Seven veterinary surgeons who took their final assessments at the University of Liverpool on 6 September have become the first to receive the postgraduate RCVS Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice with equine designations.

Dr Mark Holmes, a member of the RCVS sub-committee for the CertAVP who observed the assessments at Liverpool said: "I was very impressed by the quality of all the candidates and the diligence of the examination process.

"It is clear that candidates putting themselves forward for 'named' certificates have demonstrated particular interest in their chosen fields and place considerable value on passing their synoptic examination."

The modular certificates were introduced in 2007 to be a more flexible replacement for the old-style postgraduate certificates. Vets can now choose from 79 subject modules, with RCVS-accredited assessments offered by a range of universities. These institutions may also offer associated courses which vets can take to support their studies, although candidates are free to choose where and how they wish to study.

To build their credits into the full CertAVP qualification candidates must first enrol with the RCVS, which keeps a record of modules achieved.  Candidates need to take two compulsory modules, and several of a range of optional modules, within ten years in order to receive the award. Candidates aiming for a designated award must choose specific modules from amongst the options, and additionally pass an overarching 'synoptic' assessment.

For more information about the individual modules and the qualification as a whole, prospective candidates can visit www.rcvs.org.uk/modcerts.

The BVA has announced that from 2013, its annual Congress will take place at the London Vet Show.

The association says that the move is being done to bring together political debate and clinical CPD on a large scale and to ensure that the BVA can reach an even wider audience with its representative and educational services.

The BVA and the Vet Show teamed up last year at London Vet Show 2011 to announce the launch of the BVA Careers Fair, which will be hosted at this year's London Vet Show on 15-16 November, and the start of a partnership that would ensure discounted Vet Show rates for BVA members.

2013 will also see two new clinical streams added to the London Vet Show programme creating a comprehensive CPD event for vets in small and mixed practice. Cattle and equine streams for mixed practitioners will be delivered by the BVA to run alongside the popular companion animal stream provided by the Royal Veterinary College.

The partnership will also see substantial discounts being offered to BVA members.

BVA President Carl Padgett said: "BVA's number one value is that our members are at the heart of everything we do. We know that members require good value, high quality and relevant CPD and we believe that our new partnership with the London Vet Show offers the best opportunity for us to provide members with exactly what they want.

"It's a significant move for BVA but one that makes complete sense. From 2013 we will be bringing together the contentious issue streams that are the bedrock of BVA Congress, with a high quality clinical CPD programme covering large and small animals, and one of the biggest and best veterinary exhibitions.

"We know we haven't attracted the delegate numbers we would like to have done in recent years and by partnering with the London Vet Show we have the opportunity to reach a much greater audience. It's a very exciting step forward for BVA."

Rob Chapman, Event Director for the London Vet Show, said: "We are all delighted to be developing our relationship with the BVA. To be able to host such an established and prestigious event as the BVA Congress at the London Vet Show is an honour for the Vet Show.

"Combining the long-standing history of the BVA with the rapidly developing reputation of the Vet Show gives us a great symbiotic relationship. The new clinical content that we will be working on together will help the event and that relationship even further offering great value for both Vet Show delegates and BVA members."

The British Equine Veterinary Association's (BEVA) Equine Rescue Fund (ERF) has taken delivery of 'Howie the Rescue Horse', the UK's first lifesized model of a horse designed specially for training vets and firefighters

Howie will be used for the practical elements of the Rescue and Emergency Medicine Training for Equine Vets courses run by BEVA in partnership with Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service's animal rescue specialists. He will also be taken on the road to vet schools and be loaned to fire and rescue services wishing to train firefighters in manual emergency equine handling techniques.

Howie was designed to the animal rescue specialist's exacting specifications by Wales-based company Big Beasts, which more usually creates bespoke models, creatures, and props for the film and television industry, as well as for museums and theme parks.

Howie has been named after Genitrix' managing director, Howard Wilder after the company (which makes equine joint treatments such as irap HY-50®Vet) stepped in to cover the significant production costs of the model.

Howard said:  "Horse rescue is a complex and hazardous operation, both for the animal and those trying to rescue it and treat any injuries. As a company actively involved in equine care, we felt it was important to make a significant financial contribution to the Equine Rescue Fund.  It's great that Howie has safely arrived and we hope he'll prove an important asset to the ERF."

Picture shows:  Howie the Rescue Horse with (left to right) Howard Wilder and Buster Brown and Jim Green, Animal Rescue Specialists, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service

The RCVS has written to the MPs drawn in today's private members' Bill ballot to call upon them to introduce legislation to protect the title 'veterinary nurse' and introduce an effective regulatory system that would ensure that those veterinary nurses found guilty of serious professional misconduct are prevented from carrying out medical treatment to or surgery on animals.

Currently the title 'veterinary nurse' is not protected, so anyone can legally refer to themselves as a veterinary nurse, regardless of their level of training.

Furthermore, veterinary nurses (VNs) are not subject to statutory regulation; the RCVS uses powers under its Royal Charter to award certificates to VNs who have undergone approved training. Qualified VNs (whose names appear in a List of certificate-holders published by the RCVS) are allowed to give medical treatment to, or carry out minor surgery on, animals under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 (VSA).

In 2007, the RCVS introduced a non-statutory Register of Veterinary Nurses. Registered veterinary nurses (RVNs) commit to follow a code of professional conduct, keep their skills and knowledge up to date and submit to a disciplinary system.

RVNs found guilty of serious professional misconduct can be suspended or removed from the Register at the direction of the RVN Disciplinary Committee (DC), but the RCVS has no power to remove them from the List. This means they can still legally give medical treatment or carry out minor surgery and perform other nursing duties specified under VSA (although they will then be formally listed as 'DC removal - Listed').

The RCVS has been working for some time to develop a framework for the regulation of veterinary nurses and has sent the ballot MPs a pre-prepared Bill, drafted by leading Counsel.

The statutory regulation of VNs is widely supported by the veterinary nursing profession and the public. This is evidenced by a 2012 HM Government e-petition, calling for the statutory regulation of veterinary nurses, which received over 2,500 signatures. Furthermore, the regulation of veterinary nurses by statute is supported by the British Veterinary Nursing Association and the British Veterinary Association, the representative bodies for veterinary nurses and surgeons in the UK.

RCVS Chief Executive Nick Stace said:"I urge MPs selected in today's Ballot to take forward legislation for the statutory regulation of veterinary nurses and the protection of the title veterinary nurse. The nation's animals and owners deserve better than the current situation.

"There is widespread support amongst the public and profession for such legislation, so the RCVS has had a Bill drafted by leading Counsel and is prepared to offer significant support to any MP willing to pick up this worthy cause."

The University of Bristol, the Rabbit Council, the Pet Industry Federation, the RSPCA and the RWAF have come together for the first time to produce a vision for improving rabbit welfare.

The new ten-point vision is based on recommendations resulting from research commissioned by the RSPCA and carried out by the university which found that the welfare needs of many companion rabbits are not being met. It has been endorsed by the Blue Cross, the BVNA, the National Office for Animal Health, PDSA and Wood Green.

The Rabbit Welfare Vision Statement states that:

All companion rabbits enjoy a good life in which they can experience positive welfare, ie good physical and psychological health) as well as being protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease.
All rabbits have access to an appropriate diet, known to optimise animal health and minimise the risk of disease. This includes having continual access to both good quality fibre-based material, eg hay or fresh grass, to eat and fresh, clean water.
All rabbits live in an environment which meets their physical, social and behavioural needs, eg to run, jump, graze, dig, rest and stand up on their hind legs without their ears touching the roof.
All rabbits are sold or rehomed to be kept in compatible pairs or groups.
All rabbits are bred, reared and kept in a way known to minimise their chances of developing fear of handling and other stimuli.
All rabbits are given regular preventative health care as recommended by veterinary experts, eg vaccinated against myxomatosis and rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD), a virulent and fatal viral disease of rabbits, according to current vaccine licence recommendations.
All rabbits are given appropriate and timely veterinary treatment to protect them from pain, disease and suffering.
All those working with rabbits, including vets, retailers, breeders, rehoming organisations, undertake effective training programmes and have resources available to them on current good practice in housing and husbandry, the promotion of health and welfare, and the management of disease and welfare risks.
All rabbit health and welfare advice and recommendations are based on international scientific knowledge and professional experience. The veterinary professions offers up-to-date expertise in recognition, management and prevention of disease and in practices to promote good welfare.
The number of rabbits requiring rehoming, both privately and via rescue organisations, is minimised.
Dr Nicola Rooney, Research Fellow in Animal Welfare and Behaviour at the University’s School of Veterinary Sciences, primary author of the strategy and who jointly led the original research, said: “We are delighted to have a vision for rabbit welfare that is strongly rooted in evidence-based information and it’s great that Bristol research is one of the key pieces of research underpinning the strategy.

“There is a growing body of scientific understanding on how best to meet rabbits’ health and behavioural needs. Both myself and my colleague, Richard Saunders, are part of the strategy group moving this vision forward and we’re very happy that everyone has joined forces to take this on board.”

Dr Jane Tyson, rabbit behaviour and welfare expert at the RSPCA said: “We are really excited that stakeholders in animal welfare, the pet industry, breeders and the veterinary profession have been able to come together to share this vision.

“We share a common goal which is improving the lives of rabbits - one of Britain’s most popular pets, but also arguably one of the most misunderstood.”

The University of Bristol says the next step will be to develop a roadmap to achieving the vision.

Hot on the heels of Vets Now and the BVA, Linnaeus has launched new resources to support the 5000-odd members of its workforce that will going through the menopause.

The resources comprise guidance materials, a health and wellbeing assessment, associate case studies, links to external support and information posters.

The company is also piloting a mindfulness app called Headspace, which is now freely available to everyone at Linnaeus, whether they are experiencing the menopause or have other needs.

Saskia Connell, People and Organisation Director at Linnaeus, said: “Menopause is a stage of life that is unique for everyone who experiences it – and can also affect the people around them.

"For those experiencing the menopause, sadly 45% say they feel their symptoms have had a negative impact on their work, according to the British Menopause Society.

"As an employer, we need to make sure they have our full support and a flourishing career.

One of Linnaeus' practices, Park Vet Group, has taken things a step further and introduced other wellbeing initiatives to support its associates with the menopause.

The practice offers confidential support to all associates who want to talk about any health concerns, plus open sessions to establish conversations about menopause.

Its team, led by Practice Manager Harriet Tims (pictured right), also introduced yellow 'Just to Make you Smile' toiletry bags containing sanitary products, tissues, hygiene wipes, deodorant spray and face wipes.

Anyone at Park can help themselves to the bags, or add products should they wish. 

The RCVS has announced that its third Mind Matters Mental Health Research Symposium will take place live online from 10am on Wednesday 24 November, and is now open for registration.

Professor Susan Dawson (pictured right), Chair of the Mind Matters Taskforce, will introduce the event and will be followed by the symposium’s plenary speaker, Rory O’Connor, Professor of Health Psychology at the University of Glasgow and President of the International Association for Suicide Prevention.

Rory's talk: ‘When It is Darkest: Understanding Suicide Risk’ will draw upon his research and work on the psychological processes which precipitate suicidal behaviour and self-harm, an area of expertise that has seen him advise the Scottish Government, as well as other national and international organisations, on suicide prevention strategies.

The next presentation will be from Dr Victoria Crossley from the Royal Veterinary College and Navaratnam Partheeban, co-founder of the British Veterinary Ethnicity & Diversity Society (BVEDS), on their research into the mental health impact of racism and discrimination on Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) veterinary surgeons.

They'll be followed by Professor Neil Greenberg and Dr Victoria Williamson from King’s College London, who will talk about their research into the impact of ‘moral injury’ on the mental health and wellbeing of vets. 

The day will then split into different research streams with presentations on a variety of topics including: the impact of cyberbullying and harassment; the wellbeing of veterinary interns and residents; stigma and stress in veterinary nursing; mental health awareness training in the undergraduate veterinary curriculum; and the relationship between ‘patient safety culture’ and staff burnout.

Lisa Quigley, Mind Matters Manager, said: “As with previous years the Mind Matters Mental Health Research Symposium promises to be a very informative and important day in terms of international researchers coming together to share their research, their conclusions, areas for further work and study, and best practice.

"Some of the topics we will be discussing, such as suicide, will be difficult, but research into issues affecting the international veterinary community is a vital first step to putting in place strategies and support mechanisms to help those in need. This is why research will be one of the key strategic priorities for the Mind Matters Initiative and our forthcoming actions in this area will be published later this year in our Mind Matters Initiative Strategic Plan.

“I would like to thank Dr Rosie Allister, a veterinary mental health researcher from the University of Edinburgh and manager of Vetlife Helpline, for putting together an excellent programme.

"As with previous years we are also offering free attendance of the symposium to those who have lived experience of mental ill-health, those who are currently not working, and veterinary and veterinary nursing students. If you have any queries about the event, please don’t hesitate to contact me on l.quigley@rcvs.org.uk to discuss further.”

Registration for those not entitled to a free ticket is £10.

To register for the event visit: www.vetmindmatters.org/events. 

Novartis has made a last call for entries to its competition in which you can win an iPad whilst getting the latest update on the correct use of NSAIDs from an acknowledged expert in the field. 

To enter the competition, watch the first in a series of webcasts by Dr Jo Murrell, Senior Lecturer at Bristol Vet School, then answer three questions about what you've seen.

Competition closes at the end of May. More information here.

The Hertfordshire-based referral centre Davies Veterinary Specialists, has announced it is to support Mission Rabies, a charity which aims to reduce the number of children in India that die as a result of contracting rabies from dogs.

According to the charity, it is estimated that at least one child dies from rabies every hour in India, normally contracted from dog bites. Mission Rabies aims to establish the country's first National Rabies Network to supply cheap, effective vaccines nationwide and monitor disease prevalence. The campaign will also include surgical training programmes in rabies danger zones, to train local vets in the best field techniques for dog population and vaccination control. The charity says it intends to vaccinate two million dogs in the key hotspot areas of India over the next three years.

Davies Veterinary Specialists is donating 50,000 rabies vaccines, to be used during the first month of the campaign, which launches this September.

VetSurgeon.org member Ian Battersby, one of Davies Veterinary Specialists' Internal Medicine team, is one of the organisers of the project, which is also supported by Dogs Trust, the World Small Animal Veterinary Association, the British Small Animal Veterinary Association and the Worldwide Veterinary Service. Ian will be travelling to India in September whilst other staff from DVS are planning various fund raising events, including marathons, evening talks to dog owners, a fund raising choir concert and an online auction to members of the veterinary profession. The auction will go live in June and lots will include in-house training seminars from members of the DVS clinical staff and gifts donated by local organisations. 

DVS Managing director Clive Elwood said: "This is a very important project delivering veterinary care and expertise that will have a real impact on human lives. We are delighted to be able to help such a worthwhile cause."

The RCVS has announced what it calls 'minor updates' to the Practice Standards Scheme’s (PSS) modules for accreditations and awards.

The Practice Standards Scheme was launched in 2005 and then relaunched in 2015 to better recognise and reward how practices use their resources to create a positive outcome for patients and clients.

The modules and awards for all species groups (small animals, farm animal, and equine) have now been updated and a summary of the changes can be found at the end of each set of the respective modules.

Pam Mosedale, Lead Assessor, said: "These updates are part of our continuous efforts to ensure we have a flexible PSS, one that can respond to feedback and constantly reflect the realities of everyday practice.

"We would encourage all PSS-accredited practices to familiarise themselves with the updated modules, especially if they have an accreditation or awards assessment in the near future."

To view the updates, visit: http://www.rcvs.org.uk/practice-standards-scheme/ and download the appropriate 'related document' (v1.2)

The Disciplinary Committee of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons last week ordered a month's suspension for a veterinary surgeon from Dolgellau for dishonest certification of bovine tuberculin testing in the Gwynedd area in early 2007.

At a hearing that concluded last Friday, Iwan Parry, a partner of The Veterinary Surgery, Bala Road, Dolgellau, and an Official Veterinarian, was charged with serious professional misconduct for certifying on eight separate occasions that he had tested and inspected cattle for clinical signs of bovine tuberculosis (TB), when he had not done so. At the outset of the hearing, Mr Parry denied the charges.

The Committee heard that Animal Health (a DEFRA Executive Agency) had discovered irregularities in TB testing paperwork from Mr Parry's practice. These included two locum veterinary surgeons, who were not Local Veterinary Inspectors (LVIs), having carried out TB pre-movement testing, but the relevant paperwork being signed and certified by Mr Parry. It therefore suspended him from LVI duties and lodged a complaint with the RCVS.

The Committee heard that, at the time, Mr Parry's practice was in difficulty as all eight of his assistant veterinary surgeons had recently left and he was struggling to maintain services. It was also reported that the incidence of bovine TB in Mr Parry's area was very low.

Under questioning, Mr Parry admitted that he had not done the testing, but had allowed non-LVI veterinary surgeons to do so and then signed the certificates himself. Denying the charge of dishonesty, he maintained that he had thought his actions were legitimate, providing he questioned the veterinary surgeons afterwards and checked their results. However, he told the Committee he now deeply regretted this "honest mistake", made at a time of great personal pressure, and that it would not be repeated.

The Committee also heard evidence from a number of character witnesses, including Mr Elfyn Llwyd MP, testifying to Mr Parry's good character, integrity and good standing in the local community and agricultural sector.

Nevertheless, in view of Mr Parry's long experience as an LVI, his understanding of the importance of routine herd testing and accurate veterinary certification and his reputation for keeping up to date with legislative and professional developments, the Committee decided that his actions were not just inappropriate, but were the result of conscious impropriety on his part. It found that he was not only guilty of dishonesty, but of allowing non-LVIs to perform TB testing, both of which amounted to serious professional misconduct.

In passing judgment, the Committee emphasised that the integrity of veterinary certification was of the utmost importance, especially when carried out on behalf of the Government, in order to safeguard animal health and facilitate international trade. It also felt that Mr Parry could not have failed to have been fully aware of what he was signing and that he should not have done so.

It was, however, prepared to take account of some exceptional mitigating factors in this case, including the low risk of TB spread following Mr Parry's actions; that no financial gain had been sought or received by him; his unblemished career and uprightness of conduct to date; the esteem in which he was held in the farming community and the potential (financial) impact on that community if he were to be removed from the Register (therefore unable to practise) for a significant period of time.

Nigel Swayne MRCVS, chairing the Disciplinary Committee, concluded: "We are reminded that the primary purpose of any sanction is not punishment, but the maintenance of public confidence in the profession and to uphold professional standards of conduct.

"Whilst only a reprimand is not an appropriate sanction where dishonesty and false certification have been found proved, and such findings would normally attract at least a long period of suspension, given the wholly exceptional circumstances of this case and the strength of the mitigating factors, we direct that Mr Parry should be suspended for one month."

The RCVS Council has decided that the final enrolments for the remaining RCVS Diplomas must be made by 1 November 2012.

According to the College, this is in line with the recommendation made by the Education Policy and Specialisation Committee to Council that the RCVS should speed up the process of phasing out all of the remaining RCVS Diplomas in favour of the increasingly popular European Diplomas.

There are now such small numbers of candidates sitting RCVS Diploma exams that benchmarking and determining a consistent examination standard becomes increasingly difficult, and the examination increasingly indefensible and unsustainable. For example, in each of the past three years, only two candidates have entered the Diploma in Small Animal Surgery (Orthopaedics) exam, and there was only one candidate in 2008.  Similarly, it is now usual for only one or two candidates per year to sit Diploma exams in Zoo Medicine, Cattle Health and Production or Ophthalmology.

A number of RCVS Diplomas have already been phased out, and new enrolments are no longer being taken in subjects such as Small Animal Medicine, Dermatology, Anaesthesia and Diagnostic Imaging.

Examinations will continue to be held for enrolled candidates (including candidates who enrol ahead of the 1 November 2012 deadline). The last Diploma examinations held in each subject will depend upon when its final candidates complete the pre-examination requirements. For candidates enrolling this year, this means 2019 at the latest.

The phasing out of RCVS Diplomas has been an agreed strategy of Council for many years after the then Education Strategy Steering Group recommended greater convergence with European Colleges in a report to Council in 2002 entitled "A framework for veterinary education and training for 2010 and beyond". 

The position of each subject has been under review by the respective subject boards at their annual board meetings for the last few years, and some have already been closed to new entrants. 

Professor Mike Herrtage, Chairman of the RCVS Diplomas and Certificates Subcommittee said: "For some subjects, there had been a perception that the European route required the candidate to follow a residency in an academic institution, which could be a barrier to UK practitioners' chances of completing a Diploma.

"However, all the European Colleges allow an alternate training route for practitioners provided the programme is planned and specified at the time of enrolment and approved by the College before training starts." 

In some subjects, the European Diploma syllabus may not cover exactly the same ground as the RCVS equivalent - for example, small animal surgery encompasses both soft tissue surgery as well as orthopaedics - but the trend for residency positions in both universities and specialists practices has been to take candidates through the European style programmes, which produces more surgical specialists who thereafter can major in one aspect of another.   

Mike said: "Recent experience has shown that many diplomates take the European Diploma first, and this entitles them to apply to join the list of RCVS Recognised Specialists. If they then want to specialise in a narrower field they can do so, by providing supporting data and references to show that they are practising at a specialist level in the area concerned."

Veterinary surgeons will continue to have multiple routes to RCVS Recognised Specialist status - including via European Diplomas, which also offer a route for those not in a standard residency position, American Diplomas, the RCVS Fellowship, or other such high level qualifications.

The RCVS has collaborated with the VMD to answer the most frequently asked questions about prescribing, following the 'Under Care' review.

Of particular note is the guidance that prescriptions should no longer be written in mg/kg, as it may lead to errors when the dose is calculated.

The Standards and Advice update also answers questions about:

• What needs to be written in the notes when prescribing POM-Vs and controlled drugs.
• Accounting for weight change when prescribing long term medication
• What to do if there is a manufacturer-level supply problem with a prescribed medication
• What to do if there is a practice level stock issue with a prescribed medication
• What to do in the event of an adverse reaction to a prescribed medication
• The requirements for prescribing controlled drugs for either a chronic or acute condition

https://www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/features/prescribing-pom-vs-joint-guidance-from-the-rcvs-and-vmd/