The RCVS Officers will be heading to Somerset, home ground of President Bob Moore, on Thursday 22 May for RCVS Question Time.

The Shrubbery Hotel in Ilminster is the venue for the final Regional Question Time of Bob Moore’s Presidential year, where he looks forward to seeing lots of familiar faces for a lively debate.

Veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and others involved in the profession are all welcome to attend the meeting, which kicks off at 6:30pm with a relaxing drink, a bite to eat and a chance to catch up with colleagues, followed by Question Time at 7:15pm. The meeting will finish at approximately 10:00pm.

Bob Moore will be chairing the meeting and the panel will be made up of the Officer team and Veterinary Nurses Council Chairman Andrea Jeffery, who will be answering your questions and concerns regarding the veterinary profession.

Hot topics expected to be raised on the night include the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme, a new Veterinary Surgeons Act, RCVS modular certificate, 24-hour cover, the Professional Development Phase and the non-statutory Register for veterinary nurses.

To book your place contact Fiona Clark at the RCVS on 020 7202 0773 or f.clark@rcvs.org.uk before 9 May 2008, or download an invitation at http://www.rcvs.org.uk/ and post it to the address supplied. All veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses living within reasonable travelling distance of the meeting venue will be sent a personal invitation.

If you are unable to attend the meeting, but have a question you would like to raise, please do write in.

Horiba Medical has announced the addition of the Dr. Fritz Video-Compact-System for veterinary endoscopic applications to its range of animal healthcare products. According to the company, the system is suitable for everyday small animal practice and includes a base unit and video otoscope attachment with a range of accessories for various applications.

Both the 1/3" CCD video camera and cold light source are combined in one solid and easy to operate unit, whilst the single cable technology enables the transfer of clear, magnified endoscopic images to the monitor. The camera can also be used independent of the light source and combined with a standard microscope to display urine, haematological and cytological slides. The single cable technology is facilitated by the TWIN Lock connection which enables the cable to be connected to the endoscopes with a secure bayonet lock. Offering high mobility and flexibility during examinations, the single cable makes the examination of agitated and moving animals easier.

The Dr. Fritz Video-Compact-System includes a complete set of equipment for all otoscopic examinations. The 90^° video otoscope attachment can be combined with six different examination sheaths, permitting the examination of ears, oral cavity and teeth. The combined suction and irrigation sheath enables the flushing of inflammation from the ear under visual control prior to topical treatment. Horiba says that with the working sheath, removal of foreign objects, biopsy and even dental examinations of smaller animals such as rodents is much faster, easier and more secure when following the enhanced visual display.

Optional endoscopes are also available for the Dr. Fritz Video-Compact-System, expanding the possible applications by adding rhinoscopic, bronchoscopic, cystoscopic and gynaecological functionality.

Horiba will be exhibiting the Dr. Fritz Video-Compact-System at the London Vet Show at Olympia, 22^nd to 23^rd October 2010, on Stand M4.

The British Veterinary Association has appointed David Calpin as its new Chief Executive.
 
David joins the BVA from Defra, where he was a Deputy Director and has held a number of senior management roles. David's policy responsibilities have included climate change, GM crops, sustainable land management, and, most recently, bovine TB. For a period last year David was Acting Director for Animal Health and Welfare in Defra.

David has been in the senior civil service since 2005, and has substantial experience of both staff and financial management. He spent two years working in Brussels representing the UK Government in EU negotiations, and has lived and worked in France, South Africa and Brazil. Prior to joining the civil service, David worked for Barclays Bank.

BVA Chairman Derek Williams said: "David's appointment comes at a very exciting time for the BVA as we respond to the challenges set out by our members in our membership research 'Your BVA, Your Say'. David has a proven track record as a senior manager, extensive experience of managing stakeholder relationships, and an excellent understanding of the political climate in the UK and Europe; all of which will ensure BVA continues to thrive and to represent members effectively."

David Calpin said: "I'm delighted to be joining the BVA. I've worked closely with the BVA in my previous roles and have been hugely impressed. I also know that no organisation can afford to stand still, and that the BVA needs to keep pace with changes in the veterinary profession.

"I'm really looking forward to the challenge of leading the BVA through a period of change to become an even more effective voice for the profession and providing services that members value. I have a lot to learn and I'm keen to get out and about to meet as many people as possible and to hear first-hand what the profession wants from the BVA."

Public Health England (PHE) is urging veterinary surgeons, nurses, other healthcare professionals and the public to become Antibiotic Guardians by visiting antibioticguardian.com and pledging to make better use of antibiotics, to help make sure they work now and in the future.

The website first asks users to choose whether they would like to make a pledge as a member of the public or as a healthcare professional or leader.

Those who pledge as a Healthcare Professional > Veterinary Practitioner can select one of the following pledges:

• If there is a need to prescribe antibiotics I will use narrow spectrum drugs wherever possible
• I will display posters and reading material in my waiting room to help public understanding on antimicrobial resistance
• I will ensure that there are effective cleaning and disinfection protocols in place to minimise the spread of bacteria between patients within the veterinary practice premises
• When dispensing antibiotics I will explain the importance of following the labelling instructions and giving the full course
• If a treatment does not appear to work, I will advise a different course of action and report the treatment failure to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD)

Those who pledge as a member of the public can elect to do so as an adult, a family member, a pet owner or a farmer.

The available pledges change according to category and those who respond will be asked if PHE can follow-up to confirm they did keep their pledge.

The campaign forms part of activities that support European Antibiotic Awareness Day (EAAD). Dr Diane Ashiru-Oredope, Lead for EAAD 2014 at Public Health England, said: "Everybody can help to tackle antibiotic resistance and we really urge people to help us do this. There is a lot to be done but we can start by making inroads into inappropriate prescribing.

"There are 2 elements to this. One is that we need patients to not always expect to receive an antibiotic for those self-limiting illnesses which are typically caused by viruses. This generally includes those where the symptoms include coughs, runny noses, muscle aches and fever. And the other is for GPs not to feel pressurised into prescribing antibiotics when they aren't really necessary.

"Community pharmacists and their teams also have a key role and should be seen as the first port of call for many winter illnesses caused by viruses. They can also help to manage patients' expectations by explaining the normal duration of these symptoms, what warning signs to look out for and providing effective over the counter treatments that will help relieve the symptoms.

Nicholas Brown, President at the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC), said: "Recently published research in BSAC's Journal, Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, confirms that despite government recommendations to reduce prescribing for viral illnesses there are still many GPs who do this. Of course GPs don't want their patients to feel unwell but there are many medicines which are available over-the-counter which can really help to reduce symptoms and make people feel better.

"We want to encourage everyone to self-treat as much as possible when it is safe and appropriate to do so. By using antibiotics only when they are needed we can all help to make sure that we keep our antibiotics working for everyone in the future.

"Antibiotic resistance is one the biggest threats to public health and PHE is delivering 4 key aspects of the 5-year UK strategy to help combat antibiotic resistance. These are improving infection prevention and control practices to reduce the number of infections in patients; optimising prescribing practice, improving professional education, training and public engagement and enabling better access to and use of surveillance data."

Children learn lots of important lessons about life, sickness and death from animals and veterinary practitioners. There seems to be an important role here for the profession to educate adult animal owners why antibiotics need to be used carefully both in pets and in humans.

Research carried out by the British Veterinary Receptionist Association has that morale amongst receptionists is at a low ebb, largely as a result of poor relationships with practice managers and low rates of pay.

The survey of 812 veterinary receptionists, which was carried out in the autumn, found that only 50% of veterinary receptionists are paid more than the UK minimum/National Living Wage.

33% said they worked longer than their contracted hours and 37% said they didn’t receive overtime pay.

As a result, 64% of those questioned felt they were not paid fairly for the responsibilities they carry, which include ensuring practice protocols, handling veterinary medicines, promoting ‘sales’ eg of healthcare plans and dealing with often challenging clients. 

Discontent with salary levels was exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. 49% of respondents were furloughed and 91% of them received no top-up pay from their practice in addition to the government’s 80% contribution. 

The BVRA says it recommends that Registered Veterinary Receptionists (RVRs) are paid at least £10 per hour, irrespective of their age.

A lack of access to CPD was also an issue. 56% of respondents wanted to update and increase their knowledge but the same percentage claimed a lack of time was a barrier.  With 80% of practices not allocating time for receptionists to undertake CPD and 44% receiving no budget for it, one respondent from a corporate practice confirmed that they could only undertake CPD in their own time, even that required by the company, such as training on health and safety and compliance.

While participants expressed a high level of satisfaction with their relationships with vets (71% were satisfied or very satisfied) and nurses (74% were satisfied or very satisfied), the same cannot be said for their relationships with practice managers. Fewer than half (46%) were satisfied or very satisfied with their relationship with their practice manager and 51% were satisfied or very satisfied with their relationship with the Clinical Director or Partner. 

Only 26% were satisfied with their working relationship with head office (if part of a corporate group). Relationships were further strained during the COVID-19 pandemic with 71% of those furloughed saying communication with their practice boss had been average or poor. 

As a final question, participants were asked to express their satisfaction with aspects of their role:

• 25% were satisfied or very satisfied with their salary
• 21% were satisfied or very satisfied with progression opportunities
• 29% were satisfied or very satisfied with the recognition they received
• When asked to rate their overall satisfaction of their job out of ten, the average score was three out of ten.

The BVRA and VMG are joining forces to host a free webinar to discuss the issues raised by the survey and potential solutions. Called 'Tackling Receptionist Morale Together', it will take place from 2.00pm-4.00 pm on Wednesday 25 November. For more information, visit: http://www.bvra.co.uk/event/bvra-vmg-tackling-receptionist-morale-together/ 

Brian Faulkner BSc (Hons), BVM&S, CertGP(SAM), CertGP(BPS), MBA, MSc(Psych), FRCVS, founder of the BRVA (pictured right), said: “BVRA is always working to improve the recognition, respect and job satisfaction of its members. We are delighted to team up with VMG as another way of doing this, alongside developing the status of a Registered Veterinary Receptionist.

Rich Casey is President of the Veterinary Management Group (VMG) said: “This report is sobering reading as it concerns the careers and wellbeing of a group of people who are essential to the success of any veterinary practice. The VMG is particularly interested in this research as a significant proportion of our members are practice managers and likely to be line managers of the reception team. 

Leadership is about recognising when things aren’t working and putting them right. We commend the BVRA for highlighting these issues and we ask all veterinary leaders and managers to join our webinar as we discuss what can be done to resolve this crisis now, as well as the longer-term steps that are needed.”

CEVA Animal Health has extended its behavioural range of products with the launch of Senilife^®, a nutritional supplement which is specifically formulated to help manage signs of brain ageing in dogs and cats.

Senilife^® contains a combination of three essential brain nutrients - phosphatidylserine, vitamin B6 and vitamin E - which the company says help maintain membrane fluidity and normalise neurotransmission.  In addition, two natural but potent anti-oxidants - gingko biloba and resveratrol - support brain metabolism and help to neutralise free radicals and reduce amyloid deposits.

According to CEVA, common signs of brain ageing in dogs and cats include playing or interacting less, barking or howling at night, loss of house-training/litter box training, apathy or increased tiredness and disorientation. A study has shown that up to 75% of dogs over seven years of age and 35% of cats 11 years and over suffer from at least one geriatric behavioural problem¹.

In a recent clinical study, 86% of owners were satisfied with the results achieved after one month of using Senilife^®, with 73% of dog owners and 67% of cat owners noticing fewer signs of brain ageing within the first seven days².

Juliet Penaliggon, small animal marketing manager at CEVA Animal Health, says: "Many typical signs of brain ageing in dogs can be controlled by nutritional management.  Senilife^® is a fast-acting, nutritional supplement that contains proven nutrients and neuroprotectives to help manage these signs."Senilife^® capsules are easy to administer either directly into the mouth of the pet or emptied onto the pet's food."

For further information, please contact your CEVA Animal Health representative or call 01494 781510.

References
1 Behaviour problems in geriatric pets.  Lansberg G and Araujo J.  Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 35 (2005) 675-698.
2 Isaka N, Baysse B, Lopez A, Ovaert P and Penaliggon J.  CABSTG Spring Meeting April (2009).

A new veterinary charity is offering veterinary surgeons, nurses and others in the profession the chance to get fit and raise money for Hounds for Heroes, SPANA and the Pet Blood Bank later this year.

The Vet Charity Challenge (VCC) is looking for teams to take part in a one-day event, involving a series of physical tasks and puzzle-solving challenges along the way, so it requires a bit of brain as well as brawn. The course will feature walking / running, cycling and kayaking and anyone can take part at whatever fitness level.

As well as raising money for the charities, organisers say it will be a fun way to build up camaraderie among your colleagues outside of the work environment and also a local PR opportunity for your practice or business to enhance your community profile.

The event is expecting to raise in excess of £30,000 for charity, but organisers stress that it will need the support of and participation by the veterinary profession to ensure it is a success.

The challenge will take place on Saturday 15th September 2012 at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester and all details may be found on http://www.vetcharitychallenge.co.uk/. Alternatively, ring 01727 859259 for further information. The VCC says an early commitment to take part is essential and the fine detail of training can be worked out later. The VCC will provide training guidelines and help you and your  team  prepare itself.

The Vet Charity Challenge is sponsored by BCF Technology, Kruuse UK Ltd and Vets 2 and is supported by the VPMA, Mojo Consultancy and JCA Media Group.

Zoetis Business Consulting has announced the launch of Profitsolver, a software tool designed to boost practice profits.

The software has already been rolled out in the US, where Zoetis says that it has delivered an average of £103,000 extra profit to veterinary practices within a year.

Profitsolver uses the practice's actual data - not benchmarks or accepted norms - to enable the practice to manage costs, set prices and gain return on investments. By using an activity-based costing model and using a variety of data such as practice costs, which staff perform which part of the procedure, how long the procedure takes and what equipment and materials are used, Profitsolver calculates the correct pricing to both cover costs and deliver a predetermined profit margin.

Zoetis says that Profitsolver helps practices to understand how the overall practice profit is being generated. For instance, for price sensitive procedures such as vaccination, the practice can match their prices with the competition, but maintain their profit margin by increasing the price for other clinical services.

Nick Steele, national consulting manager at Zoetis said: "Veterinary practices have no standard method for pricing their services and they are often unable to determine which services make money and which don't. This hampers the practice's ability to accurately value the business and, as a result, profit levels tend to be low for many practices. Profitsolver can turn this situation around and already has a very successful track record in the US."

Zoetis piloted the UK version of Profitsolver with John Goulding at St Georges Veterinary Group. He said: "By and large the veterinary profession still relies on the mark-up of medicines where profits are concerned. Even practices that have made a concerted effort to move away from this type of pricing structure are still making their money from the sale of medicines rather than from vets' fees. For years I have wanted to know exactly how to price our services and this new Profitsolver software does just that.

"Most costs have an element of staff time, an element of fixed assets or equipment and an element of disposable items. Profitsolver takes all of these into account, adds the predetermined profit margin and produces an accurate pricing structure for each procedure undertaken within the practice.

"It's important to take the time at the start to put accurate data in from the practice's latest set of accounts and the Zoetis business consultant will guide practices through this to make the initial set up as easy as possible. For instance, for major pieces of equipment such as X-ray machines, you have to work out how many times a year you are likely to use them.

"By using Profitsolver, we worked out that if we do exactly the same amount of work as last year we can increase our bottom line by at least £200,000 for our 18 vet practice. Since last November, when we installed Profitsolver, we have completely changed our pricing structure moving away from focusing on medicines and the size of the animal to rethink how we charge our clinical care.

"An unexpected benefit is that Profitsolver has made me much more confident about the prices we charge to clients as it is all broken down, so we can see exactly how the invoice is made up. I would be at a loss without it now."

For more information about Profitsolver, contact your Zoetis account manager.

In an article published in the autumn edition of the Equine Veterinary Journal, Professor René Van Weeren, Chair of Equine Musculoskeletal Biology at Utrecht University, suggests that equine lameness needs to be redefined to reflect new digital assessment techniques that use preset parameters to detect gait asymmetries.¹

The traditional method for detecting equine lameness is subjective, using expert visual evaluation of gait to identify the presence or absence and degree of asymmetries. The lame horse is described as having a disorder, defect or loss of function and this clinical diagnosis has associated welfare implications if the horse is still asked to perform.

The article explains how advanced computer technology is starting to change all this. Optic motion capture or the use of inertial measurement units (IMUs) is now enabling the detailed study and quantification of the horse’s gait; objective assessment against preset thresholds. The paper points out that while these digital systems can overcome the temporal and spatial limitations of the human eye they simply rely on one or a number of set gait parameters to decide about lameness and this can present obstacles.

Thresholds are forcibly based on a limited reference population, which doesn’t adequately reflect the millions of horses in the world. The individual environmental and mental conditions for each horse and its day-to-day gait variations are also not accounted for. On this basis to use the term ‘lame’ because a horse demonstrates a subtle gait alteration, causing it to fall below the threshold, could be inappropriate, particularly as it may not affect the horse’s welfare in any way.

Professor Celia Marr, Editor of the Equine Veterinary Journal said: "An important first step is for researchers and clinicians to start to discriminate clearly between 'asymmetry' and 'lameness' and not to use these as interchangeable terms when interpreting gait analysis data. Asymmetry is often, but not always, a hallmark of lameness, but is not a clinical term, whereas lameness is."

1. Do we have to redefine lameness in the era of quantitative gait analysis? P.R. van Weeren, T. Pfau, M. Rhodin, L. Roepstorff, F. Serra Bragança, M.A. Weishaupt. Equine Veterinary Journal 49, 567-569.

North Downs Specialist Referrals in Surrey has launched its first recognised programme to train veterinary specialists. 

The first course will be overseen by Jodie Hughes, an RCVS and European specialist in anaesthesia and analgesia. The hospital’s inaugural resident will be Luisa Oliveira (pictured right), who earlier completed a rotating internship at North West Veterinary Specialists in Cheshire, and, more recently, an anaesthesia-specific one at NDSR. 

Jodie said: “Luisa’s residency will comprise mainly the provision of anaesthesia to multiple animal species, ranging from the ‘simpler’ procedures to the most critical and complex, which we frequently encounter in our interventional cardiac procedures and emergency work. 

“A significant component of the training will involve the management of pain, both in the acute setting (in the peri-operative period) and in the chronic setting, whilst dealing with our pain clinic patients. 

“Luisa will also be trained in the management of emergency and critical care patients and will undergo rotations in other services to better grasp their requirements.

“As we work exclusively with dogs and cats, we will work in close collaboration with several other hospitals in the UK and continental Europe, to complement Luisa’s training with other species. 

“As part of this, Luisa will be exposed to multiple advanced techniques, including ultrasound-guided regional nerve blocks and interventional procedures in our pain clinic. 

Luisa said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for me to work alongside an incredibly experienced and skilled team at NDSR. 

The training programme has been developed by Rui Pinelas, RCVS and European specialist in anaesthesia and analgesia at NDSR, who is optimistic there will be further training opportunities in the near future. 

Rui said: “This was something NDSR has been keen to implement for some time and we had been having ongoing discussions to choose the perfect time. 

“In terms of logistics, it took around three months for us to set up this anaesthesia residency, which was largely spent organising our partnerships with the other training facilities and undergoing an evaluation as to whether our facilities and case load would meet the specialist board’s strict requirements, which we are delighted they did.” 

The PDSA is asking vets to take part in the PAW Report, its annual research into pet wellbeing. 

The 2023 PAW Report will assess how lifestyle changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost of living crisis have affected the nation’s pets.

The survey, which is open to vets, veterinary nurses and students, closes on 10th February 2023.

Entrants will be in with a chance of winning a £100 One4all voucher, accepted in over 130 high street stores.

Rebecca Ashman, PDSA’s Veterinary Engagement and Communication Manager said: “The PAW Report provides invaluable insight into key areas of pet wellbeing in the UK.

"Lifestyles had to adapt and change through the pandemic, and now as we navigate a cost of living crisis, this research is more vital than ever before.” 

Rebecca added: “It takes less than 15 minutes to complete the survey, and by taking part you’ll be helping us maintain an accurate picture of the biggest welfare issues facing pets in the UK today.”

Survey: https://start.yougov.com/refer/vz7hC0lZ0d10nG 

The University of Liverpool’s Philip Leverhulme Equine Hospital has installed a standing equine MRI scanner from Hallmarq Veterinary Imaging.