The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has reprimanded and warned Dr Natalia Anna Strokowska for dishonesty in communication and for failing to get permission to share photos on social media.

The Disciplinary Committee considered four charges against Dr Strokowska. The first was that, whilst registered in the 'Practising Outside the United Kingdom' category of the Register of Veterinary Surgeons maintained by the RCVS, she practised as a veterinary surgeon in the counties of Somerset, Shropshire, London, Lancashire and Norfolk between July 2016 and August 2017 when she was not registered as UK-practising. The charges were that her conduct in relation to this was dishonest and misleading to her employer and/or clients.

The second charge was that, between October 2016 and July 2017, Dr Strokowska made posts on social media which included photographs of and comments about animals being treated at the practices where she worked, without the consent of the owners or the practices. 

The third charge was that, between January 2017 and March 2017, Dr Strokowska made posts on social media which included photographs, videos and comments about animals being treated at Goddards Veterinary Hospital in Wanstead, without the consent of the treating and/or operating veterinary surgeon.

The fourth charge was that, between July 2017 and September 2017, Dr Strokowska made representations to the practice principal of Barn Lodge, in Lancashire, and/or a student vet working at the practice that she had gained consent for photographs and social media posts when she had not, and that her conduct was dishonest and misleading.

At the outset of the hearing, the Dr Strokowska admitted to having practised as a veterinary surgeon in the UK when she was registered as practising outside the UK, but disputed that she had been dishonest or misleading with regards to this.

She also admitted to the entirety of the second charge and part of the third, but, under the latter charge, denied that she had, without consent, taken a video of an animal being operated on by a veterinary colleague.

Finally, she admitted to dishonest and misleading conduct with regard to part of the fourth charge, but denied that, in July 2017, she informed the practice principal that she had been told that she would be allowed to take photographs at Barn Lodge and post these on social media, when she had not been so told.

The Disciplinary Committee went on to consider the facts of the case for each of the charges that remained in issue.

Having considered all of the evidence, the Committee accepted that she did not have her registration status with the RCVS in her mind while she was working in the UK during the period in question. Accordingly, the Committee did not find her to have been dishonest.

With regards to the third charge the Committee considered the issue of whether the video in question had been posted "without the consent of the treating and/or operating veterinary surgeon".  After examining the relevant evidence (which included the video in question) the Committee determined that the evidence did not support the facts charged and thus that charge three was not proved.

With regards to the fourth charge, Strokowska denied that her conduct in relation to informing the principal that she had been told that she would be allowed to take photographs and post these on social media was dishonest or misleading, on the basis that she believed she had permission to take and post photographs on social media. The Committee was not able to be sure as to how she sought this consent and the response provided and so the charge was found not proved.

The Committee then went on to consider whether the charges that were admitted amounted to serious professional misconduct. 

The Committee found that it was the respondent’s responsibility to ensure that her registration status was appropriate at the time she was doing locum work in the UK. However she had provided her RCVS registration number to all the practises she had worked for and in the view of the committee there was no intention to deceive anyone. In the judgement of the Committee, her conduct was not sufficiently grave so as to constitute serious professional misconduct.

The Committee, in its judgement, concluded that her conduct in relation to the second charge did fall far short of the behaviour to be expected of a member of the veterinary profession, and amounted to serious professional misconduct.

The Committee considered that all members of the profession are obliged to ensure that they comply with the provisions of the Code of Professional Conduct, and the supporting guidance, in relation to the use of the internet and social media.

Unauthorised posting of photographs of animals being treated by a veterinary surgeon on social media may well cause distress to the owners, and damage to the reputation of the profession as a whole, and to the reputation of individual practices.

The aspect of the third charge admitted by the respondent involved posting a photograph with accompanying text of a dog without the consent of the treating and/or operating veterinary surgeon. The Committee considered that this was, indeed, a matter of professional discourtesy, but did not consider that it amounted to serious professional misconduct.

The respondent admitted the fourth charge and admitted that her conduct was dishonest and misleading. The Committee, in its judgement, considered that by choosing to lie in response to a genuine professional enquiry about her conduct, her behaviour fell far short of that to be expected from a member of the veterinary profession, and constituted serious professional misconduct.

The Committee next considered what, if any, sanction to impose.

In mitigation the Committee considered that the postings were an attempt to promote the health and welfare of animals; the lack of risk of harm or actual harm to an animal or human; no apparent financial gain from her actions; her youth and inexperience at the time of the misconduct; her open and frank admissions at an early stage; her subsequent efforts to avoid repetition; the lapse of time since the incident; and her demonstration of insight into the effects of her postings on some owners.

The Committee considered the available sanctions in order starting with no further action. The Committee did not consider that this was appropriate where the serious professional misconduct found in this case involved dishonesty, even given the mitigating factors relating to that as outlined above, nor in view of the repeated nature of the social media posts without owner consent.

The Committee determined that a reprimand and warning as to future conduct was the appropriate sanction in the circumstances of this case.

Dr Strokowska was reprimanded for her serious professional misconduct in relation to her admitted failure to obtain necessary consent for posts on social media and her dishonesty in communication.

She was warned that she should in future be fully aware of, and comply with, the provisions of the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct and its supporting guidance, in particular as it relates to the use of social media, including the need to ensure that she has obtained all the necessary consents from all relevant parties.

The Society for Practising Veterinary Surgeons and the RCVS Mind Matters Initiative are encouraging practices to use the Vet Wellbeing Awards entry process as an opportunity to audit the wellbeing of their teams.

The Vet Wellbeing Awards, which are now in their fourth year, are designed to highlight positivity within the profession by sharing stories and initiatives from veterinary workplaces that demonstrate commitment to improving staff wellbeing.

The Awards also aim to support all practices to take a structured approach towards evaluating their own wellbeing support systems. 

This year, for the first time, feedback will be given to practices that enter about the areas where they are doing well and those where they can improve. The organisers hope that this change to the Awards process will encourage practices to think of wellbeing support as an area of continuous development. 

However, they also hope that practices will use the entry process as an opportunity to audit wellbeing even if they don't plan to enter. 

Liz Barton, SPVS Board Member, said: "Going through the entry form and evaluation process is valuable for every vet practice, even if they don’t feel they’re ready to enter the Awards just yet. Sitting down as a practice team for a few hours and working through the questionnaire is a highly useful exercise for facilitating celebrating areas where your practice is doing well for wellbeing, and also highlighting some areas for improvement for years to come."

"We recommend all practices get into the habit of going through the process annually and choosing areas to focus and improve on, to build towards better wellbeing across all areas for all staff."

There are three award categories that practices can enter depending on the number of employees:  small practice (15 or fewer full time equivalent team members (FTE)), medium practice (16 to 50 FTEs) or large practice (51 or FTEs).

The Award application form covers six aspects of work that, if well-managed, can promote wellbeing and reduce the risk of work-related stress, and the Award judges will be looking for evidence of commitment to enhancing wellbeing for each of these.

They are:

• Promoting physical and psychological health at work

• Relationships at work

• Communication at work

• Career development

• Workload and work scheduling

• Work demands

More examples of the type of evidence and initiatives that the Awards are looking for, together with the entry form, are available on the Vet Wellbeing Awards website: https://vetwellbeingawards.org.uk.

Winning and Highly Commended practices will receive a dedicated logo and certificate for display. The winners in each category will also receive two registrations and banquet tickets for SPVS/VMG Congress 2020.

In addition to the Wellbeing Awards, the RCVS and SPVS are also running the Practice Star nominations, which are open to all veterinary practices. 

These nominations aim to support practices to thank someone in their team who has gone the extra mile to make the practice a happy place to work, whether this be through introducing an initiative that makes everyone’s work life better, going out of their way to support a colleague going through a tough time, or just making everyone smile. 

To enter, practices need to send in their nominee’s name, job title and contact details, and a short paragraph explaining why they have been chosen. They will then receive a certificate congratulating them for being nominated as the practice’s very own ‘Practice Wellbeing Star’.

The closing date for both the Wellbeing Award entries and Practice Star nominations is Friday 22 November 2019. 

Parasitologist Dr Ian Wright, head of the European Scientific Counsel Companion Animal Parasites UK and Ireland (ESCCAP), has warned of a growing threat from exotic ticks arriving in the UK.

Speaking at Improve International's OV Conference last week, Dr Wright cited increased pet travel and importation as key risk factors, including the growing number of rescued dogs arriving in the UK from countries in Europe and further afield.

Dr Wright highlighted the Rhipicephalus tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) as being a particular cause for concern, as it can transmit Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma platys, Rickettsias, Babesia vogeli and Hepatozoon.

Dr Wright said that Ehrlichia canis and Anaplasma platys are among the most common tick-borne diseases in imported dogs, particularly those arriving from Eastern and Southern Europe. There were also three cases of Hepatozoon canis in 2018, caused by dogs ingesting Rhipicephalus ticks while grooming.

According to figures from a Bristol University Pet Travel survey, 54.5% of dog travel on the Pet Travel Scheme from the UK is to France with Southern European countries also popular destinations. These are all countries in which Rhipicephalus is present and on the increase. Dr Wright said that the ticks are moving north into Austria, Switzerland, Central France, Romania and Bulgaria.

During the last few months, he has also been alerted to ticks found on dogs coming in from North America, Latin America and Africa. These bring with them the risk of new diseases, including a variety of zoonotic rickettssial pathogens, such as Rickettsia Rickettsii, which causes Rocky Mountain Spotty Fever.

To address this issue Dr Wright urged vets to redouble their efforts on tick prevention. In particular, he recommended tick prevention pre/during and post travel, using products that offer rapid kill and repellency in order to reduce transmission, repellents being especially important in Leishmania infantum and Rhipicephalus-endemic countries.

Dr Wright recommended drilling clients and staff on tick removal and reminding them that finding a tick on a pet is not a failure as no product is 100% reliable and it is easy to miss them in long-haired dogs. He also suggested asking clients to take photos of any ticks they find on their pet while abroad so that their vet will know on their return what pathogens they may have been exposed to. If necessary, the Public Health England Tick Surveillance Scheme can help with identification.

Dr Wright suggested that legislation to enforce tick treatment on entry was a poor strategy used in isolation as pets would still be exposed while abroad and no product is completely reliable. It would be useful however, to raise awareness and show that we are taking the issue of tick-borne disease seriously.

He said: "We’re seeing a significant increase in pet travel and import a wider range of countries from which dogs are being imported and this is significantly increasing our exposure to exotic ticks.

"What’s news about this is that while you could argue that diseases such as Lyme Disease are ‘lifestyle’ diseases because people and dogs are exposed to our native ticks while out enjoying the countryside, the Rhipicephalus tick comes to your home, exposing you to a wealth of rickettsial diseases for the first time. We are already seeing instances of this in France, Germany and Scandinavia and, as pet travel continues to grow, the risk here will only increase. It’s equally possible that a dog with a native tick could travel aboard and return hosting a new pathogen.

"The only way to manage this risk is to provide consistent advice to the public and to support increased disease surveillance. Vigilance is key – assume that any travelling dog may have ticks and do not assume that because it is tick-treated, it’s a case of ‘job done.’"

He said: "Put the onus on clients - gently. Remind them to seek advice, to check for ticks and to keep tick treatments up to date. Also remind them to visit the practice with their dog as soon as possible on their return. If you do find exotic ticks, please send them to the Tick Surveillance Scheme for identification."

He added: "If you know an owner who is planning to adopt a dog from abroad, explain the risks to them and encourage them to adopt from the UK. If they are determined to go ahead, work with them to ensure that you reduce the risk of exotic ticks arriving with their new family members. The risk to human and animal health from an infestation should not be underestimated."

The RCVS Council has approved the University of Surrey School of Veterinary Medicine’s degree, so pending final approval from the Privy Council, those completing the degree will be able to register with the RCVS as veterinary surgeons in the UK.

The first cohort of students started the course in September 2014 and graduated in July 2019 this year. During that time, the College worked with the University to make sure its programme was developed to meet RCVS standards. That included interim visitations by a team of accreditation reviewers and a final accreditation visitation by representatives of the RCVS, the Australasian Veterinary Boards Council (AVBC) and the South African Veterinary Council (SAVC).

After the final visitation, a report was submitted to the RCVS Primary Qualifications Subcommittee (PQSC), which then recommended to the Education Committee that the RCVS recognises the University of Surrey’s veterinary degree (subject to satisfactory external examiner reports, which were subsequently received). In turn, the RCVS Council then approved the degree last week.

Dr Sue Paterson, the Chair of the Education Committee, said: "We are very glad to have reached the stage where we can formally welcome the University of Surrey on board as the eighth UK veterinary school to offer an approved degree, and that we will, from now on and pending Privy Council’s approval, be able to welcome its graduates onto the Register as proud members of the RCVS.

"We appreciate the immense hard work of both the faculty and the student body over the past five years in working to meet the College’s stringent accreditation standards and the effort that they have made to address our feedback and advice in a constructive and engaged way.

"When I observed at the final accreditation visit earlier this year I, along with the other visitors, was particularly impressed with the enthusiasm and commitment of the staff, the network of partner veterinary practices and the student body to the school’s ethos and success. We also recognised that, with its unique ‘distributive model’ meaning that students can get direct clinical experience across 49 veterinary practice partners, the students have access to a large and diverse medical and surgical caseload.

"The final report contained a number of further recommendations and we look forward to continuing to work with the school over the next two years to help them meet our recommendations and suggestions."

Professor Chris Proudman, Head of School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Surrey, added: "I am delighted that our new degree programme in veterinary medicine and science has been approved by RCVS Council for recognition by the Privy Council.

"This decision recognises the huge investment in veterinary education made by the university and the quality of the education that we offer. It is also validation of our innovative model of delivering clinical teaching through working in partnership with clinical practices and other organisations involved in animal health, which has proven very popular with our students."

“The commitment and enthusiasm of our partners has been truly inspiring and energising. I look forward to Surrey veterinary graduates making valuable contributions to the profession in a variety of ways over the coming years.”

A Recognition Order to recognise the University of Surrey’s Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Science (BVMSci Hons) will now be put before the Privy Council and, if it approves the Order, this will then be laid before Parliament. If the Order is approved by both the Privy Council and Parliament, the University of Surrey will then enter the cyclical RCVS accreditation process and be subject to annual monitoring. 

The executive summary of the final visitation report can be found in the papers for the October 2019 meeting of RCVS Council: https://www.rcvs.org.uk/who-we-are/rcvs-council/council-meetings/3-october-2019/. The full report will be published in due course.

Picture shows:(from left to right) Dr Susan Paterson, Chair of the RCVS Education Committee; Professor Chris Proudman, Head of School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Surrey; and Dr Niall Connell, RCVS President.

Rossdales Veterinary Surgeons, which remains one of the largest independent equine veterinary practices in Europe, is celebrating 60 years of service by hosting ‘Diamond Series’ equine CPD events for general practitioners and students.

Founded by Peter Rossdale in Newmarket in 1959, the practice now boasts a team of 50 veterinary surgeons and has established an international reputation for providing world class ambulatory, referral and laboratory services. The team is led by RCVS, European and American recognised veterinary specialists and operates from four sites in Newmarket, Exning, Hertfordshire and Lambourn. 

Each year, Rossdales Equine Hospital in Exning hosts a large number of CPD courses which often include internationally recognised guest speakers who lecture alongside Rossdales’ specialist clinicians, with delegates attending from as far afield as Europe, Singapore, Dubai and Australia.

To celebrate the practice’s Diamond anniversary, Rossdales is hosting a special 'Diamond Series' of CPD events in 2019 in addition to its usual programme of educational courses.

Mike Shepherd, Managing Partner at Rossdales, said: "Since the practice was established by Peter Rossdale in 1959, it has always prided itself on clinical research and the willing distribution of this and other information to the veterinary profession. This ‘Diamond Anniversary’ series of CPD events is an initiative that we hope will benefit many of our veterinary colleagues. The first of these special events, the Diamond Series Veterinary Nursing Congress, was held at the beginning of June and was fully subscribed. We’re very pleased by the excellent feedback it generated."

Two further ‘Diamond Series’ events are scheduled, for veterinary surgeons and veterinary students respectively:

The Diamond Series Veterinary Surgeons Congress takes place on Friday,12^th and Saturday, 13^th July 2019 and is for all veterinary surgeons with an interest in equine or mixed practice. The programme covers a wide area of subjects, with talks provided by 12 veterinary surgeons from Rossdales Equine Hospital and Rossdales Laboratories. It also includes admission to The Moët & Chandon July Festival at Newmarket Racecourse on Saturday, 13th July.

The Diamond Series Undergraduate Congress will take place on Saturday, 10^th and Sunday, 11^th August 2019. This course is aimed at all current veterinary undergraduates who want to gain more knowledge and experience in the fields of equine veterinary medicine and surgery. There will be talks and presentations from 9 veterinary surgeons from Rossdales Equine Practice, Rossdales Equine Hospital and Rossdales Laboratories. There will also be a course dinner on the Saturday evening.

For more information, visit www.rossdales.com/news-events.

Vita Animal Health has launched Omniotic, a new ear cleaner for use in dogs, cats and rabbits.

Omniotic combines three ingredients to remove ear wax and debris: a detergent, a solvent and an emulsifier. It also contains Octoxynol-9, lactic acid, salicylic acid and parabens, which Vita says have anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.

The product is sold in 120ml bottles with a transparent flexible tip designed to be comfortable even in stenosed, tender ear canals. 

Omniotic can be used for regular daily cleaning, especially in predisposed breeds such as spaniels and lop-eared rabbits where ear conformation increases the risk of ear disease.

The product can also be used alongside other antibiotics or anti-fungal medications, something which Vita highlights as being especially important in rabbits, the ear canals of which are less prone to inflammation and stenosis, and for which topical treatment can be very effective. 

Tara Evans, RVN and sales manager said: "Omniotic is an ear cleaner for dogs, cats and rabbits which combines features to meet the needs of owners and vets at the same time. The feedback from our customers is very positive; they are finding the soft, flexible applicator tip is easy to use and well tolerated. The unique combination of ingredients and the multi-species use means Omniotic can be used to support ear health across a wide variety of indications."

For more information and for the latest promotional offers, contact Tara Evans, via email: info@vitaanimalhealth.com, or telephone: 01256 591032.

A new company, PetMedix, has been set up to develop new monoclonal antibody therapies for cats and dogs which could, it says, transform a wide range of veterinary treatment options, offering more effective treatment with fewer side-effects.

The company, which was founded by scientists from the human field, managed to raise £8 million of Series A funding by February this year. It is now seeking further investment for an extension to that Series A funding by the autumn.

The company's Chief Scientific Officer is Professor Allan Bradley, Emeritus Director of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and a Fellow of the Royal Society (pictured right). He spearheaded the development of mouse transgenics and their translational use, which provided the basis for developing canine monoclonal antibody therapies.

Allan said: "We are growing a world-class scientific team that will enable PetMedix to become a global leader in the development of novel monoclonal antibody therapies for the expanding animal health market. In the short lifetime of the company we have attracted huge talent in both our scientists and executives, and moved into the heart of the Cambridge biotech sphere with its excellent facilities and networking opportunities. The recent appointment of Dr. Fabian Kausche to the board marks our intent to become a global leader in animal health."

CEO, Dr. Tom Weaver added: "We have the people and the technology in place, and are champing at the bit to progress these therapies to reach the pets that could benefit. We know this technology has transformed the treatment and survival of human patients with a variety of conditions and we want to create the same paradigm shift in veterinary treatment options to improve welfare, quality of life and longevity for our dogs and cats."

PetMedix says it is interested in hearing from potential investment partners, and mergers and acquisitions. Contact Jolyon Martin via email: jolyon.martin@PetMedix.co.uk or telephone: +44 (0) 1223 734140,

Researchers at the University of Liverpool are asking veterinary surgeons to take part in a survey to explore the reporting of Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs).

It is hoped the survey will capture the experiences vets have had reporting ADRs, as well as identifying barriers to the current process which could be used to improve the ease with which ADRs are reported in the future.

PhD student Heather Davies (pictured right), who is leading the research project, said: "The survey is an important opportunity to gain insights into the issues that vets  face when dealing with ADRs.

"We want to make the process easier in order to improve the safety of veterinary medicines, and ultimately, we need the help of professionals on the front line in order to do that."

She added: "The survey is relatively short and can be completed anonymously. 

"We’re really keen to gather as many of your experiences as possible so we’d like to encourage veterinary professionals to complete it."

The research is being carried out as part of a PhD project funded by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) in collaboration with the Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network (SAVSNET), based at the university.

The survey is now open and you can take part here: https://liverpool.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/adrs-vet

Any questions about the survey can be addressed directly to the researchers: Heather Davies (PhD student): H.H.Davies@liverpool.ac.uk and/or Dr David Killick (Supervisor): David.Killick@liverpool.ac.uk.

Solihull-based Willows Referral Service is showing off it's new toy, a £400,000 state-of-the-art Siemens Somatom go.All CT scanner, believed to be the first in the profession.

Andrew Parry MRCVS, an RCVS and European Specialist, heads Diagnostic Imaging at Willows. He said: "Our previous CT scanner was excellent but all technology moves on. We wanted to ensure we maintained our position at the forefront of specialist veterinary diagnostic imaging.

"We have a large cardiology service and the Siemens scanner, with its advanced cardiac imaging package, will allow the team to gain a huge amount of information about cardiac disease and other vascular abnormalities. This combination of technology and on-site Specialist imaging expertise is unusual, even at a referral level.

"A further advantage of the new scanner is its use of tin filters, which enables it to produce high quality images of regions of high contrast, such as feline chests."

Willows has also invested in a software package which does all sorts of clever stuff to bring the images to life for clients.

He said: “The syngo.via software allows anyone to access and manipulate images from any computer in the hospital. This can be building complex models or more straightforward multiplanar reconstruction.

"Specialists can show models to clients immediately, while surgeons can manipulate images in theatre and all clinicians can view and interact with images from their own working environment.

"Additionally, we have invested in Siemens-manufactured software called syngo.via Cinematic VRT, which means we can build, rotate and fly through volume rendered CT models with clients, giving them a dynamic understanding of anatomy and pathology."

The British College of Veterinary Specialists (BCVSp) has approached the RCVS Practice Standards Group (PSG) to look at the feasibility of a new Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) accreditation strand: Veterinary Specialist Hospital (Multidisciplinary), or VSH(M).

The BCVSp says the aim of its proposal is to identify practices that offer a multi-disciplinary referral service, to incorporate standards for specialist care and to define training, veterinary and nursing qualifications, behaviours and facilities which optimise management of cases with complex problems and those requiring advanced diagnostic and/or therapeutic approaches.

Terry Emmerson Hospital Director at North Downs Specialist Referrals and BCVSp trustee said: "Increasing numbers of veterinary graduates are choosing to pursue training leading to post-graduate diplomas and RCVS recognition as Specialists.

"Many vets and nurses are working in groups that allow a multidisciplinary approach to be offered to animals with complex problems. We hope that we can devise a new accreditation strand to give the animal-owning public the ability to distinguish multidisciplinary specialist hospitals from general veterinary hospitals in order to make informed choices regarding the veterinary care they wish to access for their animals."

BCVSp has proposed that prior to entry into the new strand, VSH(M)s would first be required to meet the Core, GP and Veterinary Hospital requirements in all of the modules (Small Animal or Equine as appropriate) and achieve Awards Points at Outstanding level in the relevant modules. BCVSp has put forward an outline plan which is currently being considered by the PSG in which VSH(M)s will be required to offer a minimum number of services but there will also be scope for individual units to highlight particular areas of expertise.

Celia Marr, BCVSp Chairman said: "A key element of the strand we are working on is that each service will be led by RCVS Specialists ensuring on-going accreditation of the experience and expertise within the range of services that together underpin a multidisciplinary approach to case management. We have consulted widely amongst our members to reach consensus on the standards each specialist service should be aiming for."

She added: "We hope to work together with the PSG to develop an accreditation within this strand over the next few years, however working through the current PSS modules to Awards Points level is not easy. Specialist-staffed hospitals aiming for the multidisciplinary strand will need to start planning their approach as soon as possible."

Mandisa Greene, Chair of the Practice Standards Group, said: "The RCVS Practice Standards Group welcomes BCSVp’s proposal and the passion of the group for developing this new accreditation level. Both the PSG and the RCVS Standards Committee will be working with the BCVSp to consider the proposal's feasibility, how the accreditation level might be achieved, potential levels of interest and other criteria in the coming months. It is critical that specific criteria which BCVSp and the RCVS Practice Standards Group develop together are clear, transparent and testable."

Photo: Newmarket Equine Hospital

VetFinders, a new recruitment agency, has launched with a pledge to donate a minimum of 25% of its net profits to four animal and children’s charities.

VetFinders will recruit for permanent and locum positions for veterinary practices throughout the UK, from administration roles through to nursing staff and vets.

The agency has been founded by a man called Chris Worthington who previously built an engineering recruitment firm called Qualtech Resourcing. 

Alongside Chris in the VetFinders team are recruiters Gabrielle Dawson and Martin Wilson, both with over 15 years’ experience in recruitment, Chris’s wife Anna, who is charge of accounting and payroll, and administrator Suzy Buttress.

Chris said: "VetFinders is a business with a purpose, a business with a force for good and a business with a double bottom line! Our approach is totally unique in the industry and it’s what sets us apart. Candidates are already hearing about our message and registering with VetFinders rather than other agencies.

"We have chosen four specific charities and our support for them does not stop at the point of donation. We will also be working closely with them, funding specific projects and working on their front line."

The chosen charities are:

• Hope Pastures, in Leeds, which rescues, rehabilitates and re-homes horses, ponies and donkeys. 

• Moorview Rescue in Harrogate, which has re-homed almost 2000 dogs in the UK since it was set up as a registered charity in 2009. 

• Nuzzlets, a small charity based near Great Ouseburn in York which specialises in giving loving homes to unwanted animals and enabling young people free access to them for therapy and education. 

• Blue Cross.

When a candidate is placed by VetFinders, the client can choose which of the four charities they want a percentage of their fee to be donated to. The client and placed candidate will then be given regular updates of how their money has benefitted children and animals, including through photos, videos, emails and website updates.

For more information, visit: https://www.vetfinders.co.uk/

Photo: Top (L-R): Martin Wilson - Veterinary Recruitment Consultant, Chris Worthington - Managing Director. Bottom (L-R): Gabrielle Dawson - Veterinary Recruitment Consultant, Anna Worthington - Finance and Payroll Manager and Suzy Buttress - Administrator.

Yorkshire-based Paragon Veterinary Referrals has announced that it has signed the former England youth team basketball star Andrea Holmes to join the team.

Andrea, who is also an EBVS Specialist in Small Animal Internal Medicine, is joining Paragon after returning from a spell in Australia. The transfer fee was not disclosed.

Andrea graduated from Bristol in 2011 and became a Specialist in 2017. She said: "I'm so pleased to be returning to my beautiful home county of Yorkshire and joining the brilliant team at Paragon.

"Internal medicine will be my key area and my main interests are infectious diseases and post graduate clinical teaching."

Andrea represented England youth at basketball between 2000 and 2002, starring in tournaments in Hungary and Italy, and her passion for sport is still high on her list of priorities.

She added: "Now I’m back home I’m looking to join a triathlon club and will attempt to master the ukulele, which I recently began playing."

Paragon managing director, Ian Monteith, said: "Andrea is the fifth high-calibre specialist addition we’ve made in the past six months which illustrates our dedication to delivering the highest level of care and treatment to our patients."

Tracey Ison RVN has written a new book, Confessions of a veterinary nurse, an autobiographical journey through her career as a veterinary nurse.

Tracey, who started working in practice as a trainee in 1986 and qualified in 1989, spent her nursing career in both mixed and small animal practice in her home town of Hinckley, Leicestershire before retiring in 2018.

She says the book is mainly aimed at people thinking of embarking on a career as a veterinary nurse, but she also hopes colleagues in the profession will enjoy it, particularly those who are newer to the profession and have an interest in how things have progressed over the last three decades.

Tracey said: "Having enjoyed a very long career as a veterinary nurse, I wanted to take the opportunity to share some of my experiences, the happy, the sad and the sometimes downright crazy!

"The role of the veterinary nurse has changed so much over the last thirty years and continues to evolve with each passing year. My story is a light-hearted journey from my early years as a fresh-faced trainee to a fully qualified head nurse, will all the highs and lows along the way.

"The book will hopefully appeal to all members of the veterinary profession, past, present and future as well as to animal lovers everywhere. It was written from the heart to celebrate the work that veterinary nurses do, the diversity of their role and the steep learning curves that many of us had to climb."

You can read a sample of the book here. 

Confessions of a veterinary nurse is available from all good bookstores, and Amazon, priced at £10.99.