What if: no Vet Surgeons Act?

Re: What if: no Vet Surgeons Act?

Hannah Wynne Richards — Mon, 01 Jul 2013 12:36:47 GMT

When I qualified (1980) there were still many senior members of the profession actually working, who had qualified before 1948. They had experienced the reality of being undercut by unqualified quacks-and said it was dire. One of my main complaints against RCVS is they don't do enough to detect and prosecute those unqualified people (homeopaths/chiropractors etc ) who currently defy the Act

Wynne

Re: What if: no Vet Surgeons Act?

Bob Russell — Mon, 01 Jul 2013 12:06:41 GMT

I don't think it should be scraped but the RCVS really should consider its role carefully.

It should support good vets and control the bad ones.

I am happy to give the 'new' leadership a chance to reform but it is not looking encouraging so far IMO! Doing quite a lot of fiddling while Rome burns!

Re: What if: no Vet Surgeons Act?

Mark Hedberg — Mon, 01 Jul 2013 11:28:00 GMT

#3 isn't actually correct. The VSA is what gives the RCVS the power to regulate veterinary medicine; with no VSA, the RCVS would have no power to do this at all; and underperforming vets would probably be responsibility of Trading Standards or something like that. Which is fine, they've been doing a marvellous job with the Pet Passports so we'd be in good hands. (sarcasm alert!)

Certainly reform is needed, or rather leadership.

In countries without a Royal College; licensing is done on a state or national level with a board or other body (which is probably close to the same thing); alternatively in some countries they have to register with the Ministry of Agriculture or whoever is deemed responsible for food safety, animal health, or rural affairs.