Gil Riley of the Pool House Veterinary Hospital in Lichfield, Staffordshire has won the annual Petplan Equine Vet of the Year Award. 

The Award was announced at the 21st annual Animal Health Trust (AHT) Equestrian Awards gala dinner held at the Lancaster Hotel in London last Thursday.

Horse owners from all over the UK nominated vets who had gone above and beyond the call of duty. A short list of three finalists was then drawn up and the winner selected by an independent panel consisting of: Peter Webbon AHT Chief Executive and Equine Vet, Alison Bridge Editor-in-Chief of Horse & Rider Magazine, Chris House President of the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) and Jo Whitaker Marketing Development Manager for Petplan.

Peter Webbon of the AHT said "We received a record number of nominations this year and the standards were incredibly high.  However, Gil was nominated by over 100 clients and we felt he was truly deserving of this award."

Alison Andrew, Marketing Manager for Petplan said: "This award recognises the amazing hard work and commitment of people within the equine veterinary profession and those who provide outstanding service to horse owners."

Gil joined the Pool House Veterinary Group and Equine clinic practice to expand his equine skills after working in a mainly agricultural practice in Wales and is jointly responsible for the Equine part of the Practice. He has subsequently been awarded the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Certificate in Equine Practice and he is particularly interested in lameness and laminitis.  He also recently acted as British Team Vet at the International Driving Trials in Germany.

Gil said: "Everyday I feel like I'm pulling the greatest trick in that I get paid for doing what I love. To receive further recognition with this award almost feels greedy. I'm tremendously flattered and indebted to all my clients who nominated me."

In his acceptance speech Gil praised his team for their dedication and support without whom, he said this would not have been possible. Special thanks went to his proud wife Emma on the evening of their fifth wedding anniversary.

The Animal Health Trust Equestrian awards are designed to recognise the outstanding achievements made by horses, riders, owners and trainers throughout the equestrian world. Since the Petplan Charitable Trust was founded in 1994 it has raised over £5million, almost £500,000 of which has been donated to the AHT to fund research and development.

Abi Thompson, a final year student of veterinary nursing and practice management at Harper Adams University, is carrying out some interesting research to discover whether veterinary professionals’ perceptions of what is important to clients is the same as what clients say is important to them.

The surveys, which are part of Abi's honours research project, ask veterinary professionals and owners separately to place 'ability to see the same vet', 'staff friendliness', 'competency of vets and nurses', 'appointment availability' and 'appointment waiting times' in order of importance.

It also looks at whether veterinary professionals and owners think practice independence and nurses' clinics have an impact on client loyalty.

The surveys should take less than 10 minutes, and Abi has promised to share the results with VetSurgeon.org and VetNurse.co.uk in due course, so please do take part. It'll be fascinating to see whether there's a mismatch between what vets and nurses think are important, and what clients think!

The survey for veterinary professionals is here.

If you know any owners that would be interested in taking part, the survey for clients is here.

The RCVS has published the results of a survey of EU veterinary surgeons and nurses working in the UK which shows a high degree of fear and uncertainty caused by Brexit, causing many to question whether they will stay.

The survey was carried out by the Institute for Employment Studies (IES), which sent it to 5,572 veterinary surgeons who graduated from a vet school in the EU (excluding the UK) and who are registered as veterinary surgeons in this country, as well as around 100 non-UK EU-trained veterinary nurses.

The survey asked a range of questions about how these individuals felt that the vote to leave the EU had affected them, how they felt about their future working in the UK veterinary sector and how they felt the College had dealt with the issue of Brexit.

3,078 people (including 19 veterinary nurses) responded to the survey – a response rate of 55.3%. The average age of the respondents was 36. 60% were female and 87% were working full-time. 

The largest group of respondents (22%) qualified in Spain. 14% qualified in Italy, 10% in Poland, 9% in Romania, 7% in Portugal, 6% in Germany and 6% in the Republic of Ireland.

The remaining 26% qualified in 18 different countries, each of which accounted for fewer than 5% of EU registrants. Although these figures relate to country of qualification and not the nationality of the individuals, in 91% of cases these were the same.

The majority of respondents (78%) worked in clinical practice. Of the 603 who did not work in clinical practice, 38% worked for the Food Standards Agency, 21% worked for the Animal and Plant Health Agency and 18% worked in higher education.

The main findings of the survey were:

• On continuing to work in the UK: 73% of respondents said they would like to continue to work in the UK. However, 41% of respondents said they were not optimistic about their future, 67% were finding the uncertainty about their future difficult, 64% felt less welcome, 44% felt fearful about the future and 40% felt they had reduced job security. Furthermore, 40% of respondents said they were more likely to leave, with 18% actively looking for work outside the UK. Some 79% are awaiting the outcome of the Brexit negotiations before deciding on what to do.
• On the impact of Brexit on veterinary sector: 88% of respondents believed that the UK will have a shortage of veterinary surgeons if non-UK EU national vets are no longer welcome in the country. Some 77% also believed that EU-graduate vets are also less likely to apply to join the UK Register.
• On their experience of prejudice: 16% of respondents said they had personally experienced prejudice at work following the vote to leave the EU with 22% saying they had observed it.
• On support from the College: 74% of respondents said they were happy with the support and advice provided by the RCVS so far.

RCVS President Chris Tufnell said: "This survey makes the strongest possible case that the Government must act fast to reassure our EU colleagues in practices, universities and industry that they are welcome to stay in the UK.

"EU vets and vet nurses make a massive contribution to the UK veterinary sector and the health and welfare of animals and humans.

"Beyond this commitment we will also be lobbying the Government that, after we leave the EU, suitably qualified vets from overseas are prioritised for UK work visas or equivalent, particularly if they are working in public health and the meat industry. 

"I have written to Michael Gove, the new Secretary of State for the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, outlining our position and our Brexit Principles and have invited him to visit the RCVS at Belgravia House to discuss these further. I hope that he accepts our offer so that we can have some constructive talks on these matters.

"On a personal note, I am very sorry to see that a significant proportion of respondents had experienced prejudice at work. This is simply not acceptable and we, as a regulator, have been conscious that ‘anti-foreigner’ rhetoric in the country at large could have an effect on hard-working and talented members of our profession, which is why we raised the matter in our letter to the Prime Minister last year."

The findings of interviews with a sample of non-UK EU-graduated veterinary surgeons working in the UK will be published over the summer. Meanwhile, over the next two years, IES will also be carrying out two further pieces of research that will track the opinions and intentions of non-UK EU-graduated veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses over time as Brexit policies are formed and the future status of non-UK nationals made clearer. 

To read the IES report and the College’s three Brexit Principles in full, visit www.rcvs.org.uk/brexit

New research led by academics at the University of Bristol's School of Veterinary Sciences has shown that 85% of pet cats are not neutered by the recommended age of four months, possibly due to cat owners needing better information about when to neuter their cat.

In 2006, the recommended neutering age of pet cats reduced from six to four months of age. The study assessed the proportion of cats neutered at these ages. Data was obtained from owner-completed questionnaires at recruitment, when kittens were aged eight to 16-weeks, and six and a half to seven months of age. Demographic and lifestyle factors were also assessed for potential association with neuter status.

The researchers found that of the 751 cats in the study, 14.1% and 73.5% had been neutered at or before four and six months of age, respectively. Cats were significantly more likely to be neutered at four months if their owners had always intended to have their cat neutered by this age. They were also significantly more likely to be neutered at four months if they were microchipped or from households in deprived regions.

The likelihood of being neutered, compared with unneutered, at six months of age was significantly increased for cats that were insured, obtained from an animal welfare organisation, given their second vaccination, from a household with an annual income of over £10,000 and owned by people intending to have their cat neutered by this age.

Dr Jane Murray, Cats Protection Research Fellow in Feline Epidemiology, said: "Neutering is recommended as an effective way of reducing the number of unwanted cats in the UK. Our study found that age of neutering was associated with the age of intended neutering.  Cats can reach puberty at four to five months of age therefore, it is important that owners are aware of the recommended age of neutering at four months, to reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies that occur."

The study suggests that while neutering rates were high at six months of age, they were low at four months of age, and that further work is required to publicise the recommended neutering age of four months to cat owners.

Paper: The neuter status of cats at four and six months of age is strongly associated with the owners' intended age of neutering, C. P. Welsh, T. J. Gruffydd-Jones and J. K. Murray, Veterinary Record published online April 19, 2013.

Petplan has teamed up with Battersea Dogs & Cats Home to launch Summer Safety, a pet owner education campaign based on insurance claims received by the company. 

The company reports that last year, 83% of all heat stroke claims occurred in the summer months (June-August), with 48% of them in July alone. Almost half of all heat stroke claims last year came in at an average of £315, with the highest claim reaching nearly £600.

80% of grass seed claims happened between June and August last year, 41% of which happened in July. The highest grass seed claim paid out by Petplan last year was just over £3,600, with the top ten highest grass seed claims totalling over £18,500. 

Petplan says it also sees a significant spike in claims for injuries resulting from other foreign bodies in ears and paws in the summer months. Last year, 77% of claims arising from foreign bodies in ears and 55% for foreign bodies in paws occurred between June and August.

In order to alleviate the risk to pets and highlight the danger, Petplan and Battersea Dogs & Cats Home have created a guide to help pet owners determine how at-risk to heat their pet is. The guide is available to download at petplan.co.uk/summersafety and Battersea.org.uk/funinthesun. 

Petplan's vet Brian Faulkner MRCVS said: "Using the simple four step process, the guide encourages pet owners to answer a series of questions that reveals their pet's SPF score, whilst including useful tips to help keep their pet out of harm's way during the hotter months. The scale calculates a pet's risk to retaining heat based on four factors, those being; coat colour, coat type, length of the animal's nose and its age, to determine either a low, medium or high risk susceptibility."

The BVA has reported the results of its 2019 joint survey with the Association of Veterinary Students, which found that 50% of vet students now find they have to work part-time to meet their living expenses. 

This compares with 38% in 2016 and just 25% in 2012.

The survey found that on average, students are having to make up an annual shortfall of £2000 per annum, and those in the mid and later years of study are more likely to have a part-time job than those in the earlier years. 

Significant numbers of students are now also reporting mental health problems: 68% report feeling overwhelmed, 52% experiencing anxiety and 35% reporting depression, with 78% citing their studies as the cause, 57% the lack of free time and 44% financial worries. 

As part of the survey, students were asked which area they saw themselves working in after graduation.

Overall, 85% said they intend to go into clinical practice (increasing from 79% in the 1st year to 90% in the final year).

When they think about their first job, 43% said the graduate support offering and 28% the type of practice are the most important considerations.

When it comes to extra-mural studies (EMS), the survey found hands-on experience is the top priority for vet students when choosing their placements and cost is the biggest barrier (37%). 

Katie Roberts, AVS President, said: "I’m really pleased that we’ve got an up-to-date overview of the thoughts, concerns and aspirations of our membership population. Our new comprehensive data set on the mental health and welfare concerns of our students is concerning, as are the number of students facing financial concerns during their degree. However, such shocking findings will provide us with really strong, quantitative support when we work to tackle these issues over the coming months."

BVA President, Daniella Dos Santos said: “This survey is a really important snapshot of veterinary student life today. High levels of mental health concerns and funding gaps continue to be a significant worry and it’s essential that both the vet schools and the wider veterinary community provide as much support as possible. We’ll be sharing the results with the vet schools to help them help their students.

"The increasing pressure to work part-time to makes ends meet is a stark reminder that a vet degree can be really expensive. This isn’t only a concern for current vet students who are facing financial hardship but it’s also a significant barrier to widening participation to students from non-traditional backgrounds. It’s an issue that BVA is working on with AVS, RCVS and the Vet Schools Council."

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has dismissed an application for restoration to the RCVS Register from Dr Janos Nemeth, who was struck off in 2009 for fraudulent registration.

This was Dr Nemeth's second unsuccessful restoration application, and the Committee said it would hear no further application unless the Committee Chairman, advised by the Legal Assessor, considered it to have a reasonable prospect of success.

At the original hearing on the 23rd February 2009, Dr Nemeth, who had practised in the Wokingham area of Berkshire, was found to have dishonestly entered his name in the RCVS Register. Although he held a veterinary science degree from the Szent István University in Budapest, he had included a forged document in his registration application. He lodged an appeal with the Privy Council the following month, but did not pursue it; the appeal was dismissed in September 2009 and his name was removed from the Register. Dr Nemeth was ordered to pay costs of £8,904.59, which remain outstanding.

In September 2010, he applied to the RCVS Disciplinary Committee for restoration of his name to the RCVS Register, denying that he had produced a fraudulent document. In refusing the application, the then-Committee told Dr Nemeth that it had no appellate jurisdiction and that the onus was on him to demonstrate that he was a fit and proper person, before his name could be restored. It advised him generally about a future application for restoration.

At this week's restoration hearing, Dr Nemeth told the Committee that he did accept the original findings of the Committee but, at the same time, told them again that he was not party to the forgery. He also said that he held a licence to practise from the Hungarian Veterinary Chamber, and had been employed since October 2011 as a veterinary surgeon in a small animal hospital in Budapest, where he carried out a wide range of work including surgery. He also said he had attended two CPD courses. 

The Committee accepted this. However, it continued to be concerned about the absence of evidence. Dr Nemeth had not produced evidence of CPD undertaken or provided letters of support from employers or colleagues, to give comfort to the assertion that he should be permitted to practise in the UK. The Committee rejected Dr Nemeth's argument that his licence to practise in Hungary meant he did not need to do this. 

Committee Chairman Professor Peter Lees said: "The Committee is disappointed by Dr Nemeth's continuing lack of insight and is satisfied that he has paid insufficient attention to the guidance given at the previous restoration hearing. The burden remains on him to satisfy this Committee that he is a fit and proper person, before his name can be restored to the Register."

The application was dismissed.

Dr Donal Johnston MRCVS, a former County Down-based veterinary surgeon who made fraudulent pet insurance claims to fund a gambling addiction has had his RCVS Disciplinary Committee sanction hearing postponed after he agreed to enter into undertakings.

At a hearing in April Dr Johnston had admitted all the charges against him, which related fraudulent claims for the treatment of animals, two of which were fictitious, where he arranged for the insurance claims to be diverted and paid into a personal bank account.

Dr Johnston had admitted all the charges against him as well as admitting that his conduct was dishonest and amounted to serious professional misconduct.

Committee Chair Paul Morris said: “The Committee has no hesitation in concluding that the respondent’s dishonest conduct will have severely undermined the confidence of the public in the veterinary profession and, further, that his conduct fell far short of the standards and conduct properly to be expected of a member of the veterinary profession.

"The Committee is satisfied that this conduct by the respondent brought the profession into disrepute.”

The proceedings were then adjourned to allow a psychiatric report and other mitigation to be prepared.

At its resumed hearing on earlier this month, the Committee considered what sanction to impose. 

The Committee found that aggravating features of his misconduct were that it was premeditated, carefully planned and sophisticated in that it involved the creation of numerous and extensive false clinical records to support his fraudulent claims.

It also considered the fact that he implicated an innocent professional colleague who worked alongside him at the practice, that he abused the trust placed in him by clients, that the dishonest conduct was repeated and that it involved significant financial gain in excess of £13,200 to be further aggravating features of his conduct

In terms of mitigation, the Committee accepted that he had made early admissions regarding his conduct to his employer and the College and accepted responsibility.

The Committee also heard that he had made attempts at remediation involving repayments of some of the sums lost by the practice and insurers.

It also considered positive testimonials from family and professional colleagues and the fact that Dr Johnston had taken significant steps to deal with the gambling addiction that was at the root cause of his misconduct.

Having considered all the evidence, the Committee decided to postpone its decision on sanction for a period of 2 years on the condition that Dr Johnston agree to undertakings including refraining from any form of gambling, subjecting himself to a close regime of support and supervision, and repaying some of the sums he had defrauded.

Paul added: “In reaching this conclusion the Committee wishes to make it clear that it has taken an exceptional course in this case.

"Ordinarily conduct of the type covered by the charges which this respondent has accepted will merit the imposition of a sanction of removal from the Register or a period of suspension from the Register.

"In this instance the Committee has found it possible to take the course that it has because it is satisfied that the respondent was, at the time, suffering from a recognisable psychiatric compulsive addiction… and that the fraudulent attempts by the respondent to obtain funds with which to gamble would not have occurred but for this psychiatric condition.

“The Committee further considers that the undertakings offered by the respondent will serve to reduce the risk that he will relapse into gambling again, for his conduct will be closely monitored and he will accept continuing support and guidance from the organisations currently assisting him.

“The Committee is also satisfied of the requirements that neither animals nor the public will be put at risk by this proposed course of action; that the respondent has demonstrated insight into the seriousness of his misconduct and that there is currently no significant risk of repeat behaviour; that his practicing standards are not in need of improvement so long as he continues to fulfil his CPD obligations; that the undertakings offered are capable of being met, are appropriate and are measurable; that there is evidence that his underlying medical problem is being appropriately addressed, will be monitored and reported on; and that he has responded positively to the opportunities for support and counselling which have been offered to him.”

If Dr Johnston fails to comply with his undertakings the Committee will reconvene and consider the charges with the full range of sanctions at its disposal.

www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary

VetPlus has announced that it has taken over the worldwide distribution for Vetigel, a haemostatic gel which stops bleeding in seconds and which can now be used for all types of surgery.

Vetigel is a plant based gel which was first introduced to the UK for orthodontic surgeries last year.

It is supplied in a pre-filled syringe and applied directly to the site of bleeding where it creates an initial mechanical seal and then supports the formation of the platelet plug below.

VetPlus says it can be used in many situations where bleeding is an issue and the gel can be applied directly to the site of bleeding, including liver biopsies, mass removals, amputations and enucleations. 

Jackie Marshall, VetPlus Technical Advisor, said: “This innovative product is already transforming the way vets perform both dental and surgical procedures, and we have had really positive feedback from those practices where it is being used already.

"Vetigel isn’t intended to replace a surgeon’s technique, but it is designed to stop bleeding where pressure or other methods are ineffective or impractical.

"Because it is a gel, it can conform to a wide range of wound shapes, making it a rapid, effective way of controlling bleeding.

“We believe this product will make a lasting impact on veterinary care, transforming the way surgeries are carried out and assisting haemostasis in animal patients.”

Zak Leavold, a vet based at Calster Vets in Great Yarmouth used Vetigel in an emergency situation, out of hours, on a dog with a bleed due to a kidney laceration.

He said: ‘I genuinely believe the product saved the dog’s life that night.

"I will certainly be keeping Vetigel on hand for any future soft surgeries – just in case!’

Links

• Videos of Vetigel in action: https://store.vetigel.com/pages/library 
• Further info: https://www.vetplus.co.uk 

The RCVS has contacted 1,071 veterinary surgeons asking them to share their continuing professional development (CPD) records as part of the its annual audit of compliance.

Under the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct veterinary surgeons are expected to demonstrate that they are keeping their skills and knowledge up-to-date by engaging in at least 105 hours of CPD over a rolling three-year period.

As part of the auditing process the 1,071 vets will be asked to share their CPD records for 2014 to 2016, either by allowing the College to access their online Professional Development Record or by sending the College a copy of their CPD record card.

The audit will focus on six groups:

• 91 vets who have not confirmed their CPD compliance when renewing their registration for two consecutive years;
• a random sample of 400 vets who said they were compliant when renewing their registration in 2017;
• 235 vets who were found to be non-compliant in the 2016 audit;
• 131 vets who did not respond when asked to share their records in the 2016 audit;
• 32 graduate vets who have not responded to any communication about the Professional Development Phase;
• and 128 vets who said they were not compliant as part of the 2017 annual renewal process.

The College says that if any of the veterinary surgeons who have been audited are found to be non-compliant they will be asked to explain why and send a plan stating how they will make up the hours in order to become compliant.

The deadline for sharing records is Tuesday 31 October 2017.

As part of the auditing process the College is reminding veterinary surgeons that CPD encompasses a wide range of recorded activities, which can be clinical or non-clinical, including private reading/study, webinars, mentoring, clinical audit and discussion groups as well as attending seminars and workshops.

Don't forget that reading content and participating in forum discussions on VetSurgeon.org can count towards your annual requirement, using the 'Claim CPD' feature at the top of each page. 

Those with any questions about the auditing process or what constitutes CPD can contact Jenny Soreskog-Turp, RCVS Education Officer, on cpd@rcvs.org.uk.

US publisher Hoofcare Publishing has launched HoofSearch, a new monthly curated collection of all the latest peer-reviewed research, academic papers, conference proceedings, and patents covering hoof science, equine lameness, biomechanics, imaging and related topics like equine metabolic syndrome, footing studies, and racing, breed and sport-specific lameness research.

In short, it's a way for equine vets, researchers and students to stay on top of the latest research without accumulating towering stacks of unread journals. 

Early reaction to the publication has been very positive. Professor Renate Weller at the Royal Veterinary College said: "HoofSearch is a great tool for anybody interested in staying up to date with what work is going on in relation to horse feet. It is a trustworthy source at an affordable price.

Renate added: "I am not the only one who appreciates HoofSearch; the farriers enrolled in our new degree in research are also using it for their work."

RVC Structure and Motion Laboratory PhD candidate Amy Barstow, BVetMed (Hons), agreed: "HoofSearch gives you a straightforward, time-efficient way to stay on top of the latest research."

Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine Professor Emerita Hilary M. Clayton also endorses the new publication. She said: "HoofSearch is worth its weight in gold – instead of spending countless hours scouring the literature, I just go through HoofSearch each month and find all the new publications, proceedings and patents neatly classified and enough of the abstract to convey the contents of the article."

Publisher Fran Jurga said: "Everywhere professionals are involved in helping horses with foot problems, the push is on to both be able to access and build on a comprehensive, if still evolving, body of knowledge. These reports will be useful to track how this newly expanding field of research grew and contributed to the improved welfare, longevity and soundness of horses in the future. I can’t wait to add more editions on other equine health subjects."

A subscription to HoofSearch is US$119, worldwide, for 12 editions.

For more information, visit: https://goo.gl/hJTISt

To subscribe (outside the US), visit: https://www.paypal.me/Hoofcare/119 

The RCVS is holding a session at the London Vet Show on Saturday 23rd October from 8:30am-9:30am to provide guidance and advice concerning the work your nursing team does in practice.

As the RCVS says, the recent Panorama programme "It shouldn't happen at a vets'" was a stark reminder of the importance of ensuring that all practice staff are working within the appropriate legal framework.

The session will answer such questions as:

• Are your veterinary nursing staff working legally?
• Do their job titles mislead the public?
• Is your veterinary team delegating appropriately?
• Do you understand Schedule 3?
• Are your VN 'students' really students?

Because of the early start, the RCVS is providing breakfast from 8:15am, though I wouldn't get your hopes up for eggs benedict and freshly smoked Loch Fyne kippers.

The RCVS says the session will be relevant for all members of the practice team, but that if you can't make the session, they will be on hand to discuss VN legislation on stand M26.