The British Small Animal Veterinary Association has taken a number of steps to help address the problems resulting from a shortage of isoflurane caused by mechanical problems at a manufacturing facility contracted to Zoetis, the country's biggest supplier of the anaesthetic.

The association has written a joint letter with the British Equine Veterinary Association and the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate asking for licence to be granted to specials manufacturers to produce isoflurane whilst the shortage persists, which Zoetis forecasts will be until March 2019.

In addition, the association's incoming Chair of the BSAVA Scientific Committee, Ian Self, an RCVS Specialist in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia has provided advice to support practitioners looking for alternative anaesthesia options, available here: https://www.bsava.com/News/ArticleID/2535/Isoflurane-supply.

The association has also made Chapter 14 of its online edition of the BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Anaesthesia and Analgesia 3rd edition free to access until the end of March 2019. The manual contains further information on alternative solutions such as TIVA (Total Intravenous Anaesthesia protocols) which some will be unfamiliar with. 

The manual can be accessed here: https://www.bsavalibrary.com/content/chapter/10.22233/9781910443231.chap14 

BBC's Watchdog has uncovered shocking evidence that prescription veterinary drugs can cost more, or less, depending on where you buy them from.

In one of the finest pieces of investigative journalism since Watergate, the erstwhile-criminal-law-barrister-cum-tv-reporter Robert Rinder discovered that he could buy a wormer for his dog from some online retailer for half the price that he'd bought it at his veterinary practice.

Incensed by his discovery that things can cost less online, Mr Rinder then asked a handful of pet owners whether they could recall seeing a sign at their practice to advise them that they could buy things cheaper elsewhere.

None could. But then I'll bet if he asked whether they could remember a sign for the toilet, they'd have struggled.

Still, by now certain they'd found evidence that pet owners are being 'fleeced', Watchdog then rang 70 practices to ask for the price of some common drugs and then compared them to the prices being offered by online retailers.

Their research confirmed the awful truth. Some places really do charge more than others.

Honestly, who, in a million years, would have guessed?

BBC Watchdog (piece starts at 42:25).

VetSurgeon.org welcomed its 4000th member to the online community last night, and recorded it's 1 millionth page view since the site was first launched late in 2007.

Use of the site didn't really start to take off until after the installation of a state-of-the-art social networking software platform late in 2008, and the site is now well on target to reach it's 2 millionth page view well inside the next year.

There was another significant milestone last night when VetSurgeon.org was contacted by a solicitor and asked politely to remove a part of a forum post on the site. Unlike Private Eye, I don't have the resources to argue in court, so I removed the offending paragraph.

Whatever else, it's flattering that someone thinks the VetSurgeon community is now important enough to wheel out a solicitor. Still, I hope it doesn't become a regular occurance. It's something of a heart-stopping moment when the person at the other end of the telephone introduces themselves 'as the solicitor acting for ...'

Zoetis has ramped up production of its Marek’s disease vaccine.

Poulvac CVI + HVT Marek’s vaccine provides the combination of the Rispens CVI strain and the HVT strain.

Zoetis says this combination of serotypes has long been recognised for providing strong, reliable protection against the disease, effective even against the very virulent pathotype of the virus.

John Kenyon, Zoetis National Veterinary Manager for Poultry said: "Marek’s disease remains a major problem for the poultry industry.

"To increase protection, it is a good idea to combine the CVI and HVT vaccine strains, and the new supplies of our vaccine help to make this more feasible.

“Currently in some longer-lived broilers and backyard laying hens a vaccine composed of just a single serotype is used, but it is advantageous to use a combination of serotypes to boost immunity further.”

Marek’s vaccination with Poulvac CVI + HVT can be performed in the hatchery at day of age via subcutaneous or intramuscular injection.

The Zoetis vaccine is supported with a range of services, including hatchery and vaccine audits, vaccine training and technical assistance.

Eurovet Animal Health has launched Vomend, a new veterinary licensed metoclopramide that can be used to treat vomiting and reduced gastro-intestinal motility in both dogs and cats.

Eurovet says that for years, vets have often had little choice but to use metoclopramide preparations designed for human use - therefore effectively off-licence. This new preparation will allow vets to use a medication they know is of great benefit in treating dogs and cats, without taking all the additional precautions required for off-licence use, such as having clients sign consent forms.

The product can also be used in puppies and kittens. Severe vomiting in young puppies particularly can quickly lead to dehydration and depression, so it is vital to control the clinical signs and prevent fluid loss. Vomend will, according to the company, be particularly useful in this regard. As well as being an anti-emetic Vomend is also a pro-kinetic upper GI tract stimulant, so it is indicated for use in chronic nephritis, pyloric spasm and drug induced digestive intolerance.

Vomend will be available in 20 ml and 10 ml vials, providing greater flexibility over usage and stock control.

For further information on Vomend contact Eurovet on 01223 257933 or order direct from your wholesaler from early February.  

Ed's note: The name. Is it just me? Wouldn't 'Tummyeaze' or something (anything) have been better?

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has directed that Somerset-based Mark Kombert be removed from the Register after he was found guilty of stealing ketamine and methadone from a practice.

Prior to the start of the hearing, the RCVS received correspondence from Mr Kombert confirming that he did not intend to attend the hearing, either in person or via a video-link, nor did he intend to send legal representation in his stead.

The Committee, chaired by Dr Martin Whiting, decided to proceed with the hearing in the absence of Mr Kombert and any legal representation, on the basis that it was in the public interest and the interests of justice to proceed and that Mr Kombert had been given the opportunity to attend or be represented. 

The Committee heard that staff at the practice where Mr Kombert was working as a locum had undertaken a check of the medicines kept in the practice’s controlled drugs cabinet and discovered that 5.5ml of ketamine and 1.5ml of methadone was missing. After the code to the controlled drugs cabinet was changed, Mr Kombert was observed taking an additional 3ml of methadone, which he then administered to himself while on duty at the practice.

After Mr Kombert was confronted with the evidence, he was given the details of the Vetlife charity for support and asked not to return to the practice.

The police were contacted and, on 4 January 2019, Mr Kombert was arrested and interviewed. He received a police caution for theft, with conditions that he should attend and complete a drug-use awareness course, and engage in a restorative justice process, which involved attending the practice to discuss his offences. At this meeting, Mr Kombert admitted stealing the drugs and administering them to himself while on duty, which meant he was not in a fit state to see patients. He apologised for his actions and the matter was then also reported to the RCVS.

In relation to the fact that Mr Kombert had accepted the police caution, made the admissions at the restorative justice meeting and had emailed the RCVS apologising for his actions, the facts of the case were found proven.

The Committee then went on to consider if Mr Kombert’s actions amounted to disgraceful conduct in a professional respect (henceforth called ‘serious professional misconduct’), something which Mr Kombert had admitted to in correspondence with the RCVS.

The Committee found that Mr Kombert’s actions did amount to serious professional misconduct. Dr Martin Whiting, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "The respondent’s conduct was dishonest; it constituted both a breach of trust and an abuse of his position with regards to access to veterinary medicines; it risked animal welfare and jeopardised the reputation of colleagues. It fell far short of the conduct expected of a member of the profession and amounts to disgraceful conduct in a professional respect."

The Committee then considered what the appropriate sanction against Mr Kombert should be, taking into account both aggravating and mitigating factors.

In terms of aggravating factors, the Committee took into account the risk of harm to animals, his dishonesty, the premeditated nature of the misconduct, the breach of trust and the fact it was repeated.

It also took into account three previous matters recorded against Mr Kombert in the United States of America.

These were: a letter of admonition from the Colorado State Board of Veterinary Medicine for practising when his licence had expired; a stipulation order from the same body in which he agreed to relinquish his licence in that state following an allegation that he took controlled substances from a veterinary practice and self-administered them; and a criminal conviction in New York State for obtaining an opioid controlled drug by deception, for which he was sentenced to three years’ probation. The Committee was made aware of the New York State criminal conviction after Dianne Norris, a Probation Officer based in that state, had contacted the RCVS after hearing about the inquiry and informed the College that Mr Kombert was in breach of his probation conditions.

Dr Whiting said: “The Committee has considered the witness statement of Ms Dianne Norris, a probation officer employed by Putnam County Probation in New York, who was responsible for supervising the respondent as part of his probation. Ms Norris explained that the respondent breached his probation on numerous occasions, which took place from November 2017 to 2018…. As a result of the breaches, Ms Norris required the respondent to increase his attendance at support groups to an inpatient treatment program for 28 days from 13 July 2018. He failed to attend.

"Ms Norris explained that warrants were issued for the respondent’s arrest…. The Committee noted that the conduct of the respondent in relation to obtaining controlled drugs from his employers for his own use while in the United States of America was similar to his conduct … [described in] the charges."

In mitigation the Committee considered that Mr Kombert had consistently admitted the charges against him as well as accepting and agreeing with the evidence against him.

However, the Committee decided that in light of the seriousness of his misconduct, including dishonesty and risk of serious harm to animals, removal from the Register was the most appropriate and proportionate sanction.

Summing up, Dr Whiting said: "The respondent has failed to uphold the requisite standards to be expected of him on multiple occasions. The Committee considers that the only sanction that is sufficient to protect the welfare of animals, maintain public confidence in the profession and declare and uphold proper standards of conduct is one of erasure."

Mr Kombert has 28 days from being informed of the outcome of the hearing in which to make an appeal to the Privy Council.

The full facts and findings from the case can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary

Surrey-based Fitzpatrick Referrals has launched a new scheme whereby referring practices can send one client for free treatment for every 15 paid cases they refer.

The scheme will allow regular referrers to gift free treatment worth up to £5000 to clients in need of financial assistance

Hospital Director Nicola Bromley said: “We recognise the challenge it is for families who may need specialist care for their animal friend but are unable to find the necessary funds.

"We highly value the relationship we have with our referring vets in providing options to their clients, and we hope this scheme will empower them to give hope to those who need it most.

"We are committed to supporting our referring primary care vets through collaboration, to make the whole sector as good as it can be for every animal.”

The new scheme will be activated immediately and apply to referrals made from January 2024, meaning practices and primary care vets who already refer to Fitzpatrick Referrals can refer pro bono cases immediately.

https://www.fitzpatrickreferrals.co.uk

DISCUSSION

Neuro orthopaedic veterinary surgeon Noel Fitzpatrick has been having a busy old time: hot on the heels of his world-first procedure to implant a prosthetic hip and femur in an American Bulldog comes the news that he has now fitted a cat with titanium prosthetic paws in another world-first.

Oscar the cat was minding his own business, basking in the late summer sun, when a passing combine harvester chopped off his hind paws.

Unlucky.

However, Oscar's luck turned when his veterinary surgeon, Peter Howarth from St Saviour in Jersey, referred owners Kate and Mike Nolan to Fitzpatrick Referrals to investigate the possibility of giving Oscar a pair of prosthetic paws.

Kate said: "We had to do a lot of soul-searching and our main concern has always been whether this operation would be in Oscar's best interests and would give him a better quality of life". Having decided it would, the Nolans asked Noel to go ahead. And so he came to give the two-year-old cat a pair of new artificial feet in a single, three-hour surgical procedure - something he says has never been done before by any team anywhere in the world.

The revolutionary design of the feet uses custom-made implants to 'peg' the ankle to the foot and mimics the way in which deer antler bone grows through skin. These pegs, or ITAPs (intraosseous transcutaneous amputation prosthetics), were first developed by a team from University College London led by Professor Gordon Blunn,  Head of the Centre for Bio-Medical Engineering at UCL's Institute of Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Science. Working in partnership with UCL, Fitzpatrick has pioneered the use of these weight-bearing prosthetic implants.

During the operation, the veterinary surgical team had to insert the ITAPs by drilling into one of the ankle bones in each of the back legs - an extremely delicate feat,  which could have fractured the ankle joint before the procedure had even begun, and even more challenging because it had to be performed twice. These artificial implants which are attached to the bone at an amputation site are coated with hydroxyapatite, which encourages bone cells to grow onto the metal. The skin then grows over the special umbrella at the end of the ITAP to form a resilient seal against bacteria and potentially fatal infections. The ITAP itself protrudes through the bone and skin, allowing the custom-built artifical paws to be attached securely. Click here to see x-rays and other case photos in the VetSurgeon media gallery.

Following successful surgery in November last year, the focus of the veterinary team has turned to the slow process of rehabilitation and helping Oscar to learn to walk again - firstly using external scaffolding anchored to the tibia  to protect the new implants until the ITAPs integrated into the bone and the skin grew onto the ITAP.  Remarkably Oscar was trying to stand within a day of the operation and despite some problems with infection that had to be overcome, in less than four months Oscar could stand and bear weight equally on all four limbs. He has since been fitted with a series of prototype new paws to ensure the best possible long term fit.

What makes this procedure so complicated is that Oscar's feet were severed at the junction of the tarsus and metatarsus. Noel said: "The real revolution with Oscar is because we have put a piece of metal and a flange into which skin grows into an extremely tight bone, with very narrow tolerances in the region of nanometres, rather than millimetres.  We have then successfully managed to get the bone and skin to grow into the implant and we have developed an exoprosthesis that allows this implant to work as a see-saw on the bottom of an animal's limbs to give him effectively normal gait.  Oscar can now run and jump about as cats should do.

Noel Fitzpatrick and the team at Fitzpatrick Referrals are the focus of a new six part documentary series: The Bionic Vet to be broadcast on BBC 1 at 10.45 pm every Wednesday starting on 30 June 2010. The programmes will focus on the multi million pound state-of-the-art vet practice in Surrey as well as the ways in which Noel is pioneering revolutionary new surgical techniques.

A new range of food flavour sprays for dogs and cats, which could it a lot easier for vets, nurses and owners to feed reluctant eaters and administer oral medications, has been launched by M H Foods Ltd.

The sprays, which will retail through veterinary practices only, are primarily designed to encourage cats and dogs to eat in situations where they are reluctant to feed. 

Testimonials received by the company from vets and veterinary hospitals suggest the sprays may help pets to eat when recovering from surgery or suffering from anxiety or depression. The company says they have also been helpful in encouraging pets to eat before their insulin injections and to enjoy bland foods such as renal diets.

Fred Key, Managing Director of M H Foods, said:  "The well-researched aromas and flavours of this patented development, which we have branded Bon Appetit, entice pets back to eating.  Another plus, pointed out by veterinary nurses, is that our flavour sprays disguise tablets and medication powder on food, making life easier for pets and owners alike!

"The Bon Appetit range - in chicken, beef and fish varieties - is artificially flavoured and, therefore, has no protein and is free from sodium, potassium and phosphorous, adding only 2 Cals per spray". 

Retailing at around £5 to £6 for about 50 days' supply, M H Foods says that Bon Appetit has been well received by the major veterinary wholesalers. 

Testimonials, full product and analytical information is available at:  http://www.mh-foods.co.uk/.

A new study carried out at the Royal Veterinary College and published open access in the Veterinary Record¹, has revealed various changes in the behaviour of dogs before a seizure, which may give owners advance warning and help them avoid triggers.

The research, carried out by PhD student, Dr Sarah Finnegan and a multidisciplinary team of neurologists, behaviourists and biologists, found that 65% of owners reported pre-seizure changes in their dog, most commonly clinginess, excessive energy, and unsettled sleep. These signs varied between dogs, with other common changes including clumsiness, excessive panting, becoming withdrawn or quiet, and lacking energy.

43% of owners also reported seizure triggers, which commonly involved stress, food and excitement. A wide range of other triggers were reported by owners including loud noises, fireworks, storms, household products (cleaning products and air freshener), and preventative healthcare including flea and worming products and vaccinations.

60% of owners believed they were able to predict an upcoming seizure in their dog by using a combination of pre-seizure changes and recognising triggers. Nearly half of these owners were able to do so 30 minutes or more before the seizure commenced.

Dr Rowena Packer, BBSRC Research Fellow and research lead in canine epilepsy at the RVC, said: "It was fascinating to discover how in-tune many owners of dogs with epilepsy are with subtle changes in their dog’s behaviour before seizures. Many of our findings echo what is seen in human epilepsy patients and add evidence to support the presence of prodromal pre-seizure periods in dogs as well as people.

"Collecting further objective data to confirm these findings and explore ways to proactively utilise this period for seizure management are of priority for future research.

“This study also highlights how crucial it is that owners of dogs with epilepsy keep good records, not just of their dog’s seizures, but also of changes in behaviour and exposure to potential triggers, to gain a better picture of patterns in their dog’s seizure activity. The RVC Pet Epilepsy Tracker app allows owners to keep records, that can also be shared electronically with their vet and with RVC for further research.”

Reference

1. FINNEGAN SL; VOLK HA; ASHER L; DALEY M; PACKER RMA (2020) Investigating the potential for seizure prediction in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy: Owner reported prodromal changes and seizure triggers. The full paper is available in Veterinary Record: https://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/early/2020/05/21/vr.105307 

The British Veterinary Association has announced the three winners of its Photographers of the Year competition, sponsored by iM3 Dental.

The winning images were selected from nine finalists, shortlisted from hundreds of entries that were taken by vets, both in their professional and private lives.

And the winners are ...  

• Vets at work winner - #Colostrumisgold by Sophie Aylett
• On the Shoulders of Giants by Katherine Edmondson
• Happy pets that make us smile winner – Jumping for joy by Sam Price

Sophie said: “I was very surprised to win with my photo of a newborn calf standing next to me during the closing phases of surgery.

"I'm not that slow at suturing up, it’s just the calf was very alert and standing before I finished!

"For me this photo encapsulates the best parts of farm vetting: prompt decisions, safe handling, great outcomes, teamwork.

"I’m very proud to be a farm vet and exceptionally pleased this photo will be seen by current farm vets and hopefully will inspire future farm vets from all walks of life to pursue a veterinary career.” 

Katherine, who is a third year Veterinary Medicine student at the Royal Veterinary College, said: “I'm absolutely delighted to have my photograph selected as the winner of the category, especially against such impressive entries. 

"I was on a morning visit to a game reserve with a local vet in South Africa, when the sunrise highlighted the small oxpeckers on the backs of the giraffes, frantically flying to and fro.

"With the giraffe curiously watching us, I managed to capture the moment all three birds landed on its back, creating the image representing all creatures great and small.”

Sam Price said: "I took the image of my dog, Winnie, while on a campervan trip on the north coast of Ireland.

She loves nothing more than a beach day as you can see so I felt this was a fitting photo for the brief.

Thankfully there was a rare bout of sunshine on the day which made for some nice lighting and Winnie is pretty photogenic, which always helps!"

BVA President Malcolm Morley said: “The winning images stood out to us for many reasons, but we particularly liked how each one captured the essence of the category it was entered into; Sophie’s image of a c-section on a cow was so touching and really demonstrates the daily life of many of our valued farm vets; Katherine Edmondson’s photograph of the giraffe and red-billed oxpeckers was stunning but also truly embodied the All creatures great and small element; while Sam Price’s photo of Winnie the dog literally jumping for joy stole our hearts and genuinely made us all break out in smiles.

“Congratulations to all the winners, and also a huge well done to all the finalists as well, it was a really tough decision but you should be proud of the incredible photographs you entered and your talents.” 

The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) has issued a consensus statement which sets new global standards for how primary care and practitioners should treat seizure patients.

The new directive, set out in a consensus statement led by neurologist Dr Marios Charalambous, Neurology Consultant at Blaise Veterinary Referral Hospital, champions a stage-based and prompt approach which targets the abnormal impediments responsible for sustaining seizure activity and establishing refractory stages.

Marios said: "This consensus statement is the culmination of extensive research and experience in managing complex neurological emergencies.

"By formulating clear and universally applicable guidelines for all vets, it presents both a novel perspective in terms of how seizures should be treated, and a huge step forward in this specific field."

Marios was joined by a panel of clinicians including Karen Muñana, Ned E. Patterson, Simon R. Platt, and Holger A. Volk, who have jointly made these recommendations based on prevailing evidence in peer-reviewed literature, as well as their own extensive clinical experience.

It was then validated by the ACVIM Board-Certified Specialists before being distributed globally by ACVIM to form official guidelines for vets across the world.

Marios will be presenting and discussing his findings at the BSAVA Congress 2024 in Manchester this weekend as part of the neurology agenda on Saturday 23 March 2024.

Dan Lewis, National ECC Lead at IVC Evidensia, said: “Being presented with an actively seizing animal can be incredibly stressful for owners and clinicians and has potentially dire consequences.

"Decision-making under such circumstances is often very difficult, even for the most knowledgeable teams, and access to these straightforward treatment guidelines will make a massive difference to how these cases progress.”

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jvim.16928.

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee of the House of Commons has called for an end to veterinary self-regulation and, as part of reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act, for a new independent regulator to be created.

If adopted, the move would end the RCVS's 182-year role as regulator of the veterinary profession.

In its report, "A sustainable veterinary workforce", the committee said the Government should separate the RCVS's professional leadership role from any regulatory functions within the veterinary profession, creating a new independent body that can oversee the expanded role of a reformed Act. 

The report argued that the current system of self-regulation makes the veterinary sector an outlier, pointing towards professions such as medicine and law where regulatory functions have been separated from professional bodies.

It added that self-regulation is increasingly unsuitable for a profession where vet practices and services are coming under the ownership of corporate entities and the management of non-vets.

The recommendation sits within a wider package on veterinary workforce pressures, veterinary education, Competition and Markets Authority remedies and reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act.

On workforce, the report said pressures in the profession are no longer driven primarily by an overall shortage of qualified individuals, but by challenges in retention, distribution and alignment with specific roles.

It recommended that Defra should, within six months, commission a sector-wide review of retention challenges across the profession.

The report also said the Home Office, in collaboration with Defra, should review the Skilled Worker Visa salary thresholds for veterinary roles by early 2027.

On veterinary education, the committee said the current funding model is not sustainable and recommended a full review of funding within the next Spending Review.

It also said the Government should ensure the CMA's remedies are fully rural proofed, and that the CMA, in partnership with the RCVS, should establish a monitoring framework by September 2027.

The RCVS welcomed the majority of the recommendations but said the idea of establishing a new veterinary regulator "seems to be based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the current role and functions of the College."

In a statement, the College added: “The report appears to assert that this reform is necessary because the functions of the RCVS are in conflict with one another, or that it is otherwise undesirable for these functions to be carried out by one organisation.

"Comparison with the legal sector – in which the regulatory and representative functions of professional bodies were separated by statute in 2007 – strongly implies that the committee considers the same reform necessary in the veterinary sector because the RCVS has similarly conflicting functions, which it does not, and suggests a conflation between professional leadership and representation.

“Furthermore, the report fundamentally misunderstands the concepts of self-regulation and regulatory independence.

"In the context of modern regulatory regimes, 'self-regulation' refers to the independence of a regulator from government, not whether a profession makes rules for itself. In this sense most professional regulators, including the General Medical Council, are both self-regulating and independent.

“The press release accompanying the report is more explicit on these points, arguing that the establishment of a new regulator would allow the RCVS to “specialise in continuing to represent the profession’s interests.”

"To be clear, the RCVS does not represent the interests of the veterinary profession as a whole, nor those of the individual veterinary professionals we regulate.

“While it is true that the RCVS is currently both a statutory regulator and a professional leadership body, we carry out our statutory regulatory function in the public interest under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, and we carry out our professional leadership function in the public interest in line with the objectives in our Royal Charter.

"There is therefore no conflict between the two functions; indeed, they are complementary, allowing us to take a holistic approach to setting, maintaining and advancing veterinary standards.

“Furthermore, our Royal Charter has enabled us to innovate and plug gaps in our aging legislative framework, for example through regulating veterinary nurses and providing quality assurance of veterinary care through our Practice Standards Scheme.

"Far from detracting from or conflicting with our regulatory function, our professional leadership function, underpinned by the Charter, has reinforced our ability to take action in the public interest where we may not have statutory powers to do so.

“In relation to any suggestion that the RCVS should no longer be the veterinary regulator because it is unduly influenced by the profession through its governance arrangements, we would emphasise that the College has for some time been advocating for legislative reform that would replace its governing Council with a fully appointed board with lay parity, which would remove any risk, real or perceived, of the profession setting and marking its own homework.

"We are pleased that Defra has adopted this recommendation in full as part of its proposed reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966.”

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5902/cmselect/cmenvfru/270/report.html

Analysis

The recommendation to create a new veterinary regulator is arguably the most significant proposal in the report, yet the committee’s case for such a fundamental change appears relatively thin.

The report argues that regulation should be separated from professional leadership, bringing the veterinary profession into line with sectors such as medicine and law. It also points to increasing corporate ownership of veterinary practices and the need to maintain public confidence.

However, the report does not provide evidence that the current regulatory model is failing, nor does it explain why reform of the RCVS itself would not achieve the same objective.

The result is that the recommendation appears to rest more on an ideological preference for separating professional leadership from regulation than on evidence that the existing model is producing poor outcomes.

Photo: EFRA committee chair Alistair Carmichael, whose committee has called for an end to veterinary self-regulation.