021 to be sent to the NASAN, when practices are able, so that it can contribute to the national picture and allow us to gain the most accurate representation of the benchmarks for neutering in the UK.”
RCVS Knowledge is asking that practices submit their data for 2020 and 2021 by the 15th of October.
Anonymised data may already be available via the practice’s PMS and can be added to RCVS Knowledge’s spreadsheet. Practices can use the results to carry out their own audits and produce internal benchmarks, guidelines and checklists to help monitor their progress and help reduce complication rates by using RCVS Knowledge’s free Quality Improvement resources. The yearly benchmarks are reported in November each year.
You can submit your data from 2020 and 2021 on the vetAUDIT website: https://vetaudit.rcvsk.org/nasan
RCVS Knowledge has created a ‘How to guide’ for using the NASAN, which can be watched on YouTube: https://youtu.be/otoyYK3heCQ
FMDMost of you will be aware that IP8 was declared yesterday. This is a farm in the POZ that was slaughtered on suspicion after detection during surveillance visits. This has lead to further slight changes in the boundaries of the PZ and SZ. These were early lesions and initial laboratory results confirm this.
The epidemiology of the spread of FMD in the area north of Egham suggests that cattle on 4 premises in the vicinity of IP8 have been exposed to infection either via possible aerosol or fomite spread and are likely to develop disease. These premises will be culled as dangerous contacts.
BLUETONGUEThe various zones for controlling Bluetongue have now been defined. These are difficult to describe because they use roads etc. as boundaries but detailed maps and description of the boundaries are available at:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/bluetongue/pdf/declaration-bt-pzcz290907.pdf
When farms straddle a road that is a boundary the whole of the farm is classed as being in the zone. It may be possible to put parts of a holding that is outside the zone as a separate unit with consultation with local Animal Health office.
The movement restrictions between the various FMD and BT zones are available at
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/bluetongue/movements/index.htm
Defra are worried that farmers are not reporting cases of BT because they feel there is nothing that can be done so why bother. It is still a notifiable disease and there is a need to monitor spread for various trade implications. There are, of course, likely to be welfare considerations with clinically affected cases. These will need to be addressed with veterinary consultation and may involve symptomatic treatment or euthanasia.
The prevalence of the disease in infected herds/flocks is still low with 1:53 and 1:190 being affected on surveillance.
Genitrix has launched a new system called Osteokine, which produces Platelet-Rich-Plasma (PRP). PRP, an autologous solution containing therapeutically significant concentrations of platelets, is known to accelerate the healing of injuries and is already widely used in human medicine. It is increasingly being used in the treatment of horses.
The Osteokine system, developed by German company Orthogen which also manufactures joint therapy Irap, comprises two interconnected blood bags.
The system involves taking citrated whole blood from the horse and placing it into the first, red-capped Osteokine bag for processing in a centrifuge. The plasma and platelets are then transferred to the second bag, and a second centrifuge process separates the plasma and generates a pellet of PRP, which is extracted and used to treat the horse from which it was taken.
Treatment with PRP has been shown to accelerate wound healing in all kinds of tissue particularly tendons and ligaments and has also been used in bone healing. It has been noted to reduce perioperative traumatic pain while the higher collagen content provided by PRP can create improved scar resistance.
Commenting on the launch of the Osteokine system in the UK, Rob Watkins, Marketing Director of Genitrix, said: "Therapeutic care of equine lameness is an area of particular expertise for Genitrix and the innovative treatments we've brought to market, including Acell, HY50 and Irap already form part of the staple ‘toolkit' of many equine vets.
"The benefits of PRP in terms of accelerating wound healing and vasculerisation are already widely accepted as are the advantages of an autologous approach in terms of eliminating the risk of disease transmission. To date, however, the process of extracting PRP has proved complex and expensive and only provided in specialised laboratories.
"Osteokine, in contrast, offers a cost-effective approach based on a system which is simple to operate in practice and takes only 20 minutes. We believe it offers a highly effective approach to treating wounds and injuries in horses."
For further information on Osteokine, contact Genitrix on 01403 786345.
Boehringer Ingelheim has released details of research presented at the 29th World Veterinary Congress which shows dogs with congestive heart failure (CHF) due to myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) live longer when treated with pimobendan (Vetmedin®) compared with a commonly used ACE inhibitor.
The results of the QUEST trial, the largest international study of its kind to be conducted amongst dogs with congestive heart failure, are due to be published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine (JVIM) later this year.
The condition myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) accounts for approximately 75% of all cases of CHF in dogs2. MMVD is associated with the thickening of the cusps of the mitral valve (one of the main one-way valves within the heart), affecting the flow of blood from the heart to the rest of the body. Although there is no cure for CHF due to MMVD, there are treatments available to manage the condition, improving the quality and length of the dog's life.
Professor Jens Häggström, lead investigator of the QUEST trial from the University of Uppsala, Sweden, commented that "the QUEST trial is a significant milestone in our efforts to reassure both, veterinarians and dog owners, that there is compelling evidence to show that pimobendan is an effective treatment for CHF that prolongs their dog's life and providing pet and owner with more quality time together."
The QUEST trial was a randomised, positive-controlled, multi-centre trial conducted at 28 sites across 11 countries, and is the largest study of its kind ever conducted in veterinary cardiology. The study compared a pimobendan group with a group treated with benazepril hydrochloride on top of background diuretic therapy. The trial spanned three years and followed dogs to death, euthanasia or treatment failure leading to withdrawal from the trial.
Research by Boehringer has also shown that over 50% of dog owners in the UK are unaware that their dog may be at risk of heart failure. Heart disease affects one in four dogs over seven years of age, and the lack of knowledge about this serious, life-threatening condition suggests that there is a need for better education amongst dog owners on how to recognise the disease, and how to maintain their dogs' heart health.
A new paper by D J Bartram and D S Baldwin, published in this week's Veterinary Record, has found that veterinary surgeons are four times as likely as the general public, and around twice as likely as other healthcare professionals, to die by suicide as opposed to other causes.
Professor Bill Reilly, President of the British Veterinary Association, said: "David Bartram's research in this difficult area is to be applauded. The more we can understand about the reasons behind the high suicide rate amongst veterinary surgeons, the more the BVA and other bodies can do to support vets in crisis.
"As part of the Vetlife Steering Group, the BVA supports fantastic initiatives such as the 24-hour Vet Helpline for vets, vet nurses and veterinary students, and the Veterinary Benevolent Fund.
"The BVA's Member Services Group (MSG) also spends a lot of time looking at practical initiatives to improve individual vets' day-to day lives. The recent introduction of the mediation and representation services to help resolve issues between veterinary employees and veterinary employers is a good example of the positive ways in which the BVA can support its members in difficult situations.
"The MSG also recently produced a helpline sticker for all veterinary practices to display on the medicines cabinet and other prominent places to act as a constant reminder that help is available.
"Ours is a small profession and many vets will know a friend or colleague who has taken their own life. It is essential that this issue is kept in the open so that those who are struggling know where to turn for help."
Eli Lilly and Company, which owns Elanco Animal Health, has announced an agreement to acquire Novartis Animal Health for approximately $5.4 billion in cash.
Lilly says that on completion of the deal, Elanco will be the second-largest animal health company in terms of global revenue. It will also solidify its number two ranking in the U.S., and improve its position in Europe and the rest of the world.
As part of the agreement, Lilly will acquire Novartis Animal Health's nine manufacturing sites, six dedicated research and development facilities, a global commercial infrastructure with a portfolio of approximately 600 products, a pipeline with more than 40 projects in development, and an experienced team of more than 3,000 employees.
The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2015, subject to clearance under the U.S. Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, similar requirements outside the U.S., and other customary closing conditions.
John C. Lechleiter, Ph.D., Lilly's chairman, president and chief executive officer said: "Animal health continues to represent an attractive growth opportunity for Lilly. We intend to keep Elanco and to take advantage of the substantial synergies between our animal health and human health businesses.
"Significant investments in our animal health business in recent years have enabled Elanco to double its revenue since 2008, leading the industry in growth. Global trends suggest continued sustained demand for animal health products in the years ahead. Through this acquisition, which moves Elanco to top-tier in the industry, we intend to create value for our shareholders by adding to our promising pipeline of innovative animal health assets, increasing sales through a larger commercial footprint, and improving efficiencies and lowering costs."
The RCVS has been out promoting the profession, the Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) and its new 'Find a Vet' search tool to animal owners at BBC Countryfile at Blenheim Palace last week.
The RCVS stand was designed to look like a veterinary practice, complete with waiting room, consulting room, prep room, operating theatre and RCVS Accredited Practice logos.
The team from the College handed out around 1,500 ‘Find a Vet’ canvas bags containing 'Find a Vet' and Practice Standards Scheme leaflets and merchandise, and persuaded over 200 people to take part in special ‘Find a Vet’ and PSS-themed games and competitions.
These included having to find a veterinary surgeon or nurse around the showground (volunteers from RCVS Council and VN Council, including RCVS President Chris Tufnell and VN Council Chair Liz Cox, along with David Catlow, Neil Smith, his dog, Fire, Lucy Bellwood and Amber Richards).
The College reports that there was also a continual stream of children eager to pretend to be veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses for the day and have a go at the on-stand ‘animal examination’ and ‘animal surgery’ activities. All this gave rise to plenty of photo opportunities, which parents and competition entrants were encouraged to share on social media, to help spread the word about the College’s activities.
Ian Holloway, RCVS Head of Communications said: "This was the first time the RCVS had been to such a large-scale and high-profile public event, and it provided a superb opportunity to explain to animal owners who we are and how we can help them.
"We had a great deal of interest in our new Find a Vet service, and people also seemed reassured that there was a scheme in place to accredit veterinary practices around the country. Having attended both the London Pet Show and BBC Countryfile Live this year, we now plan to increase the number of animal owner events we attend next year, to further raise public awareness of the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme and our Find a Vet service."
For more pictures of the event, see: https://flic.kr/s/aHskEQkDPc
Pfizer, manufacturer of the wormer Strongid™-P has launched a new promotional campaign. Love your horse is based on simple, straightforward and unbiased educational messages to help ensure the optimum health and wellbeing of horses and ponies in the UK.
Pfizer's veterinary adviser Ben Gaskell said: “Simplistically, the three key tools for the horse owner to understand are diagnostics, worming and pasture management. If these tools are used in combination with specialist advice, then the horse owner will be able to provide a sustainable, reliable and cost-effective worm control strategy for their horse.”
At the core of the campaign is a new range of four highly informative and uncomplicated leaflets directed at every type of horse owner: Do you need to worm; Choosing and using the right wormer; Managing your pasture and Worming and Your new horse.
“Each leaflet has been designed to work as a stand-alone piece or can be presented as a smart, matching series of four,” said Helen Shirley, brand manager for Strongid™-P. “The leaflets can be displayed in-store in a distinctive counter-top leaflet dispenser and are supported by eye-catching point of sale materials including posters and balloons." The new campaign packs will be rolled out to all stockists from early June, supported by a dramatic new Love your horse advertisement in national equestrian trade and consumer titles.
The campaign will build up momentum over the summer months and into autumn’s double dosing time with a series of authoritative, no-nonsense features and news stories from Strongid™-P’s veterinary advisor Ben Gaskell.
For further information please email: Strongid-P@pfizer.com
Dechra Veterinary Products has announced the appointment of Bob Parmenter as managing director of its UK business.
Commenting on his appointment, Bob said: "I'm pleased to have joined Dechra at a very exciting stage of the company's development. I've been following the growth of Dechra over recent years and with its acquisition of VetXX in January, I believe that the business is now strongly placed to further establish itself as a leading player in the animal health industry."
Having spent nearly 40 years in the industry, Bob Parmenter has previously worked for Schering-Plough, Mallinckrodt Veterinary, Pitman-Moore, Coopers Animal Health and ICI Pharmaceuticals. "My career path has enabled me to experience all aspects of the animal health market. I'm confident my industry-wide knowledge will provide Dechra with additional experience as we continue to build our reputation and strengthen our UK market position."
Former MD Giles Coley, who joined Dechra in 1999 and has managed the UK business since 2003, has been promoted to European Pharmaceutical and Export Sales Director. As a member of Dechra Veterinary Product's European Board he will be responsible for co-ordinating pharmaceutical sales across Europe and developing the company's export sales.
Virbac has announced that it is hosting another day of CPD and surfing on Friday 26th April.
During the morning's session, Senior Field Veterinary Advisor Alex Allen BVM&S MRCVS will discuss 'Current thinking on companion animal vaccines', including CaniLeish, Virbac's vaccine for Leishmaniosis. Dermatologist Peri Lau-Gillard DrMedVet CertVD DipECVD MRCVS will then talk on 'Awful Atopics.'
The venue is the Atlantic Hotel, Newquay (close to Fistral Beach), with delegates transported to the nearby Surf School after lunch for their surfing lesson. A buffet lunch and post-surfing drinks will be provided by Virbac.
Territory manager and organiser Della Tomlinson said: "After last year's event we have had requests to repeat it from as far afield as London and Edinburgh, and we think that £30 for 3 hours of quality CPD is great value. As well as the obvious fun element of the surfing, we're deliberately holding the event on a Friday so vets can take advantage and enjoy a well-earned weekend away at a great location. Sadly this will have to be at your own expense!"
For more information or to book a place please contact Claire Lewis on 01359 243228 or claire.lewis@virbac.co.uk.
The award is to recognise the dedication of the country’s veterinary nurses and the support they give to their veterinary teams, the nation’s pets and pet owners. It is given to a vet nurse who not only cares for sick and injured pets but also encourages responsible pet ownership and improves pet welfare in their community.
The award will be presented at the BVNA Congress on Saturday 2nd October 2021, which will this year be a hybrid event with live speakers at the event in Telford and remote delegates.
David Catlow, Blue Cross Director of Veterinary Clinical Services said: “The veterinary profession faced difficult times for much of the past couple of years but vet nurses strove on to provide their usual professionalism, compassion and special care for pets and their owners.
"Now, more than ever, we need to recognise their invaluable work and the incredible reassurances and support they offer pet owners and how they are dedicated to helping the welfare of the nation’s pets in their communities.”
Last year, the award went to Chloe Mackintosh (pictured right), a veterinary nurse at RSPCA in Harmsworth, North London, who was nominated for her passion and commitment to animal welfare.
If you know a vet nurse who you believe has gone the extra mile for your pet or you believe they have made a significant contribution to animal welfare, complete the nomination form on the Blue Cross website at www.bluecross.org.uk/bvna.
Scandinavian Micro Biodevices (SMB) has launched its new diagnostic device: QuickVet Analyzer. The device brings novel ‘point of care’ testing to the clinic.
The QuickVet Analyzer and QuickVet COAG test cartridge provide analytical results in pets’ blood samples to help diagnose a range of conditions such as:
Investigating potential coagulation problems is an important pre-operative procedure.
SMB Chief Executive Officer, Mr Ole Kring, said: “The QuickVet Analyzer is simple to use, requires no routine maintenance and delivers results of high precision.”
The SMB device brings state of the art, ‘lab-on-a-chip’ concept from human diagnostics to the veterinary clinic, giving vets diagnostic test results in approximately ten minutes. Instead of waiting until the next day for the result, vets can offer pet owners an instant diagnosis.
The Quickvet Analyzer uses individual test cartridges based on microfluidic technology. The first test cartridge to be launched - the QuickVet COAG test - will analyse the intrinsic activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and extrinsic partial thromboplastin time (PT) coagulation cascade from citrated whole blood in just minutes at an unmatched precision level of 7% CV in the relevant diagnostic range.
With touch screen operation, the instrument requires minimal training and is very user-friendly – the vet just adds a blood sample on the disposable cartridge and reads the result on the 7” colour screen.
The Quickvet COAG test is the first of several test cartridges being rolled out by SMB, which will be used in conjunction with the QuickVet Analyzer. They will all use whole blood samples and provide novel in-clinic diagnostic capabilities within the areas of infectious diseases, parasites and parasite transmitted diseases, toxicology, hormones, oncology and cardiology.
For further information on the QuickVet Analyser and QuickVet COAG test cartridges please contact:
Mr Ole Kring CEO Scandinavian Micro Biodevices ApS Gammelgaardsvej 87C DK-3520 Farum Denmark http://www.quickvet.net/ Telephone: +45 203 378 58
Vygon Vet, a division of Vygon (UK) Ltd, has announced the launch of its website - www.vygonvet.co.uk.
Vygon has been supplying the veterinary market for 15 years. The new website means the company's products can now be bought direct online. The range includes: Vascular Access, IV Management, Needle-Free Devices, Respiratory, Digestive Tract, Regional Anaesthesia, Tissue Adhesive, Urinary & Rectal Tract and Theatre Products.
In addition to product information and technical data, the website offers guidance notes and tips about basic procedures.
Les Davies, Managing Director of Vygon (UK) Ltd said: "The launch of the new website demonstrates our commitment to the veterinary market and we hope that it not only enables veterinary professionals to order our products with ease, but that they also find the guidance notes and advice a valuable resource for their practice."
Vygon Vet products can also be ordered by telephone or through your veterinary wholesaler.
Bayer Animal Health, the maker of Veraflox, has produced a new animation which explains the considerations veterinary surgeons should take into account when choosing which antibiotic to prescribe.
The animation outlines the key steps that should be taken when faced with a suspected bacterial infection and includes factors such as culture and sensitivity testing, resistance and the mutant prevention concentration.
The company says it produced the animation in response to research it carried out last year in which nearly 500 veterinary professionals (465 practising vets and 45 students) participated.
48% said they felt that not enough is being done to educate veterinary professionals on the responsible use of antibiotics and how to avoid exacerbating the urgent issue of antimicrobial resistance.
Vicky McAlister, Group Product Manager at Bayer said: "In response to this research Bayer is developing a suite of educational resources to arm vets with practical and applicable tools that help them look beyond the 'tip of the iceberg' of bacterial infections, educating about not just the clinical cure, but bacteriological cure, too."
The animation is part of a wider awareness programme entitled ‘What Lies Beneath‘ in which Bayer says it aims to better understand the challenges the veterinary industry faces when prescribing antibiotics, so that additional tools can be developed to help vets confidently use antibiotics responsibly.
The programme will also include a series of webinars led by experts in various fields including veterinary medicine, laboratory diagnostics experts, behavioural psychologists and microbiologists. The webinars are due to be released later in the year, and will present a different perspective on common issues such as compliance, how to make appropriate antimicrobial choices and the approach to and interpretation of relevant diagnostic tests.
The RCVS Council has announced its agreement with wholesale reform of the College’s governance arrangements to improve the efficiency and accountability of its decision-making processes.
The changes agreed by Council included almost halving the number of Council members and formalising lay and veterinary membership.
Under the proposals approved by Council it would be reduced to 24 members – comprising 13 elected veterinary surgeons (constituting a majority of Council), six appointed laypeople, three members appointed on behalf of the UK veterinary schools and two veterinary nurses. There would also be the option to appoint an additional member on behalf of any allied professions that RCVS Council may choose to regulate as associates of the College.
Professor Stuart Reid, Senior Vice-President of the RCVS and Chair of the Governance Panel that developed the recommendations, said: "I am delighted that Council so fully supported our proposals for a new structure. The new composition will ensure that both veterinary nurses and laypeople have a guaranteed place at the Council table, as well as maintaining a majority of elected veterinary surgeons and important input from the veterinary schools.
"The proposal recognises the unique nature of the RCVS and will allow us to expedite our decision-making process, making us more fleet of foot and better able to respond to the needs of the profession and the public. It has also been constructed to allow Council to evolve its position, ensuring it remains relevant into the future. If all goes well we hope that the changes could come into force as soon as March 2017."
Liz Cox, the Chair of VN Council, particularly welcomed the changes in respect of veterinary nursing representation on RCVS Council, adding: "It is an historic decision for veterinary nurses and one that has been long awaited. It is only right that those who work so closely alongside veterinary surgeons in practice should have a direct input into regulation that affects us all."
Council’s approval of the recommendations was the culmination of two years of debate and consultation with the profession and other stakeholders. This included a formal consultation by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) last year which garnered 52 responses – including from the British Veterinary Association - most of which were supportive. Different options for reform had, in turn, been developed by a Governance Panel, chaired by Professor Reid, which was set up by Council in March 2015 to consider various options.
Defra will now run a short informal consultation to provide those who responded to the initial consultation the opportunity to comment on the proposed reforms. If no issues are raised Defra officials will seek approval from the Government to proceed with a legislative reform order (LRO) to make the necessary changes to the Veterinary Surgeons Act.
This LRO will be scrutinised by parliamentary committee and voted on in both the House of Commons and House of Lords. Once this has been passed there will be a three-year transitional period, agreed by Council members, during which Council’s numbers would be gradually reduced.
In the study, Fluorescent tagging for environmental surface cleaning surveillance in a veterinary hospital 1, researchers at Ohio State University used a fluorescent dye to tag pre-determined surfaces in a large veterinary teaching hospital.
The dye was invisible to the naked eye, but fluoresced under a blacklight (UV-A source). It could be easily removed by regular cleaning.
Surfaces were tagged and then assessed 24 hours after tag placement to determine whether they had been cleaned. Tagging and assessment took place during non-peak hours in an attempt to eliminate observer bias. The study ran for a period of 5.5 weeks between June and July 2014 and a total of 4984 surfaces were tagged and assessed.
Jason Stull, corresponding author of the paper said: "Overall, 50% of surfaces were adequately cleaned so that the tag was completely removed. Cleaning varied widely by surface/object and hospital location. Of the surfaces designated as having primarily human contact, the equipment cart and door handle to the dog walking area were most frequently cleaned (100%), whilst examination equipment including the otoscope, ophthalmoscope and swivel light handle were the least frequently cleaned (2.3%).
"Of the surfaces designated as having primarily animal contact, the ward cage interior was the most frequently cleaned (89.0%) whilst the dog run interior was the least frequently cleaned (23.1%). In terms of hospital location, the most frequently cleaned area was radiology (77.5%) and the least frequently cleaned area was the small animal treatment area (4.2%)."
The overall proportion of surfaces satisfactorily cleaned was similar to that reported in previous studies, however, the findings for some surfaces and hospital areas differed.2 This demonstrates the importance of veterinary cleaning surveillance in individual practices so that targeted interventions can be implemented.
Nicholas Jeffery, editor of JSAP said: "With health-care associated infections being a persistent problem in human and veterinary medicine, it is important that surfaces and equipment within the veterinary practice are adequately cleaned. This research demonstrates the potential use of a commercial fluorescent dye for veterinary cleaning surveillance to inform hospital cleaning practices."
The full article can be found in the February issue of the Journal of Small Animal Practice which is free for BSAVA members. It can also be read online here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsap.13090
References
Niall, who stepped up from Vice Chair to acting interim Chair of the Fellowship Board after the resignation of the previous Chair, has been formally elected as Chair of the Board.
In his role as Chair, Niall will continue to lead the Board, which is responsible for setting the criteria for joining the Fellowship across all three of its routes to entry, as well as the process by which applications are assessed.
An election for the position of Vice Chair of the Fellowship Board will take place in the autumn.
Niall said: “I am honoured beyond words to be elected Chair of the RCVS Fellowship and I'm very grateful for the support received to achieve this.
“I know I have very big shoes to fill, thanks to the great efforts that have gone on before and I will put all my available energy into continuing to work with our Fellows and the College to progress the goals of RCVS Fellowship as a resource of independent knowledge for our professions, to upskill and always innovate, while looking to enrich public awareness and discussion.”
Nicky Paull MRCVS, who has held the position of Chair of the Credentials Panel for the Meritorious Contributions to Clinical Practice pathway for the past three years, was successfully re-elected.
Nicky will continue to be responsible for making assessments of applicants aiming to gain Fellowship through the Meritorious Contributions to Clinical Practice pathway.
She will co-ordinate and oversee a review of the applications by her fellow panel members, as well as chairing any required appropriate panel meetings.
On her appointment, Nicky said: “I look forward to the challenge of continuing to grow the diversity of the Fellowship and celebrate those who, by their contribution to the advancement of the profession by clinical or educational scholarship and leadership, have had a significant impact on clinical practice within the veterinary profession.”
Niall and Nicky will be formally instated into their roles at Fellowship Day, which is due to take place on Thursday 28 November at One Great George Street, London.
https://www.rcvs.org.uk/fellowship/
The Veterinary Laboratories Agency has worked in collaboration with the Institute of Animal Health (IAH) at Pirbright to introduce the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test for Bluetongue virus.
This test is now available via veterinary surgeons for pre-movement (UK) and export testing purposes only.
As of this date, PCR testing for these purposes will no longer be available from IAH, Pirbright.
For further information see www.vla.gov.uk
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CEVA Animal Health, manufacturer of pheromonatherapy products, D.A.P.® and Feliway®, has launched a new website - http://www.petfireworkfear.co.uk/ - and a new leaflet and waiting room poster to support its ‘Remember, remember your pets this November' campaign which is backed by the PDSA, FAB (Feline Advisory Bureau), the APBC (Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors) and Sound Therapy 4 Pets.
The website features a comprehensive range of information including hints and tips on preparing pets for the firework festivities, how to spot signs of stress in cats and dogs, what to do if pets go missing or are injured, fireworks and the law and information on pheromonatherapy.
"The new site is a one stop shop for information on how to look after pets during the firework season and the precautions that owners should take to help pets cope with their fear of loud noises," says Lucy Brett, product manager at CEVA Animal Health. "Veterinary practices can help highlight these precautions by linking their websites to the ‘Remember, remember your pets this November' site."
A downloadable PR toolkit is also available from the website to enable veterinary practices to highlight the campaign to local pet owners. To request a copy of the ‘Remember, remember your pets this November' information pack, which includes details on CEVA's ‘Promote Your Practice' competition, please call Lucy Brett at CEVA on 01494 781510.