RE: Open letter to the College NOT to move to an appointed council.

Eamon McAllister — Sat, 14 Sep 2024 12:35:10 GMT

A Governing Body always runs the risk of becoming an arm of the industry which it is charged with regulating viz. the deeply compromised relationship between OFWAT and the water companies and other examples contributing to Stock Market crashes down the years.

Ignoring the strong possibility that this may have already happened to the RCVS, perhaps it is concerned that the corporates have too much influence in Council and are seeking, by appointing members, to avoid becoming a tool of an industry which can neither be regulated nor sanctioned effectively.

I’m no apologist for the RCVS but if the end result of these changes, whether by design or by accident, were to safeguard its independence and integrity such as it is, then I’m all for it.

With an annual “turnout” of around 20% or less in the council elections there are weaknesses in the system which have been exploited. Democracy isn’t working.

RE: Open letter to the College NOT to move to an appointed council.

Gerry Henry — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 15:14:51 GMT

You asked for it …

Dear Editor
49 members or colleagues of the Progressive Veterinary Association (PVA) signed an open letter to the RCVS in July 2024 that called for a referendum on RCVS plans to entirely remove democracy from the veterinary professions.
The RCVS rejected this, stating that some other Royal Colleges with Council elections differ from the RCVS. We responded today highlighting that the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) was established via Royal Charter and had regulatory powers enshrined in legislation, just like the RCVS.
The RCS increased the collective knowledge on its Council through expansion of membership to allow representation of allied professions and laity, whilst keeping its 24 democratically elected surgeons. In contrast the RCVS decided in 2018 to reduce elected veterinary representation on its Council by 46%, resulting by 2023 in the omission of 11 vets from 11 geographical regions, sectors and specialisations.
That reduction coincided with ‘under care’ guidance which seemed not quite fit for purpose, in that the RCVS seemed unfamiliar with how veterinary parasiticides were being prescribed in practice, stating that it was “both surprising and disappointing”.
The guidance caused multiple adverse impacts on first opinion practices already swamped with work, including the transference of income to corporate veterinary interests and online retailers. This is against a backdrop of a cost of living crisis, and a looming CMA enquiry largely resulting from prior acquiescence of the RCVS to the profession’s corporatisation. The necessitated additional appointments have further contributed to an apparent mild distrust of the profession by the public, and an increase in abuse for struggling practice staff.
The reduction in veterinary electees, and consequently experience, on Council has perhaps already had somewhat disastrous consequences, and yet Council plans to press on with the extinguishment of elected veterinary knowledge altogether.
The sticking point over any reform is the need to act, and be seen
to act, in the public interest. However, the plans of the RCVS for a fully appointed Council are the result of an historical aim to maintain full self- regulation. The tide of history has already turned on this, with the BVA now also calling for the College to commit itself to external scrutiny and independent oversight.
We believe that the RCVS proposals risk throwing the baby out with the bath water. The baby in this case being the tradition, importance, independence, functionality and sovereignty of an elected RCVS Council, and the bathwater being the aim of full self-regulation.
Once the RCVS accepts that it must lose some regulatory functions, an

appointment system for Council becomes irrelevant, and a new regulatory body could instead be formed. This would give the professions back their democratically elected RCVS Council, the property, assets, investments and function of which they have funded since 1844.
It would be for any new regulatory committee or council that an appointment system might be considered. Nevertheless, the public are familiar with both visible malfeasance associated with the appointment system to the House of Lords, and the ability for vested interests to operate through an appointments system. The general population may wish proportionate elections of the public to any new body to ensure it always acts in the public interest.
As it stands, a reduced RCVS Council, whose ‘under care’ reforms suggested a lack of familiarity with first opinion practice, would need to decide to exclude the entire profession from key deliberations on the profession’s trajectory. 13 veterinary surgeons democratically elected by the profession would hold sway on any Council decision to keep or cancel that democracy – and they should surely honour those who placed their trust in them.
There is a striking contrast with the human medical profession, which has separate democratic elections for membership of: 16 respective Royal College Councils; 8 respective Faculty Councils; the British Medical Association Council; 17 BMA Committees and Boards and the Local Medical Council.
To contemplate the removal of this one exercise in democracy is to hold the veterinary professions in disdain. We believe that the RCVS must accept that it needs to think again and mandate a free, fair and balanced referendum. The changes as planned would at a stroke change the veterinary professions into a workforce with no say on the running or future of their professions.
Yours sincerely
Dr Andre Menache BSc(Hons) BVSc Dip ECAWBM (AWSEL) MRCVS – Director of the Progressive Veterinary Association (PVA)
Dr Bronwen Eastwood BSc(Hons) BVetMed CertGP (SAP) MRCVS – Director of the PVA
Dr Iain McGill BSc(Hons) BVetMed MRCVS – Director of the PVA Professor Ranald Munro BVMS MSc DVM MRCVS – Patron of the PVA Ayeysha Smart, Barrister, Crown Chambers – Legal adviser to the PVA
Professor Andrew Knight BSc BVMS PhD (Griff.) PhD (Winch.) MANZCVS DipECAWBM (AWSEL) DipACAW PFHEA FRCVS – Veterinary Professor and specialist in Animal Welfare affiliated with Murdoch University School of Veterinary Medicine and Griffith University, Australia, and the University of

Winchester
Dr David L Williams MA MEd VetMD PhD DipECAWBM FRSB FHEA FRCVS Associate Lecturer, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Cambridge,
Fellow and Director of Studies, St John's College, Cambridge
Honorary Senior Lecturer, Animal Welfare, Royal Veterinary College
Dr Elise Robertson BS BVetMed MANZCVSc (Feline) DipABVP(Feline) FHEA FRSB FRCVS, ABVS Recognised American Board-Certified Diplomate Feline Practice
Dr Clare M Knottenbelt BVSc MSc DSAM MRCVS, RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Medicine - Director Hawk and Dove Ltd, Director Equine Medical Solutions Ltd
Dr Rosemary Elliott BVSc (Hons), MANZCVS (Animal Welfare), MPsych (Clin), BA (Hons) - Member of the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists (Animal Welfare and Ethics) - President of Sentient, The Veterinary Institute of Animal Ethics
Dr Catherine Finnegan BSc, BVM&S, MSc, MRCVS, FHEA - Lecturer in Small Animal Medicine
Dr Neus Elias LMV PgCert CertAVP(ECC) DipECVECC MRCVS Dr Jacobus Loubser BVSc MRCVS – Independent practice owner Dr Rosario Gutierrez VM MRCVS – Independent practice owner Dr Phill Elliott BVM&S MSc MRCVS – Independent practice owner Dr Mark Jones BVSc MSc (Stir) MSc (UL) MRCVS
Dr Sophie Hill MA VetMB PGCE MRCVS
Dr Trudy Langdale BVetMed CertVR MRCVS, RxPet Ltd
Dr Evelyn Barbour-Hill BVSc MRCVS
Guda van der Burgt MRCVS – Director Veterinary Investigation Services Ltd
Helen O'Hare MA VetMB BSc MRCVS Dr Nick Lloyd BVSc MRCVS
Dr Fiona Dalzell BVSc, BA(Hons) MVetMed MRCVS Dr Gerard William Henry BVMS MRCVS
Bev Irving BVetMed MRCVS

Kennedy Makonese BVSc MRCVS Dr Alice Brough BVM&S MRCVS Dr Linda Filshie BVMS MRCVS Máirín-Rua Hayes MRCVS
Neil McRae BVM&S CertVA MRCVS
Lauren Valentine BSc APVN (Zoo/Wildlife) RVN AMRSB Helen Macdonald RVN
Philippa Newby RVN
Heather Hodcroft RVN
Rebecca Loveday RVN
Lisa Jones RVN
Ashlie Davies RVN
Fiona Gomm RVN
Claire Calcutt RVN
Lisa Reading RVN

RE: Open letter to the College NOT to move to an appointed council.

Arlo Guthrie — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 07:47:51 GMT

Gerry Henry Where is the open letter? ... would be very interesting to read it. I was thinking of doing a survey on this subject.

RE: Open letter to the College NOT to move to an appointed council.

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 19:56:38 GMT

You too can be a signatory if you send an email sharpish to Dr. McGill

iain.mcgill@pva.net

You've got until noon on this coming Friday, the 23rd.

RE: Open letter to the College NOT to move to an appointed council.

Gerry Henry — Mon, 12 Aug 2024 21:07:07 GMT

It’s pages and pages long, more of an essay really, it’ll be out tomorrow.

RE: Open letter to the College NOT to move to an appointed council.

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Mon, 12 Aug 2024 14:02:25 GMT

Well, I have emailed.

RE: Open letter to the College NOT to move to an appointed council.

Arlo Guthrie — Mon, 12 Aug 2024 08:15:47 GMT

Is this open letter open enough to share here?