The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) has released the results of a survey carried out earlier this year which has found that there may be up to 5 times as many veterinary graduates wanting to work in equine practice as there are jobs available.
The survey was carried out amongst the 2,500 vets and vet students who are members of BEVA to help ascertain manpower requirements of equine practices in the UK.
Of the 819 new veterinary graduates in the UK in 2012, BEVA says it estimates conservatively that between 10-15% intend to work in equine practice. Meanwhile, the extrapolated results of the survey suggest that in 2012 there was less than 1% growth in full time equine vet positions and as few as 24 new permanent jobs available in the UK.
BEVA says that in line with the survey's suggestion of restricted opportunities, some of its members are also finding that internships, commonly the domain of new graduates to gain paid, supervised experience in practice, are now often taken by vets with some post-graduate experience. Furthermore, unpaid externships, which traditionally gave vet students valuable work experience, appear to be being filled by unemployed veterinary graduates wanting to gain experience in order to improve their chances of securing a job in equine practice.
Tim Mair, a partner at Bell Equine Veterinary Clinic in Kent said: "Earlier this year we had more than 80 applications for just one internship. Several years ago we would expect 50 or so applications for an advertised intern post but now, without advertising at all, we are constantly receiving applications, not just from new graduates but also from those who have been qualified for a year or more."
Charlie Schreiber, a partner at Donnington Grove Veterinary Surgery in Berkshire, said: "We take on an average of two externs a month and over the past four years have had more than 350 applicants but their calibre is noticeably changing. We used to hear primarily from students but now it tends to be recent graduates or those who have already done a job in mixed practice and are keen to move into equine but can't find an internship."
Andrew Harrison, a partner at Three Counties Equine Hospital in Gloucestershire, said: "In addition to the numerous applications we received for our recently advertised internship position, we are inundated with unsolicited enquiries about job opportunities from recent veterinary graduates from across the globe. Our most recent advertisement for an equine veterinary nurse has attracted interest from a handful of recently qualified vets desperate to find work. This employment problem is not confined to internships; some of our recent interns have found it very difficult, if not impossible to find a job in horse practice, once they've completed their internship."
Amanda Piggot, a recent graduate, has first hand experience of the challenge of finding a suitable placement. She said: "I have always wanted to work in equine practice and my approach has been very strategic. It took me five months to find my current position at Kessock Equine Vets in Inverness, which necessitated moving 500 miles further north than I ideally wanted. For my next position I applied to Liphook twice and had no luck but I have now been accepted by Rossdales for a two year internship."
According to the British Veterinary Association (BVA) the problem isn't confined to equine practice. The Association's President Peter Jones said: "The findings of the BEVA survey make sober reading and reflect the growing concerns in the wider veterinary profession about opportunities for new graduates in all types of veterinary practice.
"The issue has recently been brought into sharp focus by the announcement of a new veterinary school opening at the University of Surrey in 2014, with many BVA and BEVA members worried about an oversupply of veterinary graduates into an already competitive market. We are expecting the results of the RCVS survey of recent graduates shortly and, alongside the findings of the BEVA survey, they will provide an evidence-base to build on as we continue to assess the UK veterinary manpower implications of potential new veterinary schools in the future."
BEVA is keen to help both potential employees and employers tackle the situation as constructively as possible. BEVA President Keith Chandler said: "BEVA is proud that equine practice is attractive to so many younger members of the profession and it can provide a rewarding and fulfilling career. However we urge all stakeholders to ensure that current and prospective veterinary students are fully aware of the very limited opportunities in equine practice. Most of all we urge the students themselves to consider carefully their career path and prospects before making their final decisions."
Next month the RCVS will be releasing details of a survey of vets who have graduated within the past five years and how easy they have found it to find a job that meets their needs.
Compliance with equine medicines legislation involves the challenges of food production, equine passport and essential medicines legislation as well as the prescribing Cascade, VMD guidance and the RCVS practice standards scheme.
With these in mind, the online guidance now includes:
The BEVA says the new medicines guidance resource has already been invaluable for members working towards the new Practice Standards Scheme, such as Josh Slater from the RVC, who said: "The PSS Awards define what a high-functioning equine practice looks like. The BEVA medicines guidance documents enabled us to fulfil the PSS Awards scheme requirements for demonstrating responsible use of medicines and compliance with requirements such as Cascade prescribing and emergency treatment of horses, helping us to achieve our Outstanding rating in the PSS Awards. The resource will be very useful for all equine practices preparing for PSS inspections and continues to be an invaluable day-to-day reference source for us."
The BEVA will also be holding two equine medicine courses in October 2017, providing evidence-based updates on a range of topical issues in equine medicine. The focus will be on recent research with practical relevance and the courses are aimed at clinicians who have attained or are working towards certificate level qualifications. The first will be held in Oulton, Leeds on 10 October and the second in Oxford on 31 October.
The new service is available to any practice, regardless of which practice management system you use, or which healthcare provider you are with. You can specify your product catalogue and are not tied to particular products or manufacturers. You can also decide how you want to manage client delivery charges and how to treat health care plan clients.
OurVet.Shop can also be used to take payment for services, such as telephone or video consultations, and because it allows for one-off ordering, clients aren’t forced to sign up to a 12-month subscription with an unknown third party.
Lastly, the service is tailored to your practice’s brand and personalised to every client and their pets. The company has also produced marketing materials for use in social media, on websites and in client communications.
Jamie Crittall, co-founder of Virtual Recall, said: "As a veterinary practice owner myself, these last few months have been tough – I mean really tough.
"Nine years ago, Charlie Barton and I created Virtual Recall from a desire to communicate with our clients in a personal & timely manner. Not being able to find a solution, we built one and iRecall was born. Since then it has helped over 1,500 practices communicate with over 5 million clients & their pets worldwide.
"Now, here we were again - desperate to ensure that my patients got the healthcare they needed, but no home delivery service that I wanted to put my practice’s name to, I turned to my team at Virtual Recall to create a solution - that was not just right for my practice but every practice.
"So, we did what we do best – we put ourselves in practices’ shoes and created a smart solution that would help them safeguard animals’ health, enhance their relationship with their clients, and provide them with a life-line to help get through this crisis and build a stronger future. It couldn’t come with any compromises."
For more information, visit: www.ourvet.shop
"We are urgently looking at what these new national lockdowns will mean for veterinary professionals and services, and we are liaising with the Chief Veterinary Officers.
"We aim to issue updated guidance in the coming days but can confirm that we will not be reverting to emergency-only work, as we saw at the start of the first UK-wide lockdown last March.
"Instead, we are developing guidance to support veterinary professionals to carry out work that is essential for public health and animal health and welfare, in the context of the very strong ‘stay at home’ messages from both governments.
"We recognise that this continues to be a very challenging and difficult time for our colleagues, and we want to thank veterinary teams across the UK for continuing to work safely so that we can all play our part in stopping the spread of Covid.
"Once again we thank animal owners for their understanding and ask them to continue to respect their vets’ decisions at this time. The range of services available will vary between practices so that vets can work in Covid-safe ways to keep their colleagues and clients safe."
Newmarket-based Test and Treat was one of three finalists, for its U-Treat test which enables vets to diagnose a UTI and get antibiotic sensitivity results in an hour.
Rachel Kirkby MRCVS, Business Development Director at Test and Treat, said: "It’s a great accolade to be recognised by such a prestigious award. The Vet Record Innovation Award celebrates new innovations that can bring about improvement and make a real difference to vets in practice – and that’s exactly what we’re aiming to do with U-Treat.”
The second finalist was the Animal Welfare Assessment Grid, developed by Public Health England (PHE), in collaboration with the University of Surrey School of Veterinary Medicine. Initially developed in zoos, rescue and research centres, there are plans now to develop it for use in small animal practice and in the farm sector.
The overall winner was PBD Biotech for Actiphage, its test for bTB and Johne's disease which gives very early detection, thereby allowing vets and farmers to prevent the spread of infection.
For more information, visit: https://bvajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/vetr.267
The British Small Animal Veterinary Association has announced the appointment of Dr Frances Barr as Academic Director, tasked with developing the new BSAVA postgraduate qualification in association with the Open University, ready for launch in 2012.
Frances is a European Specialist in Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging, and a double diplomat of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and the European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging. She has worked both in practice and as an academic, with 26 years working in Higher Education, and has a long history of working as a BSAVA volunteer, eventually taking on the presidential mantle in 2007.
BSAVA says it aims to provide the best possible educational offering to the profession, particularly to those in practice. Grant Petrie, BSAVA President, said: "Producing a postgraduate qualification is a natural progression to BSAVA's current CPD offering - there is clearly a need for it and we have a strong legacy as a provider of quality CPD. We want to make sure that the profession is served well - with a programme designed by vets for vets. As a charity with education at the core of our remit, BSAVA is best positioned to create something that will keep investing in the knowledge and talent of the profession. However, we always knew that we would need an exceptional individual to oversee the programme, and, in Frances Barr, we know we have that person."
Frances said: "This will fill a really important need. Many practitioners have a real appetite for learning more about their particular area of interest. Of course, they can currently do this with general CPD courses, but this new qualification will provide a structured and focussed learning programme which is flexible enough to fit around the busiest lifestyle, yet challenging enough to make the qualification a personal achievement, one that will be well respected by the whole profession."
She added: "The proposed new certificates in small animal medicine and surgery will comprise a combination of traditional taught courses, a wide-range of web-based material that will include interactive sessions, and workplace-based projects. This is the way forward for practitioners and will lead the profession into a more secure future."
The qualifications will be aimed primarily at the general practitioner, so they are not designed to replace the European Diploma system or aspiring to provide specialised knowledge. Instead they will be created very much for the interested, busy practitioner for whom an accredited residency programme is not an option. Grant Petrie said: "Encouraging small animal practitioners to embark on a clinically useful, challenging yet achievable, highly regarded postgraduate qualification sits very well with the BSAVA's remit to promote excellence in small animal practice through education and science."
The BSAVA postgraduate programme will launch in 2012, with more information about registration available at Congress 2011 and online from April next year. Frances Barr will begin working with the Open University and the BSAVA team in November.
This, says the company, will make vaccination easier for vets and clients.
Eravac is an injectable emulsion ready for administration without the need for reconstitution beforehand.
Each box contains 10 individual doses which can be given to pet rabbits from 30 days of age.
Vygon Vet has launched a procedural custom pack service.
Vygon Vet's procedural custom packs contain all the single-use devices required for a specific procedure enclosed within a sterile wrap. Components available include draping material, theatre clothing, swabs, kidney dishes, forceps etc. Vygon Vet says the service has been developed to reduce infection risks, but also to help manage staff resources more effectively and identify total procedure costs for billing purposes.
The first custom pack is now being used by the team of clinicians at Charter Veterinary Hospital. Dave Tittle BVetMed MRCVS said "The pack contains everything we need, designed to our specification, and will save us theatre preparation time and added expense".
A number of customers have committed themselves to the new service and by the end of 2010 Vygon Vet aims to have many more practices on board. The custom pack service supports Vygon Vet's range of theatre draping packs already available.
For more information, visit www.vygonvet.co.uk
The Saddle Research Trust has announced the launch of a new paper to help vets understand the significance of saddle fit on the health and welfare of horse and rider.
Saddle fitting, recognising an ill-fitting saddle and the consequences of an ill-fitting saddle to horse and rider was written by equine vet Dr Sue Dyson together with Master Saddlers and saddle fitters Mark Fisher and Sue Carson.
The paper has been published in the Equine Veterinary Education Journal, the official education journal of the British Equine Veterinary Association and is free to view until April 2016.
The paper encourages vets to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team with saddle fitters, trainers and physiotherapists, to help educate horse owners about the multiple problems that can be caused by ill-fitting saddles.1
Key advice includes:
The paper also includes a glossary of saddlery terms, an explanation of saddle fit accessories, a range of informative photographs and a section on who is qualified to provide professional advice on saddle fit.
The paper concludes: “Correct saddle fit for horse and rider is an important equine welfare issue and the veterinary profession needs to recognise this and be at the forefront of helping to educate the horse owning public. Ideally veterinarians should work in conjunction with professional saddle fitters, trainers and physiotherapists to improve both horse and rider comfort.”
Ed's note: If you read the article to which this news story refers, don't forget to come back to VetSurgeon.org and use the 'Claim CPD' button above to add the time spent to your VetSurgeon Personal Development Record.
The symposium, which will be held on Tuesday 24 September 2019, at Church House in London, will bring together researchers interested in all aspects of veterinary professionals’ wellbeing and mental health. It will feature plenary speakers from mental health research, including:
Professor Neil Greenberg: Sustaining resilience at work – what does the evidence tell us works?, Professor of Defence Mental Health, Consultant Academic Psychiatrist at King’s College London, Chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ (RCP) Special Interest Group in Occupational Psychiatry.
Professor Alexandra Pitman: The impact of veterinarian suicide on colleagues, Associate Professor in Psychiatry in the UCL Division of Psychiatry and an Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist at Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust.
Professor Stuart Reid: The Mind Matters Initiative – what we’ve achieved so far, Principal, Royal Veterinary College, Chair of the Mind Matters Initiative.
Presentations should be in the format of a 15-minute oral presentation or an A1 poster.
Those wishing to apply should submit an abstract clearly marked ‘poster’ or ‘oral presentation’. The title should be 15 words or fewer. The abstract should include author(s) first name(s), followed by surname(s), institution of affiliation and country. The body of the text should be no longer than 250 words and include: background; clear and explicit aims and objectives, hypotheses or research questions; methods; results; discussion; and conclusion.
All abstracts should be submitted as Word documents to Rosie Allister on rosie.allister@gmail.com no later than 23:59 (GMT) on Friday 19 April 2019.
Applicants will be notified if they have been successful within 14 days of this date. Speakers whose applications are successful will receive complimentary registration for the symposium, not including travel and accommodations costs.
A small number of travel bursaries are available for students, people with lived experience of mental health problems, and people who are unwaged, who would not otherwise be able to attend. For further details, please contact Lisa Quigley, Mind Matters Initiative Manager, on l.quigley@rcvs.org.uk.
Kit, or, to give him his full title, Dr Kit Sturgess MA, VetMB, PhD, CertVR, DSAM, CertVC, FRCVS, RCVS Recognised Specialist in Small Animal Medicine, has been working as an internist in private referral practice since 2003. In 2006 he became a founding partner in a multidisciplinary referral centre that he saw grow from five to 65 members of staff within five years.
He is also Chair of BSAVA Education Committee, Trustee of Cats Protection and Chair of Trustees of the Wildheart Trust. He was formerly an RCVS Knowledge Trustee and member of RCVS Council.
Kit has authored numerous articles and two textbooks, and presents lectures and research abstracts at conferences worldwide.
Kit will take up the editorship on 2nd September, succeeding Professor Peter Cockcroft. He said: “I am delighted to take on the editorship of Veterinary Evidence. With readers in 150 countries and output that has more than doubled over the past three years, the journal has quickly become a mainstay of evidence-based veterinary medicine, which is a testament to Peter’s enthusiasm and commitment to the development of the journal and its impact on the veterinary community.
"I am excited about leading Veterinary Evidence in its next stage of development, with recent events showing the critical importance of open online access. Veterinary Evidence is ideally placed to support an ever-growing and wide range of veterinary professionals by further developing a multimedia, multiplatform approach facilitating the use of evidence-based medicine in their daily practice."
Veterinary Evidence journal can be read at: veterinaryevidence.org
The videos, by BCF in-house vet Ben Sullivan BVSc MRCVS (pictured right), give a step-by-step guide for each of the measurements covered (LA:Ao ratio, EPSS and EF), to enable viewers to get more from their ultrasound equipment.
Ben said: "At BCF we’re always striving to produce educational resources to help our customers make the most of their imaging equipment, and welcome suggestions from all quarters. In recent months we’ve received a large number of requests for help performing basic 2D echocardiographic measurements. In response to those requests we produced this short video series providing a 'how-to' guide for three of the most common measurements encountered in practice."
The videos were filmed using a Vivid iq, the latest cardiac ultrasound scanner from GE.
Ben added: "We hope you find them useful, and welcome suggestions for other topics you’d like to see covered. Please don’t hesitate to visit our website – www.bcftechnology.co.uk – to access the cardiac measurement videos along with a wide range of other learning materials. We have also recently introduced free monthly webinars. The recorded webinars are also available to view at www.bcftechnology.co.uk."
To watch the cardiac measurement videos, visit: http://bit.ly/2rW1BxM
Kit was appointed by RCVS Council at its June meeting, making him responsible for maintaining an overview of the College’s financial affairs, ensuring the College’s financial viability, and making sure proper records and procedures are maintained.
Kit replaces Dr Amanda Boag who was elected Junior Vice-President by RCVS Council at its March meeting. He has been an RCVS Council Member since 2013 and currently sits on the Standards Committee, as well as lecturing, writing and other projects such as teaching at the local primary school. He also works three days a week seeing clinical cases in both referral and primary care practices.
Kit said: "I am very honoured to have been appointed Treasurer, and look forward to continuing Amanda’s careful stewardship of the College finances with the support of other Council members and the team at Belgravia House.
"Due to uncertainties surrounding the impact of Brexit and increasing inflation, RCVS Council decided at its June meeting to increase the annual renewal fees for veterinary surgeons. I am confident that this will keep the College finances in a healthy state, and I look forward to building on Amanda’s legacy ensuring that the College remains steady over the course of my tenure."
At RCVS Day Amanda will also be made Junior Vice-President, and Dr Stephen May will take up the position of RCVS President for 2017-2018.
Voting for this year’s election will take place from 15th March until 5pm on Friday 23 April 2021 and the 14 candidates are:
This year, four candidates will be elected to serve a four-year term.
For the first time, the RCVS Council election will be carried out completely online.
Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar and Returning Officer for the election, said: “Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the issues that it has caused regarding disruption to the postal service, the RCVS has gained permission from the Privy Council to temporarily amend our Election Scheme, a document that governs how we run our elections, to allow voting to take place entirely online this year. This means that physical ballot papers will not be distributed to veterinary surgeons eligible to vote this year.
“The small number of veterinary surgeons for whom we do not hold an email address will receive a letter with instructions on how to vote online, in addition to their security code to allow them access to their unique voting website. If they need further help there will also be the opportunity for them to call Civica Election Services, which runs the election on our behalf, who will assist them with casting their vote.”
Ahead of the start of the election, the RCVS is also inviting members of the profession to submit one question each for the candidates. The candidates will then be asked to record a short video of themselves answering two of the questions of their choice which will be published when the election starts.
Questions can be submitted by emailing vetvote21@rcvs.org.uk or via the RCVS Twitter account (@theRCVS) using the hashtag #vetvote21.
The full candidate biographies and manifestoes have already been published on the RCVS website and are available to view at: www.rcvs.org.uk/vetvote21
Members of the profession have until Wednesday 24 February 2021 to submit their question.
The company says the product improves oral health in three ways: cleaning teeth, freshening breath, and helping to reduce the formation of new plaque and tartar.
The stick is spiral-shaped to maximise contact with the teeth.
As the dog chews, a soft centre is released, which targets the bacteria which causes bad breath and plaque.
Dental Care Sticks are available in three sizes.
Jayne Laycock, Vet in Residence at Yumove said: “Poor dental health affects around 80% of the dog population and is the most commonly reported problem in primary care vet practices.
"We know that less than 50% of dog owners use a dental product as regularly as they should.
"Yumove Dental care sticks can be easily incorporated into a dog’s existing routine and have been developed to clean teeth, tackle bad breath and through our ActivBarrier technology, support the balance of bacteria in a dog’s mouth - helping to maintain healthy gums and teeth.”
YuMOVE Dental Care Sticks start at £10.
www.yumove.co.uk
Fort Dodge has unveiled an initiative to help practices improve peri-operative care and the management of hospitalised cases with the launch of its Early Warning Scoring System (EWSS) kit.
The kit contains cat and dog anaesthesia and observation charts for the effective monitoring of cats and dogs during operations, post-operatively and for hospitalised medical cases.
EWSS observation charts are widely used in the NHS but this is believed to be the first time that such a system has been developed specifically for use in veterinary practices.
They have been designed by Mike Davies BVetMed CertVR CertSAO FRCVS, Technical Services Manager at Fort Dodge, and are intended to help veterinary nurses and veterinary surgeons identify patients whose condition is deteriorating before they reach a critical state.
Mike Davies speaks around the country on preventive medicine and geriatrics and his experience of working closely with practices is that many do not have good protocols in place for nurse monitoring of patients. The EWSS grades parameters such as heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure and CNS response and the charts incorporate areas in which the practice can record pain using a visual analogue scale or a numeric scoring system.
The company has also launched Dorbene vet, a new product providing fast-acting sedation and analgesia for dogs and cats. Its active ingredient is the trusted and well proven alpha-2 agonist medetomidine hydrochloride, which affects the nervous system by inhibiting noradrenaline mediated neurotransmission. A dosing guide for Dorbene vet is also included in the EWSS.
The launch of Dorbene vet complements Fort Dodge's existing companion animal products, analgesic Torbugesic and dissociative anaesthetic Ketaset. Used alone it offers dose-related sedation within 10-15 minutes, which is rapidly reversible using the alpha-2 antagonist atipamezole for predictable recovery. It is presented in 10 ml and 50 ml multi dose vials in amber coloured glass which protects the product from light.
For further information on the EWSS or Dorbene vet, contact Fort Dodge on 01489 781711.
Vetoquinol has made changes to Zentonil®, its liver support range for dogs and cats.
New Zentonil® is the UK's FIRST palatable and divisible tablet range of S-adenosyl-methionine (SAMe) supplementation and now comes with the added benefit of choice: Zentonil® Advanced which contains pure SAMe plus silybin and Zentonil® Plus which contains pure SAMe only.
A patent pending microencapsulation technique protects the SAMe from the harmful effects of stomach acid, even when the tablet is split or chewed.
The ability to split the tablets makes administration more accurate and also makes the product more cost-effective for clients.
Vetoquinol's new Zentonil® formulations have proven SAMe bioavailability curves in a market where this particular type of data is often lacking
Simon Boulton, product manager said: "Our customers told us that they had difficulties associated with SAMe supplementation. We have listened to their comments and provided the solutions."
The new formulations will become available as wholesalers' Zentonil® stocks are depleted. If you wish to try new Zentonil® now, you can place an order for Zentonil® Advanced or Zentonil® Plus with your wholesaler.
For more information, please contact your local Vetoquinol sales representative or telephone the free practice support number - 0800 1698197.
1,500 volunteers were surveyed for the study, which was led by Dr Francois Martin.
As well as having lower depression scores, dog owners were more likely to report feeling loved and valued during the pandemic than those who did not own a dog.
Owners also had a significantly more positive attitude toward and commitment to pets.
The full study is available open access here: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0260676
Reference
Essential 6 spot-on is designed to moisturise the skin and strengthen its barrier function to help manage kerato-seborrhoeic disorders (dandruff, bad odours, dry or greasy coat, excessive hair loss) and atopic dermatitis in ferrets, rabbits, rats, hamsters, guinea pigs and gerbils.
Essential Mousse is a rinse-free and soap-free repairing cleanser, used to cleanse and deodorize the animal as often as necessary. In particular, the company highlights its application in clinic, for cleaning up after anal gland expression, incontinence or vomiting, for use in animals that cannot be bathed, and as a customer courtesy before discharge.
The complete Dermoscent range, including the new small mammal products, is available in the UK through Vet Direct.
Henry Schein stocks the 4 variants for cats, dogs and small mammals of Essential 6 spot-on.
More information can be found at the Dermoscent website www.dermoscent.com, where visitors can access clinical studies and watch Wayne Rosenkrantz’s webinar: "Current Treatment Options for Canine Atopic dermatitis".
Emeritus Professor Leslie Vaughan DSc DVR FRCVS, President of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1987-8, has died.
Qualifying from the Royal Veterinary College in 1949, Professor Vaughan held various posts within the RVC, including House Surgeon, Lecturer and Reader. He was awarded a personal chair in 1972 as Professor of Veterinary Orthopaedics, becoming the Professor of Veterinary Surgery and Head of Department two years later. He was Vice-Principal from 1982 to 1991.
Having formally retired in 1991, Professor Vaughan continued to see small animal orthopaedic cases referred to the Queen Mother Hospital (QMH) at the Royal Veterinary College until he finally ‘put down his scalpel' at the end of 2007. During these 16 years, not only was he involved in both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching on rotations, but claimed no payment personally for his work: he donated any fees to the RVC's Animal Care Trust to support further development of the QMH. It is fitting that the third and final phase of the QMH was opened this week by HRH the Duchess of Cornwall. This was the culmination of a major project that Professor Vaughan helped initiate in the mid-1980s.
Professor Vaughan, who was 81, became a Fellow of the RCVS in 1957 for a thesis entitled: A study of the clinical and pathological aspects of the intervertebral disc protrusion in the dog.
Dr Jerry Davies, RCVS Treasurer and former colleague of Professor Vaughan said: "Leslie Vaughan had an international reputation in veterinary orthopaedics, both as a clinician and a researcher, that included small animal, equine and even farm animal species.
"Those remarkable achievements were equalled by his skills as a teacher. He had an ability to instil in his students the fundamental principles of diagnosis where meticulous clinical observation and examination must precede the careful selection of adjunct investigations such as radiography and laboratory testing. The extraordinary number of veterinary surgeons, both past and present, that will have benefited from his teaching over no less than 58 years will never be surpassed".
The funeral will be held at St John's Church, Harpenden, Herts (http://www.stjohnsharpenden.org.uk/), at 11.30 am on Monday December 1, 2008.
Petplan has announced the finalists for the 2012 Petplan Veterinary Awards.
According to the company, the awards have been more popular than ever, with over 3,000 nominations submitted for exceptional veterinary staff across the UK.
The finalists for each of the categories are:
Vet of the YearZaila Dunbar, Queens Park Veterinary Practice - London Tony Barnes, Manor Veterinary Clinic - FolkestoneMark Taylor, Feldon Veterinary Centre - Bedworth
Vet Nurse of the YearLucy Kells, The Wildlife Aid Foundation - LeatherheadRachael Harris, Elms Veterinary Surgery - MonmouthSarah Algar, Brentknoll Veterinary Centre Ltd - Worcester
Support Staff of the YearSarah Bowler, Holly House Veterinary Surgery - KnutsfordJane Wyatt, George Hunt and Son - PoyntonCathy Campbell, Haygate Veterinary Centre - Telford
Vet Practice of the YearEastcott Veterinary Clinic and Hospital - SwindonPrince Bishop Veterinary Hospital - County DurhamBroadleys Veterinary Hospital - Stirling
Simon Masding, Petplan's Head of Sales and Partnerships, said: "The Vet of the Year Awards are the highlight of our Petplan calendar because they recognise the dedication that the veterinary industry puts into providing the nation's pets with the best possible treatment. Each year the nominations reach an even higher standard and we're delighted with this year's finalists. At Petplan we work with more veterinary professionals than any other insurance provider and it is through these awards that we thank the profession on behalf of UK pet owners."
Petplan has also announced that comedian Seann Walsh, known for his appearances on shows like Mock the Week and Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow, will be this year's compère for the Vet of the Year Awards. Following in the footsteps of previous compères Michael McIntyre, Alistair McGowan, Frankie Boyle and Jason Manford; he will be entertaining this year's guests on the 12th April at Birmingham Town Hall.
For further information visit www.petplan.co.uk/vetawards/
The follow up service ‘can be provided personally by the veterinary surgeon or practice, or by written agreement with a veterinary services provider which is local to the client (as with the current situation for [out-of-hours] care provision)’.
The new rule comes into force on the 1st November, to allow practices to make any necessary arrangements.
The RCVS Council also decided that the temporary derogation from the usual requirement to conduct a physical examination before an animal is regarded as ‘under care’ be reviewed as a standing item at each subsequent Standards Committee meeting, until the normal guidance provisions are fully restored.
Fort Dodge has announced that a challenge study has demonstrated the ability of Duvaxyn® IE-T Plus equine influenza vaccine to cross protect against A/equi-2/Sydney/07 (H3N8) two weeks after a two dose primary course. This strain was responsible for the financially devastating equine influenza outbreak in Australia in August 2007.
Duvaxyn IE-T Plus is an inactivated whole virus equine influenza vaccine, adjuvanted with an aqueous-based adjuvant. According to Fort Dodge, experts at a recent WHO meeting on human vaccines expressed the view that whole virus vaccines have the potential to induce a stronger and more broadly based response to circulating influenza strains than those contained in sub-unit vaccines because of the presence of the full set of virus proteins in the vaccine*.
The study, conducted by the Animal Health Trust, involved two groups of EIV seronegative horses. The first group, consisting of seven vaccinates, were given two dose of Duvaxyn IE-T Plus, 28 days apart, and challenged with A/equi-2/Sydney/07 (H3N8) virus strain 14 days after the second vaccination. The second group of unvaccinated horses was challenged at the same time. Duvaxyn IE-T Plus caused a statistically significant reduction in both clinical signs of the disease and in viral shedding.
Helen Barnes, EMEA Equine Business Manager for Fort Dodge, said: "The results of this challenge study provide reassurance for owners that horses vaccinated with Duvaxyn will be protected against circulating strains of equine influenza, including the Sydney strain which proved so damaging.
"As the benefits offered by whole virus technology are increasingly recognised, the popularity of vaccines based on this technology is re-emerging, particularly to combat a potential pandemic.
"The entire Duvaxyn range of equine vaccines, including the recently licensed Duvaxyn WNV for West Nile Virus, are based on the whole virus approach as we believe it offers a broad and consistent level of protection."
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and British Small Animal Veterinary Association have issued a joint statement concerning the postgraduate qualifications CertAVP, PGCertSAM and PGCertSAS.
The statement follows the introduction earlier this year of the BSAVA's Postgraduate Certificates in Medicine and Surgery.
Dr Frances Barr, BSAVA's Director of Education (pictured right) said: "There has been a natural interest in how the BSAVA PGCertSAM and PGCertSAS compare with the RCVS Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice (CertAVP). Detailed discussions over the last few months between BSAVA and the RCVS have resulted in agreement that the two qualifications are academically equivalent, as outlined in a formal position statement. Individuals can therefore choose to study for the qualification which suits them best."
For thirty years, veterinary postgraduate qualifications at certificate level have been available within the UK; until recently, these were organised through and awarded by the RCVS. In recent years the Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice has been introduced, with assessment of accredited modules by a range of universities, and the final award made by the RCVS. With the development of the BSAVA Postgraduate Certificate programmes, questions have naturally arisen regarding the equivalence of these two programmes, and whether a stated requirement for 'a certificate' for a particular purpose refers to the general level of postgraduate qualification or to one particular qualification. It is natural that prospective candidates and employers should ask such questions when considering options for postgraduate study.
The joint position statement by the RCVS and the BSAVA:Representatives from the RCVS CertAVP subcommittee and BSAVA have therefore discussed the RCVS and BSAVA certificate programmes in detail. The statement here is intended to set out agreed principles which might be needed to allow resolution of any future questions about equivalence or accreditation.
The 'middle tier' postulated in the current RCVS Consultation on Specialisation, and the proposed 'acknowledged veterinarian' status under consideration in Europe, are not currently sufficiently defined to allow a position to be agreed.
The Education team will be talking to delegates about applying for 2013 places for the Postgraduate Certificates, its webinars and the new VN Merit Awards on the BSAVA Balcony at Congress from 11th-15th April.
The government estimates that up to 5,000 primates are currently kept outside of licensed zoos in the UK. Marmosets are by far the most commonly held primates in the UK, with capuchins, squirrel monkeys, lemurs and tamarins also among the most common species.
The new proposals will mean that specialist primate keepers who do not hold a zoo licence will need to obtain a new specialist private primate keeper licence to ensure they are meeting the required high welfare standards. These plans will also place welfare restrictions on the breeding and transferring of primates.
The BVA has welcomed the consultation. BVA Senior Vice President, Daniella Dos Santos said: “For a long time, we have called for a ban on private individuals keeping primates as pets. As vets, we have significant concerns as to whether the health and welfare needs of primates can ever be met under these circumstances.
“Primates are long-lived, intelligent and socially complex animals whose needs are extraordinarily difficult to meet in captivity and we can think of no circumstances where a primate would benefit from being kept in this way.
“We welcome the Government’s move to open a public consultation on this and hope that it does indeed result in a ban. If the UK wants to maintain its reputation for some of the highest standards of animal welfare in the world and if the government wants to fulfil its promises of enhancing the welfare of animals as we leave Europe then we must put an end to the keeping and trade of primates as pets.”
To take part in the consultation, visit: https://consult.defra.gov.uk/animal-health-and-welfare/primates-as-pets-in-england/consultation/intro/