Rob Rayward, an RCVS Orthopaedic Specialist at Davies Veterinary Specialists, Hertfordshire, is preparing to grease up and swim the murky waters of the English Channel this month, to raise funds for the Christian charity Derek Prince Ministries UK.

Rob is undertaking the 35km swim as a part of a Channel Swim Relay Team and has been in training for his chilly trip across one of the world's busiest shipping lanes for the past year. He is hoping to raise £1500 for the charity, which provides Christian teaching materials in over 1000 languages to Church leaders and Christian communities around the world. They also provide food and education to poor widows and orphans in Ethiopia.

Rob said: "Despite being a small animal vet I'm definitely not planning on doing the doggy paddle. All members of the team have different strengths and weaknesses but for me the cold water is proving to be a real challenge. It is likely to be about 16C on the day but as well as the cold we may have to swim part of it in the dark. Many people are aware that the Channel has debris floating in it but few are aware that we may also face jelly fish, basking sharks and if really lucky, sewage! We anticipate it taking us approximately 14 hours to complete the crossing but weather and tidal conditions can have a major impact on our time."

Rob will be completing his challenge when the conditions are favourable at some point between 19^th and 28^th July.

To sponsor him visit his JustGiving page at www.justgiving.com/rob-rayward.

All donations are gratefully received.

RCVS Council members have unanimously agreed the establishment of an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) service to help resolve lower-level complaints about veterinary services through mediation.

Since 2014 the RCVS has trialled two different ADR services with the aim of helping resolve complaints between animal owners and veterinary practices that do not meet its threshold for serious professional misconduct. 

Since October 2016, this has been in the form of the Veterinary Client Mediation Service (VCMS), administered by Nockolds Solicitors. The VCMS is free for both animal owners and veterinary professionals and cases will only be taken with the consent of both parties.

Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar, said: "We are very pleased that ADR in the form of mediation has received the unanimous support of RCVS Council members as part of the process for handling veterinary complaints.

"Throughout its trial period the VCMS has very much been complementary to our concerns investigation and disciplinary process. While we are bound by statute to investigate concerns, it has allowed our Professional Conduct Team to 'triage' cases, and to signpost complainants either to the College or the VCMS as appropriate. This has allowed greater time and resources to investigate concerns that could constitute serious professional misconduct.

"We also believe that the VCMS is good for both the public and the profession because it encourages both parties to communicate, find areas of agreement and come to constructive solutions, rather than being an adversarial process that assigns blame and adjudicates remedies."

Jennie Jones, a partner at Nockolds Solicitors which administers the VCMS, said: "The service is here to help veterinary clients and practices find a resolution for complaints that cannot be resolved within the practice. Complaints are referred to the VCMS by clients and practices where the relationship has become strained or communication may be difficult.  Importantly the service does not look at who is right or wrong, but focuses on finding an outcome that both parties can live with and bringing an end to the complaint.

"In our experience this has ranged from reassuring clients and helping them to come to terms with what has happened, refunding fees, further explanations, apologies, small goodwill payments, securing procedural changes at the practice and agreement by the client to settle outstanding fees which have been withheld because of the complaint.

"We understand complaints are highly emotional and stressful for both parties, so the VCMS team will not ask parties to speak to one another directly. It is also not about assigning blame but is about moving forward to allow both parties to bring the complaint to a conclusion. When we hear from practices and clients alike that they can now sleep at night, or their relief that a complaint is resolved, I know ADR and the VCMS does help and make a difference."

The College says that during the trial period, 165 of the 870 enquiries received by the VCMS went to mediation. Of these, 129 were successfully mediated with the other 36 remaining unresolved. Of the other enquiries 297 resulted in the animal owner being referred back to the practice so that internal complaints processes could be exhausted first, 93 did not progress because the animal owner did not pursue the complaint, 73 were dealt with through advice, 66 did not progress as the practice declined to engage, 76 were outside the service’s remit and 100 are currently ongoing.

Taking into account the overall feedback received from both animal owners and veterinary professionals and the positive responses on the independence and fairness of the VCMS, Council agreed that Nockolds continue administering the scheme, with a review starting in 18 months’ time to take into account experience and learning as the scheme continues to evolve. During the Council meeting statements of support for the VCMS were also heard from a representative of the Veterinary Defence Society (VDS) and an independent consultant on consumer affairs.

A spokesperson for the VDS said: "The VDS assisted over 150 practices that agreed to participate in the ADR trial and developed a constructive working relationship with the VCMS staff. In the vast majority of cases mediation has resulted in a satisfactory outcome with little or no financial consequences.

"The Society considers this voluntary scheme particularly suited to the many client care complaints that are directed at the RCVS due to public misunderstanding of the College’s role, but the investigation of which creates disproportionate concern to the professionals involved. The independent nature of the VCMS has been a key feature of the trial, although access to experienced, non-judgemental, veterinary advice has provided the necessary professional expertise when necessary."

More information about the VCMS and its processes can be found on the service’s dedicated website: https://www.vetmediation.co.uk/

To contact the service directly call 0345 040 5834 or enquiries@vetmediation.co.uk

CVS Equine has made personal protective equipment (PPE) mandatory for all of its staff that handle horses.

From early 2025, all vets, nurses and technicians will be required to wear a hard hat in the vicinity of a horse, pony or donkey – whether in practice, on a yard, or at a client’s premises.

It follows a three-year research project collaborating with the University of Liverpool which revealed that 90% of veterinary clinicians have experienced an injury during their career.

It is hoped that the move will reduce injuries to the head – one of the most common traumas to be suffered by equine vets identified by the research, usually sustained when examining distal limbs.

CVS says that in the US, equine vets sustain on average eight serious injuries during their career, making it the second highest profession for non-fatal injuries.

The University of Liverpool research found that over 25% of equine vet injuries have led to hospital attendance.

Dr. John Tulloch, Lecturer and European Specialist in Veterinary Public Health at the University of Liverpool, who led the research, said: “Vet visits are not an ‘everyday activity’ for a horse.

"As a result, many horses will be on heightened alert, and some may be more prone to unpredictable behaviour.

“Vets are often in a vulnerable situation when examining a horse.

"And it’s difficult to pick up on a horses’ signals, especially when examining areas such as distal limbs.

“Our research found that many injuries happen when a horse kicks or pushes a person over and the person’s head makes impact with the ground.

"So, wearing a hard hat will be a big step towards preventing traumatic head injuries if this were to happen.”

Sophie Ignarski, Equine Director at CVS said: “All of our clinicians are at risk in their day-to-day work – whether they are newly qualified or very experienced.

"Other colleagues including nurses, vet techs and patient care assistants are similarly vulnerable.

“We decided to make wearing of hard hats mandatory in order to protect all of our colleagues and minimise the potential risk of head injury, understanding it can never be fully eliminated.

"We recognise that this policy shift represents a degree of change but hope that it serves to further support and progress the equine veterinary industry more widely.

“Our policy is evidence-based, utilising three years of rigorous research, and we will continue our efforts in the future to grow our knowledge and understanding of this important area.

"By doing so, we join other industries – such as construction – who have already adopted similar changes to the extent they are now established in their culture.”

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167587725001266 

The British Veterinary Association has contacted the BBC programme 'Countryfile' following the broadcast of an item on identifying wild ponies in North Wales using 'ear marking' on 31st October 2010.

The programme visited a farmer in Snowdonia during the annual health check during which the wild ponies are brought into the town with support from the Countryside Council for Wales. During the programme presenter Jules Hudson asked the owner of the ponies, farmer Gareth Wyn Jones, how he can tell which pony is which. Gareth Wyn Jones explained that each pony has 'special ear marks' and there was footage of ponies with both ear tags and ear notches (marks or cuts). However, ear notching is no longer permitted under the Animal Welfare Act.

The BVA contacted Countryfile expressing concern at the programme's contents and asking for a clarification to be made. Countryfile responded to explain they were not aware of the law in relation to ear notching and tagging but that they would undertake to clarify the facts in a future programme.

The BVA has also been contacted by the pony welfare charity People4Ponies expressing concern about the ongoing practice of ear notching and tagging in England and Wales.

In light of the programme the BVA is asking its members to remind horse and pony-owning clients that ear tagging and ear notching are not permitted in Great Britain under the Animal Welfare Act as they do not appear in the list under Schedule 1 of the Mutilations (Permitted Procedures) Regulations 2007 (or under the Animal Health and Welfare [Scotland] Act).

Since July 2010 there has been a legal requirement that all horses and ponies are permanently identified by microchip (with some small exceptions) and the BVA believes this removes the need for any other form of identification, such as ear marking and hot branding, even for wild equids.

The BVA will also contact Local Government Regulation (the new name for LACORS - the Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services) and the Welsh Local Government Association to ensure that those with responsibility for policing animal health and welfare legislation in England and Wales are taking the appropriate action.

Harvey Locke, President of the British Veterinary Association, said:  "This is a simple fact of legality and it appears there was widespread ignorance of the rules amongst all those taking part in the programme.

"As veterinary surgeons we have a responsibility to work with clients to ensure they are complying with animal health and welfare legislation. Ear mutilations are not permitted and we must make sure that message is reaching horse and pony owners.

"The BVA will also be contacting those responsible for enforcing the legislation relating to ear mutilations in horses and ponies to make sure the law is being policed."

Vets Now has won the 'Social Entrepreneur of the Year' award in the Scottish Business Awards for Pet Blood Bank UK.

The charity was initiated by a Vets Now employee, Wendy Barnett, following a change in legislation which created the opportunity to establish a pet equivalent of the human national blood transfusion service. After a trial through Vets Now, Pet Blood Bank UK was set up in 2007 as an independent charity, with a loan and ongoing fundraising support from Vets Now.

Pet Blood Bank UK collects blood from donor dogs, processes it and supplies it to the veterinary profession to use in cases such as traumatic injuries or where major surgery is required.  Last year 164 specially organised dog donor sessions were held where owners are encouraged to bring along their dog to 'donate a pint'.  Each donation has the potential to save up to four lives. Nearly 9,000 units of blood have been collected in the past five years.

The charity, which has an education and animal welfare remit, charges veterinary practices just the costs incurred in collecting, processing and storing the blood. As well as providing blood, the Pet Blood Bank UK team are experts in transfusion medicine and receive numerous calls through their advice service. Regular lectures, educational talks to the profession and guidance is given to enquiries from all over the world on how to set up a blood bank.

Wendy Barnett, who is now Head of Clinical and Professional Services at Pet Blood Bank UK, said: "At the heart of our charity is a real desire to ensure that should a dog need blood there is a supply available and I'm delighted that our work, and the support of our many doggy donors and their owners, has been recognised through this award. 

"Literally thousands of dog lives have been saved as a result of the service and this has been a real collective effort with Vet Supervisor Jenny Walton and the team here contributing to our success. However, we can't rest on our laurels. Demand from vets has been such that we've had to increase our donor sessions considerably. Like humans, there is a less common dog blood type and we desperately need dogs with negative blood type - such as Greyhounds, Weimaraners, Flat Coat Retrievers, Airedales, Boxers, Dobermans and German Shepherd Dogs to donate at our sessions." 

Richard Dixon, founder of Vets Now, said: "Wendy was instrumental in setting up the charity and through her vision and leadership donation sessions have grown from one to three a week, with a 38% increase in donations year on year. We are proud of what Wendy has achieved and the role that the charity now plays in providing much needed blood and guidance to veterinary practices the length and breadth of the UK."

The BSAVA has published a new collection of resources on the subject of end of life care and decision-making, with a particular focus on the pastoral aspects, to help support clients and the practice team.

The collection draws together a selection of materials, including chapters from BSAVA Manuals, articles from Companion, webinars and Congress lectures.

The collection is divided into four areas: general information, client communication, client support and practitioner support. It includes things like:

• Euthanasia decision-making: a case-based discussion
• How to discuss euthanasia with your client
• Quality of life and decision-making around end of life care
• The client journey: supporting the client before and after the last appointment
• Euthanasia and how it affects veterinary nurses’ mental health
• Euthanasia support in practice.

Julian Hoad, Chair of the BSAVA Publications Committee said: “Death and taxes are the only two certainties of life, according to Benjamin Franklin! Our pets don’t have the worry of taxation but managing the end of life for them is something that all owners must face. It is probably the most challenging part of our veterinary work also – managing the emotional, sometimes highly charged, aspect of the situation, whilst maintaining an objective focus on the patient.

"This new collection provides a handy resource for this important area of veterinary practice. The collection will enable the recent graduate to gain confidence in dealing with these cases; tips for improvement that even the more experienced clinician will find useful are also included.”

The collection can be accessed via the BSAVA Library https://www.bsavalibrary.com/content/end-of-life---introduction at a cost of £20.00 for BSAVA members or £45.00 for non-members.

CEVA Animal Health has confirmed its sponsorship of Stephanie Dakin, an equine veterinary PhD student at the Royal Veterinary College in London.

The four-year sponsorship, due to commence October 2008, is being run through the BBSRC Industrial CASE studentship scheme, which involves partnerships between UK-based industrial companies and eligible UK universities or research institutes, to support collaborative postgraduate research. It is the first time that CEVA, the company that recently introduced Tildren®, a treatment for equine bone disease, has undertaken such an initiative in the UK.

Stephanie is conducting her PhD on the pathogenesis and treatment of equine tendonitis. She is currently working with Professor Roger Smith, Professor of Equine Orthopaedics and Dr Jay Dudhia at the RVC, on a study to determine the efficacy of stem cells in the treatment of superficial digital flexor tendonitis in the horse.

Stephanie commented: "I am very keen to direct research in this field in order to better elucidate the mechanisms involved in tendon injury and identify therapeutic targets, such that we can improve our management and hopefully advance our ability to treat and prevent disease, thus improving the health and welfare of equine patients."

She added: "Having the opportunity to undertake this vital research, supported by the BBSRC and the industrial contribution from CEVA, is a real privilege and I hope that the findings from this study will feedback to have a direct, positive impact on clinical cases of tendonitis, in the equine and possibly the human fields."

Northumberland vet Rory Thomson from the St Clair veterinary practice in Blyth reports that he's been able to release an injured seal back into the North Sea, thanks in part to donations of fresh fish from Tesco and Asda which kept her well-fed during her recovery.

Rory is a volunteer Marine Mammal medic for the British Diver and Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) charity and was called to help the seal, named Primrose Possum, when she was found lying on Blyth beach on 3 April. A volunteer medic called to check her noted that there was something wrong with her right eye and arranged for her to be taken to a vet in North Shields for initial treatment.  She was then transported to St Clair in Blyth on 8 April.

Rory said: "When I examined her, I could see that her right eye was enlarged and cloudy. I began a course of treatment and arranged for a veterinary ophthalmologist to exam it. Sadly he determined that it was blind but seals can manage perfectly well with one eye and, once I'd treated the infection, it was no longer causing her pain. We released her back into the sea on 15 April at St Mary's Lighthouse where BDMLR volunteer medics can watch over her for the first few weeks."

He added: "Seals can be aggressive when on land so we had to be careful but Primrose was generally very well behaved and enjoyed free run of our isolation facility. During her stay she devoured more than 2.5 kg of fresh fish every day - with whole fresh herring and mackerel her favourite. We are grateful to Asda and Tesco for providing much of this for us free of charge. Now that she's recovered, we hope she'll live a long and happy life, most of it under the sea!"

More information on the work of British Diver and Marine Life Rescue is available at www.bdmlr.org.uk.

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has today announced the availability of a new members’ service, the BVA Good Practice Guide on Veterinary Medicines.

The guide, written in consultation with, and endorsed by, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) contains invaluable information on the classification, administration and prescribing of veterinary medicines, as well as practical advice on the supply, disposal and record keeping requirements relating to medicines used in veterinary practice.

The BVA hopes that the Guide will provide a one-stop-shop for members where they will find accurate answers to everyday questions such as:

• Can I charge the client for a written prescription?
• When can I use ‘the cascade’
• What information is required on a written prescription?
• How should controlled drugs be disposed of?

The BVA’s Good Practice Guide provides information applicable to all types of veterinary practice from companion to farm animal, mixed to equine. The Guide does not just explain how to implement the Veterinary Medicines Regulations, it also includes information on health and safety, hazardous waste regulations, and what the Suspected Adverse Reaction Surveillance Scheme (SARSS) is and when to use it.

The Red Tractor Assurance Scheme has announced that all veterinary surgeons registered to its scheme for pigs must be members of the Pig Veterinary Society (PVS) from 1 October.

The change has come about following a review of the assurance scheme's standards, when it was decided that all Red Tractor vets should be members of PVS, not just those carrying out Real Welfare assessments, as was previously the case.

Other changes in the review focus on the responsible use of antibiotics and a number of the animal medicine standards have been strengthened.

Red Tractor says the PVS membership requirement is in line with another new standard which will require veterinary surgeons to declare they only prescribe antibiotics for use on Red Tractor pig units in accordance with the PVS Prescribing Principles for Antimicrobials. 

Red Tractor technical manager Joanna King said: "Ensuring every Red Tractor registered vet is a PVS member will help keep them abreast of the most recent version of the Prescribing Principles, along with other guidelines and publications."

Assessors undertaking Red Tractor farm assessments can verify whether the retained farm vet is a current PVS member through their membership number which is required on the quarterly veterinary report forms. 

Membership numbers can be checked against an online PVS membership checker.

The RCVS has announced that renewal fees will increase by 4%.

The 4% increase was approved by the Privy Council and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. 

Dr Tshidi Gardiner, RCVS Treasurer, said: “As with last year, RCVS Council recognises that we are living in difficult economic times, and have tried to keep the fee increase to a minimum.

"However, it is important that we increase fees in line with inflation, as well as take into account additional related costs, to ensure we are fulfilling our regulatory remit to the best of our abilities and meet our strategic priorities.”

Veterinary surgeons need to pay their annual renewal by 1st April and will be sent their fee notices within the first two weeks of March.

Anyone who has not paid their fee by 1st May will incur a higher fee charge of £36, with non-payment by 1st June risking removal from the Register and ineligibility to practise.

As part of the annual renewal process, all individual vets will also need to log into their online MyAccount to confirm their registration and contact details and declare any convictions. 

Anyone who expects to encounter any difficulties in paying their fees should contact the RCVS Finance Team on finance@rcvs.org.uk or 020 7202 0722.

The British Small Animal Association has responded to Defra's statement on compulsory microchipping.

The Association says it is an advocate of compulsory microchipping as the most effective way to permanently identify a dog - as long as owners maintain an up-to-date registration on the various databases. As such it broadly welcomes the recent Defra statement.

However, BSAVA points out that the statement has come before a full and considered consultation in terms of its implementation, and says it raises a number of questions for vets in practice:

• The Dogs Trust scheme is offering to supply practices with the microchips. Yet with an estimated 3 million or more dogs in the UK currently without microchips, will the profession be expected to bear the brunt of the cost of training and paying staff to carry out the procedure, as well as the significant administration that follows?
• The current information from Defra suggests that the service will be free to pet owners. Even if this is the case at the Dogs Trust, Battersea and Blue Cross centres, it is unlikely that they will receive all unchipped dogs, so will those owners entering a private practice have a similar expectation?
• BSAVA is also concerned about an emphasis on microchipping that doesn't also consider the management of the relevant databases. Implanting a microchip in itself is without value unless it is linked to accurate information that is kept up to date.

Despite the headlines around the statement, this is yet to be laid down in law and will require changes under the Animal Welfare Act and potentially the Dangerous Dogs Act, so there is still a conversation to be had about its implementation.

For this reason BSAVA has announced that it is launching a consultation with its members to establish their concerns and opinions in order to work with all the organisations involved in the best interest of animal welfare and the profession. If anyone in practice wants to feed into this consultation, they should visit http://www.bsava.com or contact BSAVA's Scientific Policy Officer Sally Everitt via email - s.everitt@bsava.com.

BSAVA President Mark Johnston said: "While implantation can be straightforward for those with appropriate experience it will be important to ensure that all those who carry out implantation are properly trained. However microchipping is not just a matter of implanting the microchip, there is a significant amount of administrative work in ensuring that animals are properly registered and that details are kept up-to-date. All of these stages need to be properly funded if the scheme is to be successful and sustainable. BSAVA will be consulting its members to gather their views and concerns and hope to be involved in a productive conversation with all interested parties."

BSAVA says there is a good news animal welfare story within this statement concerning the seizure of animals during investigation under the Dangerous Dogs Act. The new measures will allow the authorities to decide whether a suspected prohibited dog can stay with their owners until the outcome of court proceedings. Until now all such animals had to be kennelled until the proceedings had concluded, which often means that dogs who posed no risk suffered unnecessarily.  BSAVA welcomes this new measure in the interest of animal welfare.