Oh dear

Re: Oh dear

Niall Taylor — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 08:59:50 GMT

[quote user="Jonathan Wray"]Far too many words for which I apologise[/quote]

Don't apologise - that was a brilliant and eloquent post. I now know more about the role and workings of the RCVS than I did despite all their newsletters and bulletins and, at last, after many years of wrestling with your posts on various forums, I actually understand what your gripe with the RCVS is. And I agree.

Niall

Re: Oh dear

Anthony Todd — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 00:40:30 GMT

[quote user="Jonathan Wray"]No one will vote for someone, or better still a group of people who want to change the management and culture of RCVS, and do so pretty much full time for a decent stipend. So, we're stuck with what we've got.[/quote]

Sorry, I wasn't being "put your money where your mouth is" but merely to suggest that this forum has a unique and new opportunity to support an individual or individuals who seem to be practicioners; the large majority being sensible keen people who see things from the front-line not from an ivory tower.

The vetorg.cand. would be able to float ideas here, feel the pulse of the profession, and respond to attitudes from an, actually narrow, group of Members ie practicioners, and particularly those with concerns for the vocation.

Also it seems there are about 4000 votes available...

I find it hard to believe that even a single voice on Council, with the mandate of practicioner common-sense, can't make a difference. One thinks of the emporer's new clothes and ticking a box to say you haven't moved or gone to heaven [I probably can't mention that these days].

And this isn't a vote for me, or the beginnings of that path, but I know a man who might and J. Wray sounds good to me as well.

Note to Moderator: Needs a new thread in the tapestry.

Re: Oh dear

J G Wray — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 18:25:02 GMT

The current President's wife chose to express a particular point of view to me, in front of an audience, which was approximately that there is more merit in joining in to change things than criticising. She is entitled to her point of view, but it is flawed. There is an assumption that once elected you can represent your "constituency". This is not the case. Once elected you serve the interests of the public and [should] manage the RCVS. You are not there to represent any member of the profession.

Thus, any personal or representative viewpoint must be made subservient to the needs of the RCVS, upon taking up a Council post.

It is a quirk that Councillors are elected on manifestoes which universally express empathy with practitioners, rail against misguided bureaucracy and promise to see common sense prevail and then become straitjacketed by their true role.

In the last ten years the variety of media available for practitioners to express concerns, universally characterised as negative criticisms by a defensive and wary RCVS unused to determined "feedback", has meant that the RCVS has been forced into a bit of a bunker mentality. They have steadfastly resisted developing channels of communication with the profession, opting instead for lip service in a "communications department" and chumming up to the media and Defra first. They have tried to manipulate their statutory foundation with recommendations for a new VSA which would allow regulation in areas they have no knowledge or expertise in, like running the business of veterinary practice. They have had Senior members of Council who have adopted a moral high ground in respect of "standards" which has become an ideological matter for RCVS, developed without carrying the whole profession and unfortunately, just recently, they have mishandled minor matters in such a way as to look foolish, which serves neither the public, the RCVS or the profession.

The RCVS also possesses a bureaucracy, which is not garnered from the same level of achievers as MsRCVS. Nor, is it properly managed. It is however essential, because Councillors are part time and part paid i.e. pretty amateurish - and this doesn't seem to improve with long service unfortunately.

No one will be elected to RCVS Council on a manifesto which isn't an empathising/anti-buraucratic/common sense one. No one will vote for someone, or better still a group of people who want to change the management and culture of RCVS, and do so pretty much full time for a decent stipend. So, we're stuck with what we've got.

As for criticising from the sidelines or offering "determined feedback", there are some signs that Councillors are using radical views as a bargaining chip, along the lines of "Look at what's being said out there, why don't we go at least part of the way?", so I can see merit in taking further interest in RCVS affairs. If "feedback" weren't there as a foil then these Councillors would be isolated within the RCVS itself as radicals themselves and worthy of no consideration.

There is also one unversal truth which the bureaucrats at RCVS and frankly, most Councillors cannot match and that is that practitioners know the public best, because they do the job of public service every day. If RCVS could recognise this culturally then a better RCVS would follow for the public and practitioners.

Most of them - RCVS functionaries - haven't a clue what I'm talking about, but actually don't want to know. They've even indicated that if physical and cultural change of which they do not approve took place they would resign and guess what, COuncillors see this as a show stopper. Unbelievable, but that's what we've got.

Far too many words for which I apologise

JGW

Re: Oh dear

Bob Russell — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 13:52:35 GMT

The problem is that a number of us would be keen to stand for election but are unable to give up the time it would take to do the job properly so we have to be Mr/Mrs/Miss Angry shouting in the background!

Re: Oh dear

Anthony Todd — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 11:17:16 GMT

Stand at the next election

Re: Oh dear

Martin Atkinson — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 15:19:02 GMT

Jon, its all a bit too heavy and political for me man but I welcome any opportunity for authority bashing and admire anyone who has the balls to do it in public.