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.
RCVS Council had introduced temporary guidance allowing the remote prescription of drugs for animals not under care back in March, to ensure that animal health and welfare could be maintained during lockdown without risking the health of veterinary teams or their clients.
Since then, the College has twice extended this guidance, because of the ongoing situation.
However the College says it now recognises that many practices are returning more to 'business as usual' and that the guidance and associated flowchart should be updated according.
Consequently, before deciding to prescribe POM-Vs remotely, the updated guidance now requires veterinary surgeons to first consider whether the animal is already under their care; or, if not, whether it is possible to physically examine the animal in order to bring the animal under their care. If the answer to both questions is ‘no’, POM-Vs may still be prescribed remotely providing the guidelines set out in the College’s coronavirus advice hub are adhered to.
Surprisingly, the College says that its surveys of the profession have thus far identified no immediate safety concerns around remote prescribing.
RCVS President Dr Mandisa Greene, who chairs the Taskforce, said: “The reason for maintaining the possibility of remote prescribing without a physical examination was that we recognised that the current situation is unpredictable, and while the ability for the public to visit practices in person has improved over the last few months, we felt that situations might still arise where that would not be possible, and where access to remote prescribing would be necessary. These could include further local lockdowns, ongoing quarantine arrangements, and the remaining fact that some members of both the veterinary team and the public continue to shield.
“It remains our intention that this guidance will continue to be a temporary measure and may be subject to further extensions or updates given the uncertain nature of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
RCVS Council will review the position on 8 October, with any changes being effective by 1 November at the earliest.
Meanwhile, the RCVS review of ‘under care’ and out-of-hours emergency cover has now resumed, starting with a number of virtual focus groups and consultation with stakeholders within the veterinary and veterinary nursing professions.
The findings from these focus group discussions will then inform a wider survey to be sent to all veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses in early 2021, along with stakeholder organisations and the animal-owning public. Remote prescribing will continue to form a part of this review.
The University of Edinburgh and the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) have announced a new initiative to help vet students prepare for their Extra Mural Studies (EMS) placements.
Freda Andrews, RCVS Head of Education said: "This is a free online learning tool which will look familiar to any veterinary student who has recently taken the driving theory test. Any veterinary student can use it as part of their preparation for EMS."
The project was drawn up by Dr Catriona Bell at the University of Edinburgh, and Dr Sarah Baillie at the RVC, two lecturers with experience of practice life who want to make sure that student placements work well for all concerned. The aim is that by helping veterinary students understand what will be expected of them, students can be better prepared and get the most out of their placements.
Sarah Baillie said: "We found that students aren't always aware that doing some simple practical things can make a huge difference to how well their placement goes. There are some common pitfalls, such as not taking a lunch with them so the vet has to find a shop whilst out on call, which can catch out the unwary."
Catriona Bell said that the importance of body language was a consistent theme in the research they undertook for the project: "Students want to do well, however placements are a new environment and can be tiring. Vets are not paid to provide EMS, and say they take on students as they want to support the next generation of vets. Students need to make sure they convey their interest and enthusiasm to all members of the practice team through their body language - they don't always realise, for example, what an impact slouching and looking down at the floor can have."
Other tips for students that came out of the research include making sure that you prepare thoroughly before you go, and offering to help out the veterinary nurses.
Sarah said: "We put in what real students told us they'd wished they'd known. The practising vets who support students also gave us valuable information; for example, by explaining what they expect with regards to confidentiality and professionalism, a working vet's skills."
There is no need for a sign-up for students to use the EMS Driving Licence, and veterinary practices who will be hosting EMS students may also find it useful. To try it out for yourself visit www.vet.ed.ac.uk/ems_driving_licence/
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:
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
Mark Bordo, CEO and CoFounder, Vetster.com, said: “Our new mobile app is one more way we can provide veterinary professionals with a flexible platform to connect with pet parents in between appointments, traveling between clients, or from the comfort of home. With just a few taps on their mobile phone, veterinarians connect with pet parents with great video quality, and easy-to-use scheduling and follow-up features.”
So now, at long last, vets can diagnose disease in animals on an even smaller screen than ever before.
What a breakthrough.
The mobile app also means you can diagnose whilst on the move.
So, no need to waste any more time reading a book on the 14:25 from Paddington to Bath Spa, instead you could be consulting pet owners (or 'pet parents' ... ugh) and examining their animal on your two inch mobile phone screen from the comfort of your train seat.
Client confidentiality could be a problem on the 14:25, but if you wear headphones and whisper into the phone, you should be alright.
Tunnels might also cause a bit of a problem, but hey, the pet owner can always call you back when you're out the other side.
To register to practice on Vetster, visit vetster.com.
Once registered and approved, you can then download and use the app.
Faecal calprotectin is a calcium-binding protein released into the gut lumen predominantly by neutrophils, and to a lesser extent by monocytes and macrophages, during intestinal inflammation.
Its presence in faeces reflects the degree of neutrophilic infiltration in the gut mucosa, making it a useful biomarker for identifying intestinal inflammation.
Faecal calprotectin lateral flow testing is already used in human health and included in the NICE guidelines for the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)1.
Determining the underlying cause of chronic diarrhoea, vomiting and weight loss in cats and dogs can be complex, often requiring invasive procedures such as endoscopy or biopsy - both of which carry cost, risk, and sometimes practical limitations in general practice.
GIQuest is designed to offer a non-invasive, rapid alternative to support clinical decision-making.
Carus says that whilst not a replacement for histopathology, faecal calprotectin concentrations have been shown to correlate with disease severity in dogs and cats, as measured by tools such as the Canine Chronic Enteropathy Clinical Activity Index (CCECAI).2
New data from the University of Bristol Vet School appears to confirm the test’s ability to differentiate dogs with histologically-confirmed inflammatory enteropathy from healthy controls with high sensitivity (94%) and specificity (96%) using a score threshold of 3mg/kg.2
Carus says the test also performed well in cats, distinguishing those with inflammatory enteropathy from healthy controls with a specificity of 100% and sensitivity of 92%.
In addition, the test detected elevated calprotectin levels consistent with inflammatory gastroenteropathy in 25% of dogs receiving oral NSAIDs, which highlights its potential not only in long-term monitoring but also early in treatment when GI side effects may first emerge.
Jolian Howell of Carus Animal Health said: “Faecal calprotectin testing can provide additional clarity in a range of clinical scenarios.
"It is particularly useful when diagnosing and managing suspected inflammatory enteropathy or food related reactions and for monitoring or screening for GI side effects of oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatories in long term OA therapy regimes.”
The Bristol study also showed that dogs with food-responsive enteropathy had a significant drop in calprotectin concentrations following dietary change, reinforcing the test’s role in tracking treatment response.
Georgie Louca, Veterinary Business Manager for Carus Animal Health, added: ”By providing a measurable, visual indicator of intestinal inflammation, GIQuest also helps support client communication and can improve compliance during treatment or dietary trials.”
GIQuest is designed for use in practice, including during consultations, delivering colour-coded results in 15 minutes.
GIQuest is now available to veterinary practices across the UK and can be ordered through veterinary wholesalers NVS, Covetrus and MWI.
https://carusanimalhealth.com/giquest
References
Looking at the imagery on the company's website, I'm not altogether sure I'll be able to resist it either.
The new range, which comes in chicken or tuna flavour with vegetables and rice, includes:
Urinary Care - to help dissolve struvite uroliths
Derm Defense - to support skin health
Digestive Care - for pets with gastrointestinal disorders and pets in recovery
Metabolic - a weight management diet for pets
Kidney Care - to support pets with kidney conditions
For more information, visit: https://www.hillspet.co.uk/prescription-diet/stew.
Sanofi-aventis has signed an agreement under which it will buy Merck & Co Ltd's 50% stake in Merial Limited for $4 billion cash, after which it will own Merial outright.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Merck is selling its stake in Merial to avoid concerns from antitrust regulators that its pending acquisition of Schering-Plough will make it too dominant.
Merck, sanofi-aventis and Schering-Plough have also announced another agreement under which sanofi-aventis will have the option to combine Merck's Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health business with Merial to form an animal health joint venture owned equally by Merck and sanofi-aventis.
I thought Merial-Intervet-Schering-Plough was a bit of a mouthful, but sanofi-aventis-Merial-Intervet/Schering-Plough? The receptionist is going to have her work cut out.
This year the event delivered more than 90 hours of CPD lectures, workshops and practicals across six separate streams, over three days. Over 100 veterinary industry leaders showcased their wares in the commercial exhibition hall and there were a number of social events for delegates.
Delegates awarded the scientific programme an average score of 4.7 out of 5 stars, and 94% of delegates said they will put what they learnt into practice and use it in their day-to-day role. 94% also said Congress was good value for money.
Swissvet, a company which makes power dentistry equipment, won the Veterinary Practice Best New Exhibitor Award. CEO Dr Ruedi Steiger said: We have distributors throughout Europe, but it is the first time Swissvet has exhibited at BEVA. It has been a fantastic experience and I am thrilled to have won this award. I definitely plan to come back next year."
Next year’s BEVA Congress will be held in Birmingham from 9-12 September 2020. For further information visit www.beva.org.uk.
Photo: David Boughey
Willows' Head of Imaging Andrew Parry, an RCVS and European Specialist in Diagnostic Imaging (pictured on the left with Clinical Director, Toby Gemmill), said: "There are very few veterinary hospitals anywhere in the country which would have the case-load or the complexity of cases to justify such a sizeable investment. Additionally, this magnet will bring multiple opportunities for clinical research which could ultimately lead to improvements in animal health."
Andrew added: “To my knowledge, we are the only centre in the UK that has fully replaced a high-field magnet MRI with a complete new solution.
"This is very unusual as scanners tend to be upgraded from a high field to higher field, rather than replaced altogether.
"However, our aim wasn’t to purely upgrade the equipment, it was to have access to the best diagnostic imaging equipment available, in order to ensure high quality images are obtained and interpreted, providing the most accurate and rapid diagnosis for our patients. This can make a significant difference to the level of care we are able to provide for pets."
For more information, visit: willows.uk.net
As part of the redevelopment, kennel capacity will increase from 107 to 197, there'll be a new emergency and critical care hub, sixteen new consult rooms and a new imaging suite with MRI and CT scanners, two ultrasounds and two X-ray machines.
There will also be a 66-seat seminar room.
Work is expected to be completed early next year, and the practice will be recruiting for around 75 new team members to service the expanded centre.
Simon Tappin, clinical director at DWR, said: “This long-awaited expansion will transform our practice, offering even more space and capacity for referrals, brand-new equipment and a seamless experience for our clients.
“It will also bolster our reputation as a training practice, with the expansion of our intern and residency programmes adding to our already-impressive provision in this area."
The practice is also implementing case management changes, with a single point of contact for every client and individual case managers in every discipline.
The traditional reception area is being replaced with a concierge greeting service for clients, with staff on hand to book them in on iPads.
Client care team manager Deborah Bell said: “This is a USP for us and we think it’s an industry first. The idea came from how medical secretaries work in human health.
“When a referring vet calls us, our client care team takes the basic details and passes them on to the case manager for that discipline. They will contact the client, make appointments and meet the client in person on arrival.
“We have 12 case managers for our disciplines at the moment, with the potential to expand. As well as providing a personalised service for our clients, it provides great career progression opportunities for our client care team.”
www.dickwhitereferrals.com
Vets and farmers must do more to improve dairy cow welfare in the UK, according to the British Veterinary Association (BVA). The call comes after careful consideration of major reports and opinions on the welfare of dairy cattle by FAWC (Farm Animal Welfare Council) and EFSA (European Food Safety Authority).
In a new policy statement, released last week, the BVA outlined the need for veterinary surgeons to take an active role in educating farmers and promoting better welfare, as well as working with farming clients towards a 'Herd Welfare Plan' that can be followed alongside the 'Farm Health Plan'.
The BVA says it recognises that some improvements have been made in certain welfare areas, such as longevity, but that issues relating to lameness, mastitis, housing and infectious diseases, such as TB, continue to be of concern.
Veterinary surgeons are well placed to offer help and advice in order to educate farmers on welfare aspects and how they affect herd health, productivity and ultimately, profit.
The policy also addresses issues around breeding for certain traits, which should always be discussed with a vet through a breeding plan, and the challenges of housing dairy herds. The BVA believes much can be done to achieve high welfare standards through good housing.
Finally, the BVA supports retailers who reward farmers financially for improving welfare standards for dairy cows and their calves.
Professor Bill Reilly, President of the BVA, said: "Recent reports have highlighted a number of major concerns about the welfare of dairy cows and their calves, and the BVA feels strongly that vets can take a leading role in addressing these issues.
"Lameness, mastitis, inadequate housing and infectious disease can all lead to poor welfare. Not only is this unacceptable for the animals, but it can be bad for the farmer's business.
"By working together, vets and farmers can and should do more to improve dairy cow welfare through Herd Welfare Plans, breeding plans and improved housing conditions."
Keith Cutler, President of the British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA), added: "While the UK enjoys higher standards of dairy cow welfare than many other countries, there are still some issues that need to be tackled.
"Vets and farmers need to work together to address problems. In my experience most farmers are pleased to discuss issues with their vets and then work in conjunction to improve the health and welfare, and ultimately the productivity and profitability, of their herds."
Starting in October 2018, the programme includes nine days of practical clinical emergency training at the CPD Solutions Training Centre near Birmingham, where emergency tutors Tobias Grave, Aidan McAlinden, Smita Das and Scott Kilpatrick will help attendees refine their techniques and decision-making in small group sessions.
The new emergency certificate includes modules in Essentials of Small Animal Emergency Practice, Small Animal Emergency Medicine and Small Animal Emergency Surgery. Each module starts with a three day practical attendance session.
CPD Solutions says the programme focuses on practical training combined with work-based learning. Assessment is continuous and is based on submission of a reflective portfolio in keeping with the current RCVS move towards outcomes based CPD.
Students will also have access to online resources provided by CPD Solutions and the University of Chester, together with emergency textbooks, DVDs and membership of CPD Solutions' Emergency and Critical Care Webinar Club.
Susie Coughlan, Managing Director at CPD Solutions said: "Our experience is that vets get the most out of hands-on practical training in a structured and supportive environment, combined with reflective application of their new skills in practice.
"This is the format for the PgCert in Emergency Practice – all attendance sessions are practical, and the course provides support for developing reflective work-based learning that vets can then use throughout their careers. We are developing the range of 12 month PgCerts for vets and we’re very excited to be able to offer the highly popular subject of Emergency Practice this year."
For more information, contact CPD Solutions on 0151 328 0444 or visit www.pgcertemerg.com
The College is seeking nominations this year for all six of its awards, all of which will be presented to the successful nominees at Royal College Day 2020, which will take place at 1 Great George Street in July 2020. These awards are:
The Queen’s Medal: the highest honour that can be bestowed upon a veterinary surgeon for a highly distinguished career with sustained and outstanding achievements throughout.
The Veterinary Nursing Golden Jubilee Award: for veterinary nurses who have had a sustained and distinguished career, who can demonstrate a leadership role within the profession and who can act as an ambassador for the value of veterinary nurses and their work.
RCVS International Award: for vets, vet nurses or laypeople who work internationally in making an outstanding contribution to, for example, raising veterinary standards, veterinary education and improving animal health and welfare.
RCVS Impact Award: for vets or vet nurses who have undertaken a project or initiative that has a significant impact on the profession at large, animal health or welfare, or public health. Such impact could have been made through any field of veterinary endeavour, including clinical practice, research, education or veterinary politics.
RCVS Inspiration Award: for vets or vet nurses at any stage of their career who have demonstrated the ability to inspire and enthuse others consistently throughout. It is open to those who have inspired and motivated individuals anywhere within the profession and recognises those who have gone ‘above and beyond’ what may normally be expected from a professional colleague.
Honorary Associateship: conferred on a small number of laypeople each year, in recognition of their special contribution to the veterinary sphere. It recognises the full range of individuals who contribute to the veterinary and animal health sector including scientists, lecturers, journalists, charity-workers, farriers, farmers and those involved in the commercial field.
Niall Connell, RCVS President for 2019-20, said: "2019 was particularly fruitful in terms of the number of nominations that we received for some of these awards, including the Queen’s Medal and the Impact and Inspiration Awards. In fact, those of us who had to compile the shortlist really struggled because of the sheer quality of the nominations we received and the people who were nominated.
"We hope that this will be repeated this year, and I would ask the profession to give some extra thought to making a nomination for Honorary Associateship, an award which is conferred on laypeople who are going above-and-beyond for animal welfare and the veterinary professions.
"In my veterinary career I have met many of these people: the biochemistry lecturers at vet school who gave me a passion for the science behind clinical veterinary medicine; the receptionists who were experts at talking to clients with empathy and kindness, often during distressing situations; and the volunteers who give up their precious free time to help with the smooth running of our PDSA hospital.
"I would urge everyone to have a think about who might be suitable for any of these awards, to find out more about making a nomination on the RCVS website."
To make a nomination, visit www.rcvs.org.uk/honours and click on the link for the specific award.
Applications can be made either through an online application form or by downloading a PDF application form and emailing or posting it to the RCVS.
The deadline for nominations is Friday 10 January 2020.
For an informal talk about the awards and how to make a nomination you can contact Susie Tomlin, Executive Secretary, on s.tomlin@rcvs.org.uk or 020 7202 0761.
Photo: Dr Abdul-Jalil Mohammadzai, one of the recipients of the 2019 RCVS International Award, with the then RCVS President Amanda Boag
There were ten candidates for the three available places.
6,087 veterinary surgeons voted, representing a 16.7% turnout.
This continued a decline seen since 2020, when there was a 26.2% turnout.
Alice McLeish scored 3,465 votes, Linda Belton 2,725 and Tim Hutchinson 1,571 votes.
Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar and Returning Officer for both elections, said: “Congratulations to all our successful candidates in this year’s elections and thank you to all those who stood for election this year.
"We look forward to welcoming our successful candidates to their elected places at this year’s AGM.
“While the turnout for the VN Council election improved slightly on last year, it was a shame to see the turnout for vets fall again.
"As part of our wider Council culture project, we are looking at how to increase engagement with our election processes across the board, from candidate nominations, to how we present information about the candidates, to how we encourage greater election turnout.
"We will be consulting with the group set up to look specifically at this issue in due course to see how we can improve turnout going forward.”
The full results for the RCVS Council election can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/vetvote23.
Norbrook Laboratories has announced the launch of Cefimam LC intramammary ointment for the management of mastitis.
Norbrook's large animal vet adviser Stephanie Small MRCVS said: "With such a broad range of treatments to choose from, vets are able to choose the product which best fits the situation. Cefimam® LC brings a powerful antimicrobial to the mix with high penetration for more difficult mastitis cases. Only three applications are required, which means fast resolution and rapid return of affected animals to production.
"This company firmly supports the large animal sector: as well as our commitment to making effective treatments affordable, we are investing in the future of the industry. We have worked closely with leading dairy vets to produce best practice materials for farming clients, and there are more educational tools in development."
Amongst these is a new guide called The Best Practice Guide for On-Farm Mastitis Control which you can now get from your Norbrook Territory Manager.
Cefimam LC is now available at all veterinary wholesalers in packs of 24 x 8g intramammary tubes.
For further information on Cefimam® LC, contact Senior Product Manager Chris Geddes MRCVS on 01536 741147
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
The webinar was hosted by RCVS Senior Vice-President Dr Melissa Donald, with Standards Committee Chair and Junior Vice-President Linda Belton, Registrar Eleanor Ferguson, and Head of Standards Gemma Kingswell.
The panel gave an overview of the main changes for the guidance, which comes into effect on 1st September, the considerations to take into account when prescribing POM-Vs remotely, the circumstances under which POM-Vs cannot be prescribed remotely, the prescription of antibiotics, antifungals, antiparasitics, and antivirals, and how the guidance will be enforced.
The webinar also dealt with issues raised in a previous webinar, including a query about prescribing under the cascade and an update on the position when prescribing based on cultures and sensitivities.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSTZKdbVD8g
For further information about the new guidance, including a range of practice-based scenarios and FAQs, visit: https://www.rcvs.org.uk/setting-standards/advice-and-guidance/under-care-new-guidance/
Questions about the under care guidance can be sent to advice@rcvs.org.uk
The work done by vetsurgeon.org and vetnurse.co.uk attempted to identify the sorts of unpleasant behaviour that veterinary surgeons and and nurses found themselves on the receiving end of, and the impact that it had on them. It was not, however, able to quantify the prevalence of these types of behaviour other than to the extent that there were 677 reports.
The new survey of over 650 vet nurses and student vet nurses found that not only did 96% agree or strongly agree that bullying and incivility is a serious problem in the profession, but 70% of respondents had personally experienced a mental health concern as a result.
Other findings from the survey were:
The full findings of the survey will be revealed at the MMI Student Veterinary Nurse Wellbeing Discussion Forum, taking place on Wednesday 3rd November.
Attendees will have the opportunity to discuss the challenges highlighted in the survey and how they can be addressed. The results will also be published at a session led by Jill McDonald, VN Futures Project Coordinator at BVNA Congress, taking place Saturday 2nd – Monday 4th October.
Lisa Quigley, Mind Matters Initiative Manager, said: “A number of our survey findings are extremely concerning, particularly the high levels of bullying, incivility and discrimination reported by participants. We conducted the survey with the intention of finding out more about what systemic issues across workplace practices were impacting on the profession’s mental health.
"We want to thank everyone who took part and shared their experiences with us. There were some upsetting accounts shared with us about experiences of bullying and discrimination – no one should go through this at any point in their life, let alone at their place of work.
"Decisive action needs to be taken to tackle this and we will be using the findings of the survey to help form our 2022-2027 strategy and decide what resources and training we create for the profession. Supporting the wellbeing of veterinary nurses and student veterinary nurses is one of our key priorities, and will be part of all future MMI activities.”
“I would encourage as many veterinary nurses and student veterinary nurses as possible to attend the upcoming Student Veterinary Nurse Wellbeing Discussion Forum and our session at BVNA to have your voice heard about what steps need to be taken to improve the mental wellbeing of the profession.
"We recognise that these results may bring some difficult emotions to the fore for many people, and we would encourage anyone who has experienced bullying or discrimination to seek help from an organisation such as Vetlife or the National Bullying Helpline.
"I would urge anyone who witnesses bullying or discrimination in the workplace to speak out, wherever it is safe to do so. This takes immense courage, but it is only by calling out this behaviour that it can begin to be addressed. We will be launching Active Bystander training in early 2022, to equip people with the confidence to call out unacceptable behaviour, and the skills to proactively support colleagues who have been targeted.”
Matthew Rendle, Chair of the RCVS Veterinary Nurses Council, added: “As a veterinary nurse some of these results were a difficult read and I would like to thank those student vet nurses and newly qualified vet nurses who came forward with great honesty and bravery with their views and experiences, as it couldn’t have been easy.
“We take these matters very seriously and opening up the conversation is an important first step. I hope that, following these results, we can take look at things such as strengthening reporting mechanisms for bullying and discrimination and encouraging better workplace practices to mitigate against these incidents.
“While it’s easy to focus on the negatives, I do think that these survey results have given us positive steps to build on, not least that people know how to access mental health support so they’re not suffering in silence and the role that our amazing clinical coaches are playing in supporting people with their mental health, and how we can better give them the tools for this support.”
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica has launched Benefortin (benazepril hydrochloride), an ACE inhibitor licensed for the treatment of congestive heart failure (CHF) in dogs. It is also licensed for the treatment of chronic renal insufficiency (CRI) in cats.
Benefortin uses novel micro-cap technology to mask the taste of the bitter molecule. According to Boehringer, this ensures that Benefortin tastes good1, even if it is bitten, crunched or chewed. The company says taste tests demonstrated 100% palatability in dogs and 92% palatability in cats in home settings1.
Benefortin is available in 5mg and 20mg tablets for dogs and 2.5mg tablets for cats and dogs.
Jemima Scott, Boehringer Ingelheim brand manager said: "The addition of Benefortin to our cardiology portfolio now enables us to provide veterinary practices with two of the cornerstones of canine CHF treatment, and the palatability of Benefortin makes it an excellent choice for vets needing to prescribe an ACE inhibitor."
To support the launch of Benefortin, Boehringer is offering veterinary practices the opportunity to win one of three Bosch microwave ovens in a prize draw by answering three multiple choice questions on the ACE inhibitor.
For further information on Benefortin, contact your local Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica territory manager or telephone 01344 746959.
The reported behaviour patterns, seen on a weekly basis, included rabbits biting the bars of their run or hutch repeatedly, fur pulling, biting, growling and hissing.
The charity says that with more than 680,0001 rabbits living alone, despite being highly sociable animals, and thousands more living in small hutches with no opportunity for exercise or mental stimulation, it is no surprise owners and vets are seeing these issues on a regular basis.
PDSA veterinary surgeon Rebecca Ashman said: "Our figures highlight that lack of mental stimulation can have a huge impact on pet behaviour. What’s most frustrating is the fact that many of these issues could easily be avoided if rabbits were given the right conditions, diet and companions to live alongside."
For this reason, PDSA is backing Rabbit Awareness Week’s #BuddiesForBunnies campaign to get solitary rabbits paired up with suitable companions from rescue centres. The charity says the findings should be a call to action for the 57% of rabbit owners who own single rabbits.
Rebecca added: "Pets do so much to enrich and improve our lives, but by not meeting their needs, their physical and mental wellbeing can be severely compromised. "Sadly, rabbits seem to be the forgotten pet". They can’t speak up and tell us if they’re unhappy, but with the right information and education, owners can make positive changes to their pets’ lives."
Reference
The company held a draw for the centrifuge via VetSurgeon.org and VetNurse.co.uk at the start of January. The draw attracted entries from 577 vets and nurses.
However, the rules of the draw stated that people could enter as many times as they liked, so in total there were 1699 entries.
In fact, one gentleman was so eager to win, he entered no less than 759 times.
By comparison, the 155 entries from a Northumberland practice and the 69 entries from staff at Severn Edge Vets looked comparatively modest.
Jo, pictured right with her prize, said: "It’s the first time I've won anything. Our centrifuge was over 10 years old, and ready to spin in its grave. Our new CombiSpin arrived today. I like it because it’s so quiet, takes up hardly any space and looks sleek and robust."
Fiona Sturgess from Vetlab Supplies said: "It’s great that the prize was won for a practice by a veterinary nurse. Perhaps she’ll get a raise! Also nice to hear that it’s replacing a machine that was obviously living on borrowed time.
"All entrants to the draw are entitled to a 20% discount on a new CombiSpin, we’ll be emailing vouchers shortly."
The Suresign range consists of:
Shane Brewer, Veterinary Business Development Manager at CIGA Healthcare, said: "We are very excited to be branching out into the veterinary field with our very affordable veterinary rapid tests. With the recent increase in pet ownership over the previous year, it is important to offer vets and their clients an affordable alternative to the tests they are currently using."
Ciga says its tests are easy to perform and interpret, competitively priced and offer results in 5-10 minutes.
For more information (in due course), visit: www.suresignveterinary.com
For the study, urinalysis results from 2,712 UK feline urine samples submitted and analysed by Axiom and Finn over a period of 14 months2 were reviewed.
Urine samples had to have been obtained by cystocentesis and signalment information recorded by their submitting vet3.
These samples did not have to come from cats presenting with FLUTD signs and the researchers therefore say that consideration should be given to a different (potentially even more increased) prevalence in cats presenting with LUT signs.
Bacterial urinary tract infections in cats with FLUTD are estimated to be present in around 8 – 19% of cases4.
However, FLUTD is one of the most common reasons for the use of antimicrobial drugs in veterinary medicine and is therefore an important condition to consider to minimise antimicrobial use and development of antimicrobial resistance5.
The study found that 15.7% of the samples had a positive culture, with E. coli (43.7%), other Enterobacterales (26.4%) and Enterococcus spp (14.9%) being the most common isolates identified.
Antimicrobial susceptibilities and resistance were also tested.
Notably, Enterococcus species were frequently found to be resistant to multiple antibiotics, and several other isolates demonstrated resistance to frequently used antibiotics.
The data showed Enterococcus spp. were much less susceptible to trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole (TMPS) than have been previously documented (with 94% of isolates resistant).
Additionally, other Enterobacterales had resistance against cephalosporins and penicillins.
The authors say that data surrounding cephalosporin resistance is particularly notable and problematic; recent data has indeed shown that the cephalosporin cefovecin is a commonly prescribed antibiotic3 for cats presenting with lower urinary tract disease.
The authors also say that data in this study adds to the existing evidence that the use of cephalosporins such as cefovecin may be ineffective in many cases (intrinsic resistance of Enterococcus spp) and therefore should be avoided unless cystocentesis and signalment results support their use.
The inappropriate use of antibiotics for bacterial cystitis could not only be ineffective to manage bacterial cystitis in cats but promote further antimicrobial resistance.
Clarisse D’Août, lead author of the research and Internal Medicine Specialist at Lumbry Park Veterinary Specialists, said: “Even though feline lower urinary tract disease is one of the most common reasons for vets to prescribe antibiotics, the prevalence of bacterial strains in the urine of cats with this condition, and their resistance to commonly used antibiotics, had not been widely studied in the UK to date.
"So we hope that this study can add to the current evidence to making well-justified and practical recommendations in practices about which antibiotics to choose and those to avoid.
"We see this ongoing susceptibility testing as clinically important to avoid the development of further resistant bacteria.”
John (pictured right) will compete against leading businessmen and women from across the country and a range of industries in the 'Entrepreneur for Good' category, designed to celebrate entrepreneurs that are pioneering ideas and business models to help drive social change.
John founded Burns Pet Nutrition in 1993, with the thinking that a healthy diet is key to managing many of the common health problems seen in pets. In fact, John reckons he's done more for pets with his line of pet food than he could have ever hoped to have achieved in general practice.
In 2008, John set up The Burns Pet Nutrition Foundation - a charity dedicated to improving the lives of people and pets across the UK. Today, the in-house charity is run by a team of six who specialise in everything from one-off donations to grassroots projects.
One such project, Burns by Your Side, helps schoolchildren to improve their literacy and communication skills with the aid of trained volunteers and their companion dogs. The scheme is currently active in over 40 educational settings across parts of Wales and Ireland.
More recently, Burns Pet Nutrition announced a £1M charity donation to mark its 25th year of trading.
John said "I have decided that the company should be a force for good. I want Burns Pet Nutrition to not only be known for our natural pet food, but also for establishing and maintaining a legacy of good causes in the community."
John is in the running to win the Entrepreneur for Good award along with six other Welsh entrepreneurs. The winners will be announced on Thursday 22nd November at a special gala final in Cardiff.
For further information on the awards, please visit, www.greatbritishentrepreneurawards.com.