Dechra Veterinary Products has launched Vitamin K1 tablets for dogs, which help reverse the effects of exposure to anticoagulant rodenticides.

The launch of the NFA-VPS licensed 50mg tablets means that veterinary professionals can have a ready supply of Vitamin K when treating animals which have been exposed or may have been exposed to serious poisoning. Previously, the tablets where only available as a special import certificate product following Dechra's acquisition of Eurovet.

Dechra Veterinary Products Brand Manager, Carol Morgan, said: "Vitamin K1 is an absolutely key therapy in the treatment of potential and accidental exposures to anticoagulant poisoning in animals, mainly in pet dogs. It helps to assist with blood clotting, and the treatment protocol advises continued oral therapy following an initial injectable preparation of Vitamin K.

"The Veterinary Poisons Information Service has received more than 6,000 calls so far this year to its helpline regarding suspected or confirmed poisoning of all types of animals, whether accidental or deliberate exposure.

"We had been able to offer the Vitamin K1 injection and tablets via a SIC, when previously sometimes only preparations for human use were available. Therefore, we are delighted to now launch a licensed tablet which will ensure a ready supply and speed of therapy for animals affected by anticoagulant rodenticides."

Carol added: "Anticoagulant poisoning queries are already the second most common type received by the Veterinary Poisons Information Service, and with the launch of these tablets, veterinary professions will be able to have a ready supply of vitamin K to hand. We would recommend that all practices consider stocking this product."

Vitamin K1 50mg tablets, for the treatment of anticoagulant poisoning following parenteral treatment, are available in boxes of 14 tablets, in blister packs of seven tablets.

For more information, please visit www.dechra.co.uk

CVS Equine practices are undertaking a collaborative clinical study to improve our understanding about the clinical signs and aetiology of equine pastern dermatitis (EPD).

Despite being a common disease, CVS says very little research has been undertaken into EPD in the UK.

In addition, numerous different treatments are currently used for EPD, for which there is not always robust scientific evidence.

The CVS study, which started in 2022 and will continue till early 2024, involves 20 practices.

Samples have been collected from over 70 cases from horses that have been diagnosed by EPD throughout the UK.

Full blood profiles have been assessed, in addition to bacterial culture analysis of the lesions, PCR analysis for dermatophytes (ringworm fungi), microscopy for ectoparasites (mites) and skin cytology.

An owner questionnaire has also been completed to gather information on EDP management.

Each horse’s lesions have been graded and descriptive data relating to the lesions were recorded.

Data collection is now complete and a team of researchers, led by vet Manuela Diaz Ramos, has started analysing the data.

A full report on the findings, along with treatment and management recommendations, is expected to be presented at a scientific conference later this year. 

John Swinney MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, oficially opened the award-winning £10.5 million Small Animal Hospital for the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow today.

Designed by Archial Architects, the Small Animal Hospital provides state of the art services for animal owners and referring practitioners throughout Scotland and Northern England, including advanced diagnostic, therapeutic and surgical techniques.

Archial's design for the Small Animal Hospital has already won a string of awards, including the prestigious RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award, a RIBA Regional Award and the Supreme Award from the Glasgow Institute of Architects.

Archial Architects has confirmed that it is to donate £2,500 from the Andrew Doolan Prize fund to the Small Animal Hospital.

The RCVS has announced that it has joined forces with the Doctors’ Support Network (DSN) to launch the ‘&me’ campaign which aims to tackle mental health stigma in the health professions by encouraging prominent members to speak out about their own experiences.

The campaign was officially launched at an event at the Palace of Westminster sponsored by Kevan Jones MP (Labour, North Durham) who has spoken about his own experiences with depression, and featured first-hand testimonials from senior veterinary surgeons and doctors who have experienced mental ill-health.

‘&me’ is a collaboration between the RCVS Mind Matters Initiative, which seeks to address mental health and wellbeing issues within the veterinary profession, and the Doctors’ Support Network, which provides peer support for doctors and medical students with mental health concerns.

Introducing the campaign, Mr Jones said: "The key message I have today in regards to mental health is talking about it and trying to get it out of the dark corners rather than it being something you are ashamed to talk about. That is how we get people to help themselves with their own condition and to seek help. The other key thing is not to write people off if they have a mental illness."

The floor was then opened to personal stories from those who have lived experience of mental ill-health. Dr Louise Freeman is Vice-Chair of the Doctors’ Support Network and was diagnosed with depression in 2009 as a result of the way in which her return to work was handled after having time off work as an emergency medicine consultant following a bereavement.

She said: "This experience made me think that doctors with mental health problems were in a small minority and that it was probably our own fault anyway. Both impressions are completely wrong. The incidence of mental health problems is one in four people in any one year and is actually higher for doctors, who are often slower to seek help than non-medics. The good news is that well supported doctors have excellent treatment outcomes.

"During my own return to work, I was told by my clinical lead that they had 'always thought that I was a mental health problem waiting to happen.' I think this says more about them than it did about me! On reflection, yes that was true, but only inasmuch as this applies to all of us during our lives.

"I hope that the ‘&me’ campaign can start to address this by encouraging senior healthcare professionals, who are currently well, but have experienced mental health problems, to disclose that they have 'been there themselves'. I think that this will help to normalise mental ill health for healthcare professionals and therefore remove some of the barriers to unwell professionals seeking help at an earlier stage. Overall this would be better for healthcare professionals, their colleagues and their patients."

David Bartram, Director of Outcomes Research for the international operations of the largest global animal health company and a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons' governing Council, spoke next. He gave his perspective on coming to terms with a mental health condition in a profession that has some stigma attached to it.

A number of years ago David attempted suicide following the breakup of his marriage and explains what happened from there: "I just thought I was stressed – after all, who wouldn’t be in those circumstances? But in fact I was becoming progressively more unwell. What started as worry, early waking and palpitations – which I recognised – led to patterns of thinking which I did not recognise as being disordered. I felt trapped and worthless – suicide was the only escape. From a medical perspective, my biological, social and psychological risk factors had converged and tipped me into major depression.

"That was the first of multiple suicide attempts and several prolonged stays in hospital. Over a three-year period I spent 12 months as a psychiatric inpatient. I was treated with antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilisers, talking therapies and electroconvulsive therapy.

"But now thankfully I am well – and I have been for 14 years…. To what do I attribute my recovery? A mixture of medical treatment, psychological therapies, supportive friends and family, rest and time – they all contributed, probably in similar measure." 

He added that while his episode of mental ill-health does not define him it has changed him in a positive way and that no one is immune from it.

Dr Jonathan Richardson is Group Medical Director for Community Services at the Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust who had a mental health condition when he was a medical student and spoke about how it is possible to flourish in your career with a mental health diagnosis.

"I was unwell as a teenager with a physical illness and later as a medical student with a mental illness… these two experiences crystallised my drive to become a doctor and my own approach to healthcare. I wanted to be able to deliver the care that I was fortunate to receive. I wanted to be as patient-centred and compassionate with the patients I would serve, in the same way as the teams who delivered my care. I was lucky to have support when I was unwell from very good friends, some from school and some from university; and a very close family. I have been able to recover.

"It is 24 years since my mental illness. I now work in Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, one of the largest mental and learning disability health trusts in England – and one of only two to be rated outstanding by the Care Quality Commission…. I do not feel that my illnesses have stopped me."

Dr Angelika Luehrs is the chair of the Doctors’ Support Network and a consultant psychiatrist who was diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder while she was a trainee psychiatrist. She said: “When I asked for advice about how to access help one of the answer I got was one of ‘whatever you do, make sure that you don't have any mental illness in your medical records otherwise you will never go anywhere in your medical career. However, getting the diagnosis and help from a Consultant Psychiatrist was the best thing that ever happened.”

She added: "The reality is that my diagnosis has not stopped me – I have been a consultant psychiatrist since 2010 with the Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, last year I was appointed as medical lead for West Wiltshire including early intervention, intensive services and primary care liaison services.  I have a special interest in supporting doctors with mental illness and I am delighted to be appointed by the newly launched GP Health Service as a special advisor for complex mental health cases."

The last speaker was veterinary surgeon Neil Smith who chairs the RCVS Mind Matters Initiative and outlined how to participate in the campaign. He said: "This event is just the start… the real challenge is to start to get this message out to the wider professions. Stigma is a difficult thing to tackle, but the good news is that changing our minds is within the power of every individual to do." 

Following the launch the ‘&me’ campaign is now encouraging other senior health professionals to step forward and talk about their own experiences with mental ill-health, especially as both medical doctors and veterinary surgeons have higher suicide rates than the general population but often have more reluctance to seek help because of the impact it may have on their career.

The campaign is interested in hearing from not only doctors and veterinary surgeons but also nurses, veterinary nurses, dentists, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals who want to open up about their experiences of mental ill-health. To participate in the campaign email Dr Louise Freeman on vicechair@dsn.org.uk.

Further information about the ‘&me’ campaign can be found at www.vetmindmatters.org/&me

The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has had 88% of its research rated as world-leading (4*) or internationally excellent (3*) by the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF).

The impact of the College's research on society was similarly highly-ranked, with 83% being scored 4*, and 7.5 of the 9 impact case studies submitted found to have “outstanding reach and significance”.

Additionally, there has been a 54% increase in the number of full time equivalent academic staff submitted since the last assessment – establishing the RVC as the largest veterinary research institution in the country.

The impact case studies submitted by the RVC covered a range of research areas, including those which advance clinical practice; protect public health by enhancing food safety; inform World Health Organisation and the Food and Agriculture Organisation policy on the control of disease afflicting some of poorest people in the world; and tackle antimicrobial resistance through innovations in drug delivery. 

The College says the results also highlight its holistic and transdisciplinary approach to research, with researchers, teachers, clinicians and pathologists working collaboratively to ensure ‘real world’ impact and advances in clinical practice.

Professor Jonathan Elliott, Professor of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology at the RVC, said: “REF 2021 has recognised the outstanding reach and significance of the impact of our research which is so pleasing to see.

"I know all my academic colleagues are motivated to innovate in order to make a difference to lives of people and those of the animals they keep.

"Our submission truly reflects the breadth of scholarship at the RVC which generates the new knowledge we teach our students, the high quality of which has been endorsed by this external review.”

Samaxia has launched LacriProtect and Lacri+, two new eye care products for dogs made by French company MP Labo, in the UK. 

LacriProtect is designed to increase the depth of the tear film in the management of dry eye, during anaesthesia, or in case of irritation. 

It contains a carbomer-based formula in individual, resealable single-use pipettes, so that each application is hygienic and free from cross-contamination.

This, says Samaxia, is particularly useful in clinical settings.

Lacri+ contains 0.4% cross-linked sodium hyaluronate and urea, and is designed to hydrate, lubricate and protect the ocular surface.

It comes in a multi-dispense bottle with a tip-seal mechanism and multilayer filtration to ensure sterility and give a shelf life of three months after opening.

https://www.samaxia.com 

VET Festival, the annual CPDfest created by Professor Noel Fitzpatrick, has reported a 58% increase in delegates and a 30% increase in exhibitors at the event, which was held at the start of the month.

1004 veterinary professionals attended VET Festival to hear talks from a line up of 21 speakers from around the world. On the Friday night, VETFest Live provided an opportunity for delegates to network and relax in front of a number of acts, including Hunter and the Bear, Lucy Spraggan and Morrissey & Marshall.

Noel said: "I think that change is inevitable within veterinary education. My experience with the students of today is that they wish to embrace new learning formats and are especially enthusiastic about learning environments where didactic lectures become an immersive experience. My goal therefore was to achieve the perfect mix of education and a chilled-out festival atmosphere. 

"We are learning all the time, and we invite suggestions. I take very seriously the commitment I voiced in the welcome address, which is to reinvest every penny for the greater good for animals and the profession. I sincerely believe that vets and vet nurses will over time question where their money is spent and will take a good hard look not only at what value they get for their investment, but also where their money actually goes."

Picture: Richard Dunwoody.

Herts-based Davies Veterinary Specialists has appointed neurology technician Julia Freeman to provide a hearing assessment clinic for cats and dogs with suspected hearing loss. 

Julia, who is a leading exponent of the Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response (BAER) screening test, will also support the small animal referral hospital’s neurology, ophthalmology and dermatology teams with enhanced diagnostics.

Julia was a neurology technician at the Animal Health Trust for 31 years, until it closed in July 2020. With colleagues there she helped to develop and implement BAER testing as a screening process in animals at risk of congenital deafness. Davies says this is now recognised as the gold standard in deafness testing by organisations such as The Kennel Club and various breed clubs in the UK.

Julia said: “I am so happy to be starting a new chapter at Davies. It is really exciting to be establishing the Hearing Assessment Clinic here and continuing to provide this important service both to previous clients and new ones. I am also looking forward to developing a successful, constructive working relationship with my new colleagues."

Tim Richardson, Managing Director of Davies said: "We are delighted to welcome Julia to the team at Davies. As one of the UK’s leaders in this highly specialised field she enables us to offer hearing screening, hearing tests and electrodiagnostics across the relevant disciplines, at the very highest level."

For further information visit www.vetspecialists.co.uk

The UK's first online gastric ulcer risk assessment for horse owners has just been launched as part of the 2009 Gastric Ulcer Awareness Month (GUAM), organised by Merial Equine Health. 

Merial has developed the risk online questionnaire to enable owners to evaluate their horse's risk of ulcers. By logging on to the website http://www.gastriculcerrisk.co.uk/, owners, trainers and riders can complete a form which then returns the results via email. Where an animal is considered to be at medium to high risk, owners will be advised to consult their veterinary practice.

The company's Dr Emma Batson said: "Since the first GUAM in 2007, significant progress has been made in developing awareness and understanding of equine gastric ulcer syndrome.  

"However there is still more to do! Our goal is to move gastric ulcers further up the diagnostic process, such that the condition is an early consideration for all horses presented with the vague symptoms associated with ulceration. We know that due to the vague nature of the symptoms, many of horses are suspected of other ailments such as back and teeth problems, general poor performance, or behavioural issues prior to being diagnosed with ulcers.

"This new initiative has been developed through consultation with practising internal medicine specialists. We hope it will help to highlight more cases and encourage clients into the practice with horses that are at genuine risk of ulcers. Further diagnosis, treatment and management measures can then be considered in consultation with the client.

"The website also has a veterinary page so that follow up information and any gastroscopy results can be recorded by the vet. We hope that this feedback will help generate some valuable data for the industry."

To help you promote this initiative, Merial has produced an impactful poster for use in practice waiting rooms, along with educational literature. The poster will be available as a loose insert in various publications during April and May.

For those practices which require a referral scoping service, Merial can put you in touch with three specialist consultants; Rachael Conwell (North) Dr.Tim Brazil (Midlands/nationwide) and Richard Hepburn (South West) who each provide a mobile scoping clinic.

Merial is also promising support for the mobile scoping service for the five practices that direct the largest number of clients to http://www.gastriculcerrisk.co.uk/

A number of events are also taking place during the month for vets, trainers and horse owners, including the following CPD events:

• A CPD seminar entitled 'Inside Out' includes presentations on intestinal conditions, gastric ulceration, respiratory diagnostics, and Equine Metabolic Syndrome. Held on Tuesday 19th May 2009, at the National Water Sports Centre, Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham, the event will include sporting activities in the afternoon.
• A BEVA CPD gastroscopy training forum to be held on 12th May and hosted by B&W Equine Group at the Willesley clinic is already fully booked. However other initiatives include a seminar for racehorse trainers to be held in Yorkshire which boasts a demonstration of the new revolutionary remote endoscopy system and a photo call at Badminton Horse Trials.

GUAM is supported by BEVA and Dr Batson hopes that the 2009 initiatives will further boost awareness, understanding and diagnosis of this underrated condition.

The Waltham Equine Studies Group has published new research which highlights the effectiveness of grazing muzzles as a tool to help with weight management in ponies.

The research, which was conducted in collaboration with Dr Annette Longland of Equine and Livestock Nutrition Services (ELNS) in Wales², also showed that longer grass can be more difficult for muzzled ponies to graze, and can cause frustration-related behaviour in some individuals. 

According to Waltham, grazing muzzles have already been shown to reduce the pasture intake of ponies by around 80% by significantly reducing bite size and intake.¹ Ponies fitted with grazing muzzles may spend more time engaging in foraging and eating than their non-muzzled counterparts, yet the majority either lose weight or retain their body condition. This in turn helps reduce susceptibility to obesity and related disorders, such as insulin dysregulation and laminitis.

Four mature ponies were selected for the study. Their dry matter (DM) and water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) intakes were measured in spring, summer, and autumn pastures on four, three-hour occasions per pony per season when fitted with or without a grazing muzzle. In addition ponies, with and without muzzles, were allowed to take 10 bites of swards maintained at different heights.

When wearing grazing muzzles pasture intake was reduced by 77% during spring and summer and by 83% during the autumn. Without muzzles the ponies generally reduced the sward length by half with the first bite but when muzzled the reduction was variable and the ponies appeared to experience greater difficulty in accessing the longer versus the shorter swards.

The short (less than 10cm), upright, grass appeared to be the easiest to eat, as leaf blades and stems protruded through the holes in the muzzle. The medium and long swards proved more difficult. They bent under the pressure of the muzzle and became flattened, causing the ponies to adopt various strategies to access the grass. In some cases they pawed the ground to unearth the sward and access it through the muzzle. Alternatively they rammed the solid base of the muzzle hard onto the grass, causing it to buckle and make some blades or stems accessible. These were then yanked vigorously often causing the entire plant to be uprooted and eaten.

Water soluble carbohydrate levels in the sward were similar across the seasons although they were slightly higher in autumn. However, once muzzled the ponies’ intake of WSC wasn’t significantly different across the seasons; strengthening the evidence that the use of grazing muzzles is effective.

Clare Barfoot RNutr and the research and development manager at Spillers said: "While the frustration displayed when the muzzled ponies were on longer grass swards indicates that care should be taken to provide an accessible grass length, grazing muzzles remain an effective weight management tool. They allow turnout over large areas, increasing exercise and allow slow “trickle” feeding, to control weight gain and reduce the risk of obesity-related disorders, without significantly compromising the natural behaviour and wellbeing." 

Waltham says grazing muzzles must be used with care, should be properly fitted and horses and ponies should be adapted gradually to wearing them. Group and individual behaviour should be monitored closely to observe any potential concerns caused by changes to the herd dynamics. Ensure that muzzled ponies are confident in drinking and eating through their muzzles before turning them out for prolonged periods. Muzzles must not be used continuously (not more than 10 hours per day) and total exclusion muzzles are not advised. Regular weight monitoring is recommended as some individuals can still gain weight when muzzled.

References

1. A Longland, ELNS, Pantafallen Fach, Tregaron, SY25 6NG, P Harris, WALTHAM Centre For Pet Nutrition, C Barfoot, Mars Horsecare UK Ltd, Old Wolverton, Buckinghamshire UK. (2011) The effect of wearing a grazing muzzle vs not wearing a grazing muzzle on pasture dry matter intake by ponies. J Equine Veterinary Science 31: 282-283
2. Effects of Grazing Muzzles on Intakes of Dry Matter and Water-Soluble Carbohydrates by Ponies Grazing Spring, Summer, and Autumn Swards, as well as Autumn Swards of Different Heights Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 40 26-33

Royal Canin is offering three veterinary professionals the chance to win a free place on the new ‘Managing Difficult Situations’ CPD course on Thursday 14th July at the Hilton Coventry, worth £265.

Hosted by Nick Steele, National Consulting Manager at Zoetis and Rachael Whittle, a business coach specialist, the course will present the best techniques to analyse mixed personalities that cause problematic situations, allowing staff to deal with difficulties that may occur on a daily basis. Nick will use his knowledge from working at the world’s largest global animal health company, while Rachael will use her experience in business training and coaching to help anyone that works with people on a daily basis manage these daily challenges, using common examples from their own background.

For the chance to win a free place at this event, send an email with your name, the name of your veterinary practice and the reason attending this course will help grow your practice’s business to royalcaninvet.gbr@royalcanin.com.

Royal Canin will select three applicants at random, and will inform the winners via email, by Thursday 30 June.

Places on the course can also be booked by calling 01453 872731 or by visiting www.spvs-vpma-events.co.uk. Workshops cost £265 plus VAT for non-members and £190 plus VAT for VPMA and SPVS members (group/ bulk booking discounts are also available). Cost includes CPD certificates, lunch and refreshments.

Following a public consultation, the RCVS Council has voted to adopt all the proposals made by the RCVS Legislation Working Party concerning future veterinary legislation.

The Legislative Reform Consultation took place between November 2020 and April 2021 and asked members of the veterinary profession and the public to give their responses to a package of proposals for future veterinary legislation designed to enhance the role of veterinary nurses, modernise RCVS registration, lead to a modern fitness to practise regime, and ensure the regulation of veterinary practices. 

The proposals represent the biggest legislative reform since the 1966 Veterinary Surgeons Act.

In total the consultation received 1,330 responses, of which 714 (54%) were from veterinary surgeons, 335 (25%) from veterinary nurses, 93 (7%) from veterinary paraprofessionals, 73 (5%) from student veterinary nurses, 58 (4%) from members of the public, 40 (3%) from veterinary and industry organisations, including representative bodies, and the remainder from veterinary students and veterinary practice managers.

An analysis of the consultation responses covering each of the five core areas and their individual recommendations can be found in the final report, which is available at www.rcvs.org.uk/legislativereform.

After considering this report, Council voted by a majority to accept the recommendations, meaning that they are now formally adopted as RCVS policy and will form the basis for discussions on the need for new legislation with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra).

Professor Stephen May has chaired the Legislation Working Party that developed the proposal since its inception in 2017 when he was RCVS President. He said: “We are very grateful to those individuals and organisations who took the time to complete this very important consultation on recommendations for the future legislative framework for the professions. We also appreciate the candour of those who were unsure about or opposed to the recommendations.

“When the Legislation Working Party met to consider the responses and the report, it decided that, while no substantive changes needed to be made to the principle-based recommendations, the points raised both against and in favour of individual recommendations gave us important material for additional consideration, and food for thought as to how any detailed proposals would be implemented once enabling legislation is in place.

“We look forward to submitting these recommendations to Defra formally, with a view to them becoming, in time, a bill put before Parliament to replace the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966. In so doing, this would establish a modern, flexible and comprehensive piece of legislation that would make sure the regulatory structure for the veterinary professions is fit for purpose for decades to come.”

As well as the main report of the Legislative Reform Consultation, RCVS Council also considered a series of interim measures that would be in line with the overall aims of future legislative changes, but which could be implemented without primary legislation.

The proposed interim measures included:

• the establishment of smaller-scale (‘mini’) Preliminary Investigation Committees (PICs) to help streamline the concerns investigation process;
• the establishment of a Charter Case Protocol where certain cases that meet the threshold for a full disciplinary hearing, but which might be likely to attract a lesser sanction, may be concluded, without recourse to a full public Disciplinary Committee hearing, via a system of published warnings; and,
• changing the standard of proof in determining the facts of a case during a Disciplinary Committee hearing from the criminal standard (‘beyond all reasonable doubt’) to the civil standard (‘on the balance of probabilities’).

Council members voted on each of these interim measures on an individual basis – with the mini-PICs and the Charter Case Protocol being accepted by majority vote.

However, Council members voted against implementing the change to the standard of proof at this time, citing a number of concerns about the potential impact of it being implemented under the current concerns investigation and disciplinary procedures. Similar concerns had been put forward by many of those who responded to the consultation itself.

Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar, said: “The approved procedural changes will, I believe, lead to a significant improvement in the efficiency and effectiveness of our disciplinary processes. The Charter Case Protocol will mean that, in suitable cases where a finding of serious professional misconduct at a full disciplinary hearing would likely only lead to a reprimand or to no further action being taken, a more proportionate and less time-consuming and expensive means of resolving cases will be available. However, it will still reflect the seriousness of the matters and continue to protect the public interest, welfare and the reputation of the profession.

“Furthermore, by phasing out the Case Examiner Group stage and instead referring concerns to ‘mini’ PICs, which will decide if the threshold of serious professional misconduct has been met, it will make our concerns investigation processes clearer and more streamlined and therefore more efficient. We look forward to publishing further details on both of these changes in due course.

“Although Council members accepted that a change of the standard of proof would be an integral part of introducing a modern fitness to practise (FTP) regime as part of any future legislation, they had significant concerns about the ‘interim’ recommendation to introduce it under the current arrangements, in advance of implementing a full FTP model, and so a majority felt that they could not vote for it.”

To read the full report of the Legislative Reform Consultation, including analysis of the responses, please visit www.rcvs.org.uk/legislativereform.

Animal healthcare plan provider, Premier Vet Alliance, is hosting two one-hour webinars to help veterinary surgeons look after themselves and one another. 

The webinars are being presented by Sian Tranter MRCVS, who has a business called VetReflect which supports veterinary staff in resolving issues in their day-to-day working life, clinical or non-clinical, with support, guidance and direction.

In the hour-long interactive webinars, Sian will concentrate on providing practical advice to support clinicians and promote both personal and team development.

The first webinar, "Using Clinical Supervision – Looking After Ourselves", will focus on how professionals can improve their job satisfaction and reduce the impact that work has on the rest of their lives.

The session, which will take place on Thursday 31st March at 3.00pm, will include the opportunity to complete a personal audit to identify the actions required to achieve these goals.

To register for the event visit: https://tinyl.io/5aIa

The second webinar, taking place on Thursday 28th April at 7:30pm, is titled: "Using Clinical Supervision – Looking After Our Team", and will focus on applying practical and relevant tools to get the best out of veterinary teams to promote teamwork, performance and positivity.

To register for the event, visit: https://tinyl.io/5aIf

The webinars are free-of-charge and are available to veterinary clinics across the UK and the US, including those not affiliated to the Premier Vet Alliance.