The traditional NVQ 'portfolio' system for student veterinary nurses could be phased out from next summer, under draft proposals from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Awarding Body, which has responsibility for the delivery of VN qualifications.

Proposals include an initial year of full-time college study, during which the student does not need to be employed in a Training Practice (TP), the introduction of compulsory farm animal work experience, the phasing out of the separate Equine Veterinary Nursing qualification and a reduction in practice-based assessment.

The catalyst for reviewing the VN qualification came from Ofqual's plans to introduce the new Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) from summer next year, which effectively scraps the NVQ in its current form. This gave the RCVS Awarding Body an excellent opportunity to reconsider work-based training for VNs in order to improve its effectiveness and efficiency.

The Awarding Body's proposals, on which comments are invited, aim to reduce bureaucracy for those involved with VN training, increase the number of practices able to take part and improve accessibility of training, ultimately increasing the number of qualified VNs available to the profession.

Under the new proposals, VN work-based training would be a two-year, 70-credit Level 3 qualification, equivalent to 700 hours' learning. The first year of this qualification could be delivered either as a full-time college course, or as a part-time day-release over two years (extending the complete training to three years). The first year would incorporate 25 days' work placement, including small animal, equine and farm animal environments - the first time a compulsory farm animal component has been introduced. This first year of the course could be directly accessed by school leavers, as there is no requirement for them to be employed in a practice.

Students would be employed in a Training Practice for the second 'clinical' year (or third year for part-time students). An online log of practical experience, similar to the Professional Development Phase for new veterinary graduates, would replace the current portfolio, with a more comprehensive end-of-year practical exam. There would no longer be a requirement for practice-based assessors, although students would still need to be supported by an experienced clinical mentor, a role many current assessors may assume.

The economic feasibility of Equine Veterinary Nurse (EVN) training was also considered, with the conclusion that a broader-based primary qualification, with all students carrying out work experience in a range of practice types, was more sustainable.

The number of training practices has long been recognised as a limiting factor in the UK's capacity to train VNs. In addition to standard TPs, proposals have therefore been made for Auxiliary TPs (ATPs). ATPs would be able to employ and train VN students even if they do not have the facilities to provide all of the work experience required:  a formal agreement to allow students to fill the gaps at another practice would be in place.

Finally, the proposals include a beefed up range of post-registration education options, allowing Registered Veterinary Nurses to develop, and be recognised, in their own areas of interest. This would help to create a career ladder for RVNs and assist in their retention within the profession.

"The proposals have been developed following a period of consultation with those involved with the delivery of VN training, and with employers," says Jacqui Molyneux, RCVS Council Member and Chairman of the VN Awarding Body.

"Feedback suggests that the current syllabus and training provides competent nurses who are highly regarded within the profession, but that training is overly burdensome for the practices involved. This, coupled with a recognised shortage of both Training Practices and qualified VNs, meant it was appropriate to think more creatively about how the qualification could be delivered. We hope that the draft proposals will be welcomed by both the veterinary nursing and veterinary professions, and would urge people involved to let us know what they think."

The proposals are available on RCVSonline (www.rcvs.org.uk/latestnews ) - please email your comments to Miss Jane Dawson, Project Consultant (jkhdawson@aol.com), by 31 October 2009. It is appreciated that this is a short deadline, however, the time-frame of the QCF is driving development, as is the need to allow colleges and training providers the maximum possible time to develop the new training structure for 2010/11 delivery.

MDC Exports is launching a cat cage at BSAVA Congress which it claims will revolutionise the way cats are cared for in veterinary surgeries

According to the company, plastic cages currently in use tend to harbour germs where cats have made scratches in their surfaces. This cage, however, is the first of its kind to be made from stainless steel, which cats' claws cannot damage.

MDC claims the hygienic Cat Cage will protect animals from disease and infection during their stay in surgery making for happier, healthier patients. The company says the stainless steel Cat Cage is strong, durable and can be flame sterilized. The handles can also be colour-coded, for example, yellow means neuter, red means post-anaesthetic and green means ready to go home. Each stainless steel Cat Cage also comes with a two-year free replacement guarantee.

For more information, visit MDC Exports at BSAVA Congress 2011 on stand 123. All visitors to the stand will receive a complimentary NipLok - the quick-release tourniquet that can be operated one-handed

David Chalkley MRCVS has been suspended for three months by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee after it found him guilty of serious professional misconduct over bovine tuberculosis (bTB) testing at a Cheltenham farm in March 2018.

Mr Chalkley faced three charges against him. The first was that he failed to identify some or all of the animals tested with Intradermal Comparative Tuberculin (ICT) tests at the farm.

The second charge was that Mr Chalkley had certified that he had carried out ICT tests on 279 animals at the farm and recorded the results on the accompanying paperwork but had, in fact, not adequately identified some or all of the 279 animals and had fabricated the skin thickness measurements recorded for some of them.

In addition, the charge alleged that Mr Chalkley’s conduct was dishonest, misleading and risked undermining government testing procedures designed to promote public health.

The third charge was that between June 2011 and September 2018, Mr Chalkley received payment of approximately £20,000 for ICT tests when, as a result of his conduct in relation to ICT tests at the farm, he was not entitled to such payment.

At the outset of the hearing Mr Chalkley admitted the first charge, that he had not adequately identified some of the animals.

On the third day of the hearing, during his evidence to the Committee, he admitted that his certification of the ICT testing was therefore misleading.

He denied the rest of the charges including that his conduct had been dishonest and that it had risked undermining government testing procedures designed to promote public health.

In considering the charges against Mr Chalkley, the Committee heard that discrepancies regarding the tests that were carried out on the farm in March 2018 were originally raised by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), on whose behalf Mr Chalkley carried out ICT testing in his capacity as an Official Veterinarian.

When Mr Chalkley gave evidence during the hearing, he explained that he had taken over TB testing for the farm in 2008 and that working conditions on the farm had been difficult throughout the whole period 2008 to 2018. He stated that due to the harsh weather conditions of early 2018, TB testing was difficult, and that the farmer needed to complete the test by March 2018 to avoid a financial penalty.

Mr Chalkley explained that one of the reasons for there being limited time available for him to carry out the test within the time required by the farmer was that he was due to provide veterinary cover at the Cheltenham races the following week and he was unable to find anyone else to cover the tests. Mr Chalkley also explained that during the tests on 5 and 8 March there had been limited farmhands available to assist in processing the cattle through the tests.

In the course of being asked questions by counsel for the RCVS, Mr Chalkley accepted that he had failed to identify some 45% of the animals he had injected on 5 March 2018 and had, in respect of each of the skin thickness measurements for those animals, randomly chosen a figure that he believed would be appropriate based on the breed, age and sex of the animal.

The APHA guidelines state that specific measurements should be made and recorded for each individual animal using callipers. Mr Chalkley said that he could not remember seeing the “pop-up” declaration which appeared when submitting the results to the APHA online and had never read it. He stated that he was not aware that he was making a declaration.  However, he accepted that as an Official Veterinarian he was confirming that he had carried out the test properly. While he agreed that he knew that the test contained inaccuracies, he did not accept that he was being dishonest when he submitted the results.

Having considered all the evidence put forward by the RCVS and Mr Chalkley in his own defence, the Committee found that Mr Chalkley had acted dishonestly in deliberately choosing not to take the measurements on 5 March and had instead submitted fabricated alternatives, and so risked undermining public health by failing to carry out his duties as an OV.

The Committee also concluded that Mr Chalkley had been acting dishonestly, as he  knew that he was submitting the test results as if they were the authentic outcome of a properly conducted test when in reality, they were no such thing.

The Committee did not accept Mr Chalkley’s evidence that he was unaware of the declaration which accompanied the submission of the test outcome. The Committee therefore found both the first and second charges proved.

In respect of the third charge the Committee found that this was not proven noting that the RCVS had not disproved Mr Chalkley’s explanation regarding his reasons for returning the £20,000 in fees he had received for carrying out TB testing at the farm from the APHA since 2011.

The Committee then considered whether the first two charges, both of which had been found proven, amounted to serious professional misconduct.

Ian Arundale, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee was prepared to accept that the respondent considered the risk arising from his actions as negligible. Nonetheless, in the Committee’s assessment a real risk existed due to the respondent’s actions and it was precisely the risk which the authorised testing procedure was designed to negate. The simple fact is the respondent could not be sure that each animal he assessed on 8 March 2018 had also been seen by him on 5 March 2018.

“However, the wider point with which the Committee was concerned related to the importance of any member of the profession or public being able to rely absolutely on the integrity of veterinary certification. Those parts of the Code and supporting guidance [concerning certification]… were unequivocal. It was very difficult to conceive of circumstances in which it could ever be justifiable to certify the outcome of a test which had not, in fact, been conducted in a way which was demonstrably valid and reliable. Such conduct was bound to be regarded as disgraceful by members of the profession and the general public.

“Honesty is the bedrock of appropriate certification and the Code and Guidance for the Disciplinary Committee is also unequivocal. Dishonesty in professional practice is always an extremely serious matter and the respondent’s responsibilities in the discharge of his functions as an Official Veterinarian were clear. On this occasion those responsibilities had been compromised.

“For these reasons, the Committee has come to the conclusion that the respondent’s conduct in relation to the facts found proved was disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.”

The Committee then went on to consider the sanction for Mr Chalkley.

The Committee heard oral evidence in mitigation, including from a former colleague who had worked with him in practice since 2006, as well as receiving a large number of written testimonials from various sources that attested to his honesty, integrity, willingness to help others, and charitable work in support of animal welfare.

Mr Chalkley’s counsel, in mitigation, highlighted his long and previously unblemished career, and characterised the conduct as an inexcusable but explicable error of judgement that was entirely isolated and out-of-character. Mr Chalkley’s counsel added that he had not done anything that he thought was seriously wrong, and there was no evidence that any harm had been done and that any risk to public health was not serious.

The Committee accepted that the conduct was isolated and out-of-character and that, furthermore, Mr Chalkley had made early and frank admissions to the APHA and that he had displayed a degree of insight, although the Committee was less confident that he truly understood the seriousness of the potential consequences of his dishonest conduct.

The Committee took into account the aggravating factors, including Mr Chalkley’s breach of trust of his position as an OV, the undermining of the integrity of veterinary certification, dishonesty and the potential public health impacts of his conduct.

Ian Arundale added: “The Committee considered that, having regard to the mitigating features which it had identified, a suspension order would be sufficient to send to the profession and the public a clear signal about the importance to be attached to accurate certification. The Committee considered that in the particular circumstances of this case, a period of three months suspension would be sufficient to achieve this objective.”

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

VetCT, the Teleradiology and teleconsulting company, is offering free Computed Tomography (CT) training for practices. 

The company says more and more CT scanners are being used in general practice, but many teams have been telling them they're not sure if they're using their scanner optimally, or that only some of the team are confident in using it.

The online training aims help teams get the best diagnostic use of CT 

The first of the sessions, on 15th June, will cover the indications and benefits of CT in small animal practice.

The second on 22nd June will look at how and when to perform CT reconstructions.

Manuel Pinilla, VetCT Supporting Radiologist and Director of Quality Assurance (pictured right), will be delivering the talks.

Manuel said: “We are seeing a rapid increase in the use of CT in first opinion practice.

"We know CT can provide vital diagnostic information in addition to the more traditional modalities of x-ray and ultrasound.

"However, it can be challenging to optimise the diagnostic capability.

"We’re keen to support veterinary teams to help them get the most out of their machine and do the best for their patients and the owners.”

To register for the training, visit: https://welcome.vet-ct.com/ctcpdwebinars 

Merial Animal Health has been found in breach of the NOAH Code of Practice for literature promoting the wormer Ivomec Super.

In the literature, Merial stated that Closantel injection (Janssen Animal Health) was effective against flukes aged 9 weeks or older, when in fact, at the time the undated brochure was distributed, Closantel was effective against flukes aged 7 weeks or older.

Merial did not dispute the facts alleged: the company had relied on an out-of-date detailer. The NOAH Code of Practice Committee emphasised the need for members to ensure, when giving comparative data in promotions, that up-to-date data is used. The SPC of any authorised product can be viewed on the VMD's website.

The Committee did commend Merial Animal Health for taking corrective action within two days of notification by the Complainant.

NOAH encourages those interested in finding out more to read the full details of the Committee's rulings on the NOAH website at www.noah.co.uk/code. 

VetSurgeon.org has relaunched its community as THE most effective way for veterinary surgeons to get answers to their questions.

It’s very simple.

If you’re a member of VetSurgeon.org, visit the site as soon as possible, and login.

You will then see a red box inviting you to subscribe to a NEW daily or weekly email digest of new questions posted by fellow vets. The box is on the main site home page, and on the community home page.

Subscribe. Today. Now. No time like the present.

Then, whenever you have a question, post it on the site and it will be added to the digest and sent to all subscribed members of the community.

When you get your VetSurgeon Digest, you’ll be presented with a list of the latest questions to skim, both clinical and non-clinical.

Some may catch your eye because you can help, others because you too are interested to know the answer.

Either way, time spent helping others with their questions, or reading answers, counts towards your annual CPD requirement for which you can generate a certificate on the site.

Furthermore, all questions and answers are databased as a searchable knowledge resource for everyone, so whether you’re asking or answering, you’re giving something back to your profession.

So, subscribe now! Did I say that already?

BENEFITS FOR VETERINARY SURGEONS

• Posting your question to be shared on the Daily Digest will be the quickest way to get your question out to the largest number of colleagues.
• The VetSurgeon Community now exists solely to help vets help one another.
• The new question format helpfully focuses the mind, both of the questioner and the answerer.
• All questions and answers add to a searchable bank of opinion and knowledge.
• Everyone who answers questions is strongly encouraged to share their level of qualification / experience, so as to put their answer in context
• Answers from referral practitioners, academia and industry are highlighted (when marked as the answer)

In short, this offers all the benefits of social media for knowledge-sharing, but with none of the baggage that so often comes with it.

The BVA has published a new policy statement outlining its 'hub and spoke' vision for the future of patient care, whereby veterinary surgeons are at hub of treatment, directing patients to and coordinating treatment by allied professionals.

The allied professionals that the BVA says should be led by veterinary surgeons include: Registered Veterinary Nurses (RVNs), Official Auxiliaries/ Meat Hygiene Inspectors, embryo transfer technicians, equine dental technicians, foot trimmers, farriers, hydrotherapists, animal behaviourists and veterinary physiotherapists.

To clarify where the responsibility for a patient sits and how it is shared between veterinary surgeons and allied professionals, the new policy statement also calls for: 

• The regulation of allied professionals to include mandatory veterinary diagnosis and oversight and appropriate access to veterinary records as pre-requisites before treatment;

• Clarity on the delegation of duties for RVNs under Schedule 3 of the Veterinary Surgeons Act and protection of the ‘veterinary nurse’ title in legislation;

• Consultation with the veterinary profession on any regulatory changes that may arise as a result of technological or other innovation.

British Veterinary Association President Simon Doherty (pictured right) said: "Against an evolving landscape, it’s essential that the veterinary profession keeps pace with change and addresses the challenges and opportunities it presents.

"Vets across sectors have always worked closely with allied professionals. The hub and spoke model acknowledges and clarifies this working relationship with clear lines of accountability and responsibility for the animals under our care. It also emphasises that vets’ right to diagnose, prescribe, and undertake surgical procedures and medical treatments must not be undermined.

"An effective and efficient vet-led team can help deliver better animal health and welfare, improved client care, and more effective use of skills within the veterinary professions. Given the ongoing workforce shortages, a strengthened veterinary workforce also has the potential to ease recruitment and retention concerns for both vets and RVNs and offer improved wellbeing.

"BVA will continue working with professional bodies and organisations to formalise the hub and spoke model, promote the value of regulation, and drive up professional standards."

Ceva Animal Health has launched Cardio Academy. The company says it's the first international cardiology e-learning programme offering CPD from leading international specialists.

The programme can be accessed at www.cardioacademy.cevalearn.com. It consists of a series of impressively well-produced interactive multimedia presentations lasting around 30 minutes, at the end of which you can download a CPD certificate.

The first two sessions, which are now available online, cover the Pathophysiology of Mitral Valve Disease, by Adrian Boswood, and Clinical Examination of the Cardiac Dog, by Gérard Le Bobinnec.

Product manager, Fraser Broadfoot MRCVS, said: "There have been many advances in the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure in recent years.  The aim of this website is to become a practical and up-to-date resource on the management of heart failure in practice."

Improve International has launched a two-day masterclass on tibial-plateau-leveling osteotomy (TPLO).

The company says the masterclass will equip veterinary surgeons with an understanding of how TPLO fits into the range of treatments for one of the commonest causes of serious hindlimb lameness in the adult dog: cranial cruciate ligament failure.

The course will take place on 13 and 14 September at Improve’s HQ, Alexandra House, Swindon, and will be led by Dr Steve Butterworth, MA VetMB CertVR DSAO MRCVS and RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Surgery (Orthopaedics).

Improve’s Veterinary Operations Manager Juliet Pope MRCVS, said: "We are delighted to offer this new masterclass, created for a maximum of ten delegates to ensure true one-to-one tutoring, and we thank the team at Freelance Surgical for supporting its development.

"The combination of lectures and practical sessions led by Steve Butterworth will revise relevant surgical anatomy to enable delegates to undertake TPLO procedures with confidence. We are particularly pleased to be able to offer radiography as an integral part of the course so that delegates can see the results of their new surgical skills before taking them back to their clinics."

Merial has announced that a recent change of licence means you can now administer the new generation NSAID, Previcox® for the relief of post operative pain associated with soft tissue and orthopaedic surgery in dogs.

Mark Riggs MRCVS, Veterinary Technical Advisor for Merial said: "Previcox (firocoxib) is now licensed for the relief of post operative pain. Oral PREVICOX can be administered starting 2 hours prior to surgery and has a rapid onset of action reaching peak plasma levels within 90 minutes. The palatable tablet can be given without food and is a realistic option which should be seriously considered when choosing pain relief for surgical patients.

"Containing the active ingredient firocoxib, Previcox is also highly COX-2 selective, being 380 times more selective for COX-2 than COX-1. As a result, it offers a highly desirable efficacy and safety profile which is particularly beneficial in cases which have gone through the additional stress of surgery.

"The recently published study by John P. Punke et al strengthens the evidence reinforcing the benefits offered by firocoxib. The research evaluated the in-vivo effects of firocoxib, meloxicam and tepoxalin in target tissues of dogs suffering with chronic osteoarthritis.

"Eight dogs were used in the cross-over study and each dog received each of the treatments (and a placebo) for seven days, with an appropriate wash out period in between. Firocoxib significantly reduced inflammatory mediators within blood and synovial fluid at all time points, whereas meloxicam only showed a significant reduction compared to baseline values at day four.  

"With evidence demonstrating the speed of the anti-inflammatory effect of firocoxib, it may be time for vets to reconsider their post operative pain management. Previcox can be administered orally prior to surgery and can be given once daily for up to three days post operatively. For orthopaedic surgery this treatment schedule can be extended after the first 3 days upon judgement of the attending vet."

For further information please contact your local territory manager or call the Merial Customer Support Centre on 0845 601 4236.

Norbrook Laboratories Ltd has launched a new addition to the Loxicom range: Loxicom 0.5mg/ml Oral Suspension for Cats.

Offering alleviation from inflammation and pain, Loxicom Oral Suspension for Cats is billed by Norbrook as 'the new cost-effective treatment for chronic musculo-skeletal disorders in cats that is bio-equivalent to the pioneer.'

The Loxicom range now offers vet practices a choice between 5mg/ml Solution for Injection for Dogs and Cats, 1.5mg/ml Oral Suspension for Dogs and now 0.5mg/ml Oral Suspension for Cats.

Loxicom Oral Suspension for Cats is available in a clear 15ml bottle allowing veterinary surgeons and their clients to monitor product levels and re-order when necessary. The packaging also includes a graduated syringe in 0.5kg increments (from 0.5-10kg) which plugs securely into the bottle allowing accurate, mess-free administration.

Norbrook's small animal range also includes Carprieve, a range of carprofen tablets and injection and Noroclav, the amoxycillin / clavulanic acid range of tablets and injection.

Following the outcry from the profession over the disciplinary hearing into Mr M Chikosi, the RCVS' new Operational Board has clarified the the College's position on the use of blankets to move animals.

The hearing found Munhuwepasi Chikosi guilty of unreasonably delaying attending a dog that had been run over at a farm, and of unnecessarily causing her to remain in pain and suffering for at least an hour.

As a result, the Disciplinary Committee directed that Mr Chikosi's name be removed from the Register for serious professional misconduct. The College says that since the appeal window has closed without an appeal being made, Mr Chikosi has now been struck off.

However, the Committee also said: "... his [Mr Chikosi's] advice that Mitzi should be moved on a blanket was wrong, as she may have had an injured back."

This was widely criticised as being out of touch with the practicalities of real life and unsupported by any evidence.

Speaking on behalf of the Board, President Neil Smith said: "We fully support the decision taken by the independent Disciplinary Committee with regard to the Chikosi hearing, with one comment requiring clarification: the issue of whether a blanket can be used to move an injured dog. We consider that it is acceptable, in most cases, to transport an injured dog with the aid of a blanket.

"The profession should be reassured that our Standards Committee [the new name for Advisory Committee] will consider the general issues raised by the Chikosi hearing at its next meeting. This will not be a review of the decision, but form part of the routine consideration of DC hearings made by the Committee to see if they raise issues that require additional guidance and advice."

A new study¹ published in Scientific Research has concluded that Vetoquinol's Phovia fluorescent light energy (FLE) therapy system can improve the quality of life for dogs with skin conditions, and their owners.

Phovia, which was launched in the UK last year, is a two-part FLE system consisting of a chromophore gel that is applied to the affected skin and a blue light LED lamp.

Vetoquinol says that when used together they produce light of varying wavelengths that penetrates the skin to different depths, helping to control bacteria and reduce inflammation on the surface of the skin and stimulating regeneration in the epidermal and dermal layers.

The unit is portable, and applications take four minutes once a week.

The authors of the Vetoquinol-funded study say that FLE has already been shown to support and accelerate natural skin healing, but this latest research shows that the benefits go beyond improvement in clinical signs.

The study looked at 35 dogs with a diverse range of skin conditions: 13 had interdigital furunculosis, 10 had deep pyoderma, 6 had wounds, 4 had pyotraumatic dermatitis, and 2 had perianal fistula on presentation.

Eight of 35 dogs were new cases, whereas the remaining 27 were undergoing recrudescence of a prior episode, including pyotraumatic dermatitis, wounds, deep pyoderma, interdigital furunculosis and perianal fistulae.

Thirty dogs (86%) achieved a clinical resolution: 18 with the Fluorescent Light Energy alone and 12 with the concomitant use of FLE and topical antiseptic shampoo.

Five dogs (14%) had a partial response and needed other therapies.

92% percent of owners attested to their pet’s enhanced quality of life, with 74% of dogs displaying at least a 50% improvement in owner-reported behaviour, mood, sleep and playing activities. 

The study also reported a 46% reduction in caregiver burden.

Felicity Caddick, Technical Services Manager at Vetoquinol said: “Managing skin conditions often requires the long-term use of shampoos or topical therapies.

"Many owners find this aspect of pet ownership challenging, especially with larger dogs, or less cooperative animals.

"FLE can reduce or in some cases eliminate the need for topical therapies at home, not only simplifying the treatment process but also enhancing convenience and compliance.

"Sharing responsibility for administering ongoing treatment with their vet practice also removes some of the worry associated with their pet’s health.”

Vetoquinol also highlights that Phovia can offer vets a drug-free management option for skin disorders that aligns with the principles of antibiotic stewardship. 

Reference

1. Mosca, M. , Briand, A. , Carrasco, I. , Luciani, L. and Fantini, O. (2023) Impact of Fluorescent Light Energy on the Quality of Life of Dogs with Dermatologic Disease and Their Owners. Open Journal of Veterinary Medicine, 13, 122-135. doi: 10.4236/ojvm.2023.137011.