The RCVS has announced the candidates standing in the 2017 RCVS Council election and is inviting veterinary surgeons to put their questions to them directly in this year's 'Quiz the candidates'.

There are 15 candidates contesting six places in the RCVS Council; 16 if you include the perennial Dr Lonsdale. Three are existing Council members eligible for re-election and the remaining 13 candidates are not currently on Council:

• Dr Caroline Allen MRCVS
• Miss Sarah Brown MRCVS
• Mr Danny Chambers MRCVS
• Mr John Davies MRCVS
• Dr Chris Gray MRCVS
• Mr David Leicester MRCVS
• Dr Tom Lonsdale MRCVS
• Mr Martin Peaty MRCVS
• Mr Matthew Plumtree MRCVS
• Professor Cheryl Scudamore FRCVS
• Dr Huw Stacey MRCVS
• Dr Christopher Tufnell MRCVS
• Mr Kevin Watts MRCVS
• Dr Trevor Whitbread MRCVS
• Dr Thomas Witte MRCVS
• Mr James Yeates FRCVS

Ballot papers and candidates’ details are due to be posted to all veterinary surgeons eligible to vote during the week commencing 13 March, and all votes must be cast, either online or by post, by 5pm on Friday 28 April 2017.

Once again the College is inviting members of the profession to ‘Quiz the candidates’ by putting their questions directly to all those standing for election. Each candidate will then be invited to choose two questions to answer from all those received, and produce a video recording of their answers. Recordings will be published on the RCVS website on Thursday 16 March.

The biographies and statements for each candidate in the elections can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/vetvote17.

Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar, said: "This year we will be publishing the candidate biographies and statements online ahead of the start of the official voting period. This is to allow both veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses to be better informed about the candidates and their reasons for standing before they put their questions forward.

"We would strongly encourage all members of the professions to review the candidate profiles and pose questions for them to answer. We hope it will spark some interesting debates about how the profession is regulated."

You can email your question (NB only one per person) to vetvote17@rcvs.org.uk, post it on the College’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/thercvs) or on Twitter using the hashtags #vetvote17, by midday on Monday 27 February.

The BSAVA has added new factsheets to its Guide To Nutrition.

The guide, which was first published in 2020, is designed to help veterinary professionals give pet owners sound, independent advice about what to feed their animals. 

The guide originally launched with factsheets for both veterinary professionals and pet owners about commercially manufactured, grain-free, raw and home-prepared cooked diets.

The new factsheets cover:

• Hospital nutrition
• Critical care nutrition
• Adverse reactions to food
• Chronic kidney disease

The new factsheets build on considerations for feeding healthy dogs and cats by providing information on the formulation of diet types for pets under veterinary care and those with even more specific nutritional requirements.

The new BSAVA Guide to Nutrition cost  £40, reduced to £26 for BSAVA members from: https://www.bsavalibrary.com/ 

Dechra Veterinary Products has launched four new care products, enhancing its Professional Care range, available exclusively through veterinary practices.

The new products are:

• PawProtect:  a wax-based product applied to paws to protect them against the effects of harsh environmental conditions, including rough ground and ice
• CleanGenital:  a syringe-administered fluid to facilitate the cleaning of the prepuce, other genital mucous membranes and the anal area
• AntiSept:  a specially formulated spray designed to keep wounds and lesions clean
• CatMalt:  a palatable liquid which helps to eliminate hairballs in cats.

Brand Manager Rachel Horton said: "At Dechra we're focused on providing a complete care solution for companion animals. Our Professional Care range provides products which owners can use at home to keep their pets in great condition.

With the launch of these new products, we believe the Professional Care range provides a cost-effective care solution for pet owners while providing significant additional revenue opportunities for practices."

CM Research has announced the results of a survey conducted this month in which veterinary surgeons named Osurnia as the best new product of 2015.

290 companion animal veterinary surgeons took part in the survey, which is designed to provide veterinary surgeons with their peers’ unbiased judgement on which new veterinary products, services or devices have made the biggest impact on the industry.

The questions were unprompted to ensure that the respondents were not influenced by pre-set survey options. CM Research points to the fact that many of the products that featured in its rankings were launched before 2015, including 2nd and 3rd placed Apoquel and Bravecto, as evidence of this freedom.

The full list of products named more than once in this year's survey was:

The RCVS has published its plan for navigating the risks posed to the veterinary industry by the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union, while maximising the opportunities it offers.

Underlying the plan are three 'Brexit Principles', devised by the College and formally adopted by RCVS Council, which will guide the College’s relationship with the Government during the forthcoming Brexit negotiations.

The College says each Principle is supported by a number of specific policies that the College will lobby for in the coming months, all designed to positively engage with the post-referendum reality and with government policy.

The Principles are: 

1. Vital veterinary work continues to get done.
   This reflects concerns that potential immigration restrictions could cause significant labour shortages in the UK, particularly in the meat industry and in public health. Policies attached to this Principle include lobbying to ensure that EU vets and veterinary nurses currently working in the UK are allowed to remain indefinitely, and in the longer-term ensuring that any reduction in numbers from abroad is offset by an appropriately-funded increase in home-grown talent, while upskilling and extending the role of veterinary nurses.
2. High standards of animal health and welfare remain and improve
   To promote this principle, the College says it will work towards advancing standards of global accreditation, and – once concerns about workforce shortages have been allayed – argue that any restrictions placed on the number of EU graduates registering in the UK should be focused on schools that do not have European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education accreditation.
3. The RCVS is a global force for good
   The College will seek to ensure that: the rights of UK vets working in the EU are preserved; that UK vets working abroad continue to be held up as exemplars of the profession; that our global membership continues to grow; and, to develop a world-leading evidence-based veterinary medicine hub that will transform animal treatment globally.

RCVS Chief Executive Nick Stace said: "It is crucially important for the College and the profession as a whole to think boldly about the post-Brexit future; we cannot expect government to give us all of the answers, instead we must work to find solutions ourselves so as to shape the future of the profession from within."

The College has also asked the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) to undertake research into the attitudes and intentions of all EU-graduated veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses currently working in the UK. They will all have receive a personalised email from IES with a link to this online survey, and their answers will help inform the College’s approach to Brexit. This research will help the College to understand better the impact that Brexit may already be having, how it can support EU veterinary professionals working in the UK, and build an evidence base regarding the potential impact that Brexit may have on the veterinary workforce.

For more information on the College’s Brexit activities, visit: www.rcvs.org.uk/brexit

The RCVS Standards Committee has decided to end the temporary dispensation allowing remote prescribing of prescription-only veterinary medicines on Monday 14th March 2022.

The dispensation was originally introduced during the spring 2020 lockdown to safeguard animal health and welfare, the health and safety of the veterinary team, and public health, by allowing prescriptions to be made by veterinary surgeons without their having first physically examined the animal, subject to conditions and safeguards.

The RCVS says the Committee considered the ongoing challenges posed by Covid-19 and recognised that staff absences due to isolation requirements were still causing issues.

However, given the relaxation of the requirement to work from home in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland and relaxation of restrictions generally across the UK, the Committee felt it was time to end the dispensation.

Chair of the Standards Committee, Dr Melissa Donald MRCVS, said: “The safety and wellbeing of veterinary professionals, as well as the health and welfare of the animals they care for, have remained uppermost in our minds when considering this temporary position on remote prescribing.

“We are pleased to have been able to support the professions through a very difficult time by introducing this dispensation, however, it was only ever a temporary measure and, given the relaxation of restrictions across the UK, we feel the time has come to revert to our usual guidance.

“We will continue to keep the position under review in light of any changes, including governments’ advice and regulations, as we have throughout the pandemic.”

Petplan has announced the winners of its annual Veterinary Awards. 

The awards recognise and celebrate staff and practices throughout the country who have delivered an exceptional level of care, going above and beyond the call of duty in keeping the nation's pets healthy and owners happy.   

Suzanne Cheadle, Petplan's Acting Head of Marketing said: "As the leader in the pet insurance market for over 36 years, we have a rich history of working with veterinary practices across the UK. The Petplan Veterinary Awards recognise and celebrate the fantastic work that goes on across those practices."

She added: "This year saw over 12,000 nominations which demonstrates the appetite from both staff and clients for celebrating exceptional work. We had a wonderful selection of first class finalists and I'd like to congratulate all the winners who thoroughly deserve their awards."

The winners for each category are:

VET OF THE YEAR: Hector Low, Old Mill Veterinary Practice, Isle-of-Lewis
The judges said: "What really stood out was Hector's dedication to the profession and how he moved his practice to a new premises so it could offer better facilities and a wider range of services for animals and owners alike. He has always got his clients and their pets at the forefront of all his decisions and is truly passionate about his role within the profession".
 
VET NURSE OF THE YEAR: Tina Wright, Warbeck House Veterinary Centre, Merseyside
The judges said: "Tina is particularly responsible for setting up an Ear Care Club for animals at the centre who suffer from recurrent ear problems, which she has put her heart and soul into over the last year, while also tutoring student veterinary nurses and running puppy socialisation classes which have proved hugely popular among clients. Tina is a shining example of how vital the role of the vet nurse is when delivering outstanding service to clients and their pets. She is enthusiastic, passionate and always puts her clients' needs first".
 
PRACTICE SUPPORT STAFF OF THE YEAR: Henrietta Fidler, Beech House Veterinary Centre, Surrey
The judges said: "Henrietta is somebody who loves her role within the veterinary profession, thriving on the interaction she has between both the clients and animals. She has nurtured and developed strong and solid client relationships as well as good working relationships with her colleagues. If there is anything that the Veterinary Awards highlights, it is that team work is a vital part of the job, and Henrietta is proof of that".
 
PRACTICE OF THE YEAR: The Vets' Place, Cheshire
The judges saiod: "Wendy and Michael Hough set up their practice, The Vets' Place, from scratch in 2009. Since then, the practice has grown from strength to strength. As a small practice they have plenty of opportunity to really get to know their individual clients and their pets and have built strong relationships that their customers value. The Vet's Place is a shining example of the exceptional service a practice can deliver".
 
PRACTICE MANAGER OF THE YEAR: Sharon Lane-Kieltyka, Shepton Veterinary Group Ltd, Somerset
The judges said: "Sharon is a people person through and through which feeds the passion she has for a role that extends beyond the care of clients and their pets. Sharon has overseen a large scale building project that saw the practice double in size and been a key driver in the recent rebranding of the practice, highlighting not only her steadfast can-do attitude, but her ability to drive change in the interest of her clients. Her enthusiasm for the industry is something to be admired".

The Disciplinary Committee of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has refused an application for restoration to the RCVS Register from a Kent-based former veterinary surgeon struck off in 1994 for disregarding basic hygiene at his professional premises and failing to properly maintain a Controlled Drugs Register or patient records.

In June 1994, the Committee found that Mr Warwick John Seymour-Hamilton, at that time the only veterinary surgeon practising at premises at 9 Orchard Grove, Orpington, Kent, was guilty of disgraceful professional conduct and should have his name removed from the Register. The state and condition of the premises were found to be such as to risk the health and welfare of animals taken to the premises, and bring the profession into disrepute.  An application made by Mr Seymour-Hamilton for restoration made in 1995 was refused.

At a restoration hearing on 18 June 2010, Mr Seymour-Hamilton told the Committee that he sought restoration to the Register because he wished to further his research work into plants with potential medicinal properties. Restoration, he said, would improve his professional status by giving him more credibility, particularly in terms of recognition by the medical and veterinary professions.   

Mr Seymour-Hamilton said that he had no intention of returning to clinical practice immediately, and neither the Committee nor the College had heard of any adverse conduct by the applicant since his removal.

However, Caroline Freedman, Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, noted that if Mr Seymour-Hamilton were to be restored, the Committee would have no power to prevent him from returning to general practice. 

Mr Seymour-Hamilton's response to questioning by the Committee raised a number of concerns with respect to the future welfare of animals should restoration be granted.  He told the Committee that he had not undertaken any relevant Continuing Professional Development in the past 15 years, and said he lacked knowledge of current relevant legislation, for example, the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and basic 'Cascade' prescribing requirements.  He also said that he had not read the RCVS Guide to Professional Conduct in the past 15 years and that it would not be satisfactory for him immediately to return to general practice. 

Ms Freedman said: "If the Committee were to reinstate the Applicant to the Register, it would have to be satisfied that he is competent and safe to practise immediately. The Committee has an obligation to protect the public and animal welfare and cannot simply accept his assurances that he would take steps to rectify his self-confessed shortcomings at some point in the future."

Having taken all the evidence presented into account, the Committee was not satisfied that Mr Seymour-Hamilton was fit to be restored to the Register and dismissed his application.

This week, the RCVS will be sending every veterinary surgeon its Survey of the Profession, designed amongst other things to help the College and other organisations prioritise the issues they tackle and the support they offer.

The survey is conducted every four to five years and asks vets to answer questions about a variety of subjects including demographic data (for example, socio-economic background, educational attainment, race/ethnicity, disability), work-related data (for example, employment status, location of workplace, type of workplace, hours of work, position in practice) and information about professional achievement (for example, hours of continuing professional development (CPD) undertaken and extra qualifications earned).

The survey, which is conducted on the College’s behalf by the Institute for Employment Studies, also ask respondents about their views on different aspects of their profession, including career plans, challenges facing the profession, and wellbeing. 

This year, the survey also asks for your view of the RCVS, including its values, how it should communicate, and what it should prioritise in future years.

Lizzie Lockett, RCVS CEO (pictured right), said: "The results of the Surveys form a very important ‘snapshot’ of the profession at a given point in time, but they also prove useful for years to come in terms of how the College develops its regulatory and educational policy, the areas it chooses to focus on and the issues it chooses to tackle. 

"The ensuing reports are also used by a myriad of other individuals, such as those in academia, government and representative bodies, as well as journalists. It’s therefore really important that we have as accurate a picture as possible. So although completing the Surveys is entirely voluntary, we strongly encourage members of the professions to take the time to complete them. It will, ultimately, help the development of appropriate and supportive policies for your profession."

In addition to the main survey, there will be an additional survey for MsRCVS who practise overseas. This survey aims to better understand why they continue to retain their MRCVS status, what this status means in the countries in which they work, global attitudes towards the RCVS and how the College could improve its communication with them.

Virbac Animal Health has launched an extra small version of its VeggieDent dental chews for dogs weighing less than 5kg. 

Research commissioned by the company shows that 9% of all dogs in the UK weigh less than 5kg¹ and that periodontal disease is over-represented in this group².

According to the Kennel Club, celebrity culture is boosting the popularity of small breeds. Apparently there was a 25% increase in Kennel Club registrations of Chihuahuas in 2011, following publicity about Paris Hilton and her Chihuahua. Virbac says numbers of other small miniature breeds such as pugs are also growing rapidly.

Virbac says VeggieDent chews are designed to work with the animal's chewing action, 100% vegetable, highly palatable and feature a special design to increase chewing time. A recent study³ showed that a daily XS VeggieDent reduced halitosis as well as significantly reducing gingivitis, plaque, and tartar accumulation.

Chris Geddes MRCVS, Product Manager at Virbac said:  "With growing numbers of very small dogs in the UK, we wanted to produce a chew which was exactly the right size for them.

VeggieDent Chews are already popular among dog owners because they are a nutritious and palatable plaque control aid, minimising tartar build up and improving breath odour.  With the launch of the extra small size, we now offer the perfect chew for every size of dog."

For further information, contact your Territory Manager or call Head Office on 01359 243243.

References:

1. TNS Sofres survey conducted for Virbac October 2011
2. Hoffman TH, Gaengler P. Clinical and pathomorphological investigation of spontaneously-occurring periodontal disease in dogs. Journal of Small Animal Practice 1996; 37: 471-479.
3. Clarke DE, Kelman M, Perkins N. Effectiveness of a vegetable dental chew on periodontal disease parameters in toy breed dogs. Journal of Veterinary Dentistry. 2011; 4: 230-235.

Melvyn Driver, the founder of MDC Exports who dedicated his life to the design and production of humane animal handling equipment, has died of natural causes aged 80.

Melvyn was instrumental in shaping the success of the Trap, Neuter, Return, method of controlling feral cat populations. After meeting 60's supermodel Celia Hammond, scientist Dr. Jenny Remfry, and Peter Neville, a research biologist for UFAW, acted on their requests for better and more humane traps and engineered his first trap - the Eziset.

Melvyn went on to develop a dog grasper and a wide range of other handling products widely used in veterinary practice. He then developed the Mikki Muzzle, on the back of which he launched Mikki Pet Products, adding a range of grooming products. 

In 1998, Melvyn sold Mikki to focus on his real passion – developing high welfare animal handling equipment and products sold via MDC Exports.

Ian MacFarlaine RVN said: "His impact on the veterinary world is only eclipsed by how much of a contribution he's made to animal charities globally, not just in inventing stuff, but then discounting it readily (through good and bad economic times) and then if that wasn't enough, giving thousands of pounds worth of it away at the ICAWC conference every year.

"If you were privileged enough to know him well, then you'll miss the kindness, the mischievous humour and the occasional bad taste joke. But I can guarantee that a little bit of Melvyn is there in each and every one of your practices in the form of one piece of equipment or other."

A quick survey of VetSurgeon members¹ has found that of those that didn't vote in the 2011 council elections, 37.9% 'did not believe that voting in the RCVS elections will have any impact on my working life'

However, as Wynne Richards pointed out, decisions made by the RCVS, or which have involved the RCVS have had a seismic impact on the profession over the years, things like:

• Corporate practice
• Lay people being allowed to own practices
• Increased responsibility for Veterinary Nurses (and, indeed, the ability to call them 'Nurses')
• Introduction of Certificates
• Introduction of Diplomas
• Practices being allowed to advertise

... and so on, and so on.

So perhaps the issue is not whether or not the College is relevant to the working lives of its members. Clearly it is. More to the point, the College and its Councillors need to find ways to engage more with the profession and better demonstrate how the decisions it takes on the issues of the day will impact on its members.

This message is further hammered home by the 26% of voters who didn't vote because they: 'considered the candidates' manifestos / forum posts, but did not feel that any of the candidates deserved my vote'. Again, if the councillors had concentrated on explaining why their work would make a difference, perhaps that number could have been improved.

Of the remainder, 21% 'forgot', 8.7% 'didn't have the time to consider who to vote for, and vote', 4.9% gave other reasons. Again, all things which might be improved if members felt that the RCVS was relevant to their working lives.

1% 'weren't aware that the elections were taking place'.

One wonders if that 1% knows that Clement Attlee is no longer the Prime Minister.

^1. VetSurgeon Poll 6th May - 8th August 2011. 103 respondents.