The College says it has become increasingly recognisant of how a blame culture can lead to a fear of making mistakes, something which can have a negative impact on both the mental health and wellbeing of members of the profession and, ultimately, animal health and welfare.
The anonymous online survey, which is being conducted by the Open Minds Alliance, is described by the College as a major step towards moving to a learning culture which has a greater focus on openness, reflective practice, learning and personal development.
Nick Stace, RCVS Chief Executive Officer, said: "Moving towards a learning culture is one of the key aims of our Strategic Plan 2017-19 and we have already started to make some progress in this area with our Mind Matters Initiative, for example. This survey will help establish a baseline against which we can measure any improvements over the course of the next three years.
"As a regulator this is part of our attempt to be much clearer about the kind of culture we would like to see in the professions; one that encourages members of the veterinary team to learn from each other, and from their mistakes, and to be more open about when things do go wrong in order to better manage public and professional expectations.
"By moving towards a learning culture we can also hopefully reduce levels of stress and mental ill-health within the profession, as practitioners will feel they can be more open about their mistakes and take steps to improve their practice – rather than feeling like they cannot talk about what goes wrong, which can lead to fear and anxiety.
"This is no easy task – particularly when public expectations of what veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses can and should do is increasing – but we hope that by being brave and open about this new ambition we can galvanise veterinary associations, educators, practices and individual veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses and make a real difference."
The survey will also be asking to what extent members of the profession feel that the College, as the regulator, contributes to any blame culture and where improvements could be made to the concerns investigation and disciplinary process to help combat it.
Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar and Director of Legal Services, added: "It is a common misconception that if you make a mistake then this will be investigated by the College and you will end up in front of a Disciplinary Committee.
"However, we recognise that mistakes can and will happen and that expecting 100% perfection is unrealistic. The real professional conduct issues arise when members of the profession try to cover up their mistakes, whether that is to professional colleagues or clients, which often does far more damage than if the person was open and honest about what had gone wrong.
"We do also accept that there is always room for improvement in our own processes and if there are positive steps we can take to make the investigation and disciplinary process less onerous for members of the professions then we would like to hear your suggestions."
Click here to take part in the survey.
Open to all in the veterinary profession, the event offers up to ten hours of CPD, and covers a range of topics such as orthopaedics, ECC, medicine, wellbeing, and education.
There will also be practical sessions to attend on both days on transfusions, CPR, and physio.
Speakers include:
There's a commercial exhibition, and social events including the Ceilidh at the annual BSAVA PetSavers Gala Dinner on Friday evening.
Prices start at £85 +VAT for a day pass, with early bird rates offered to both BSAVA members and non-members until 27th July.
Additional discounts are available when sending the whole practice team.
https://www.bsavaevents.com/bsavaalba23/en/page/home
Polypropylene or plastic-based wipes, which have been industry standard due to their reliable nature and compatibility with biocidal active materials, are due to be banned in the UK, because they take up to 100 years to break down.
Byotrol says its new wipes are made using a plastic-free 100% biodegradable substrate that deteriorates 3 months after disposal.
The company adds that the new wipes are proven to destroy bacteria, yeast, enveloped viruses, and fungi on non-porous surfaces and are effective against animal-specific pathogens such as: Brucella canis, Streptococcus equi, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium, Bordetella bronchiseptica, Coronaviruses, Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), and Microsporum canis and Trichophyton mentagrophytes
Jane Kiely, Head of Marketing at Byotrol said: “Launching the Anigene Professional Surface Disinfectant Wipes is the final step in removing plastic wet wipes from our portfolio and a significant milestone in Byotrol’s sustainability journey.
"We are proud to be at the forefront of sustainability in the veterinary industry, offering an effective and regulatory-compliant product range that meets the needs of our customers”
Byotrol will be on Stand F18 at the London Vet Show.
https://byotrol.com
Animalcare has launched a new broad spectrum fluoroquinolone antimicrobial (Enrofloxacin) which the company says is highly effective in the treatment of a wide range of conditions and easy to inject, with excellent tissue penetration.
Enrocare solution for injection is presented in three strengths: A 25mg/ml (2.5%) injection for dogs, cats and exotic animals including reptiles, small mammals and avian species. The 50mg/ml (5%) injection is licensed for use in cattle, pigs, dogs and cats, whilst the 100mg/ml (10%) injection is licensed for cattle and pigs. In the case of dogs and cats a single daily dose is needed.
Animalcare says it has priced Enrocare competitively. In addition, the range has been launched with three offers: "Buy one get one free on the 50 and 100mg/ml" and "Buy two get one free offer" on the 25mg/ml pack size. These offers will last for four months until the end of September.
In cattle, Enrocare 50mg/ml, given by the subcutaneous route, is licensed for respiratory disease of bacterial or mycoplasmal origin and the 100mg/ml strength is licenced for both respiratory disease and E.coli mastitis (the latter given by slow intravenous injection). According to Animalcare, its low dose volume makes it particularly suitable for the treatment of respiratory disease in calves. In pigs >25kg Enrocare is licensed for the treatment of the respiratory and alimentary tract diseases of bacterial or mycoplasmal origin and multi-factorial diseases such as atrophic rhinitis and enzootic pneumonia.
Tony Liepman, Animalcare Market Manager said: "The recent successful launch of Cephacare flavour raised Animalcare's profile as a supplier of more up-to-date antibiotics and this is our latest addition which offers excellent efficacy at an attractive price."
Merial - maker of the canine NSAID Previcox - has launched a campaign to raise awareness of the prevalence of canine osteoarthritis amongst dog owners in the UK.
Previcox Product Manager Claire Edmunds said: "We know that approximately 20% of adult dogs suffer from OA, but less than 25% of these dogs are treated with NSAIDs in the UK. That's one in five dogs that may be enduring the pain and discomfort of a condition that can be improved. Most owners will put their dog's loss of mobility down to old age, however, our aim with this campaign is to raise awareness of this condition with pet owners to encourage them to seek help from their vet for their pets, and assist vets in promoting treatments for this condition."
Merial says veterinary surgeries can take part in the campaign in five easy steps:
The following campaign materials are available:
For more information about the Missing Dog Campaign, please contact your Merial Territory Manager on 0870 6000 123.
It's the final call for comments on the draft new RCVS Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons, as the consultation closes on Friday, 24 June 2011.
The new draft Code, which is intended to replace the existing RCVS Guide to Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons, was produced by a Working Party set up by the RCVS Advisory Committee.
The new Code is a short, principles-based document using the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe's Code of Conduct as the starting point. It will be supported by additional advice on specific areas of veterinary practice or issues, for example, clinical governance.
New requirements in the Code include compulsory continuing professional development, the RCVS Health Protocol and more on clinical competence. It also contains an updated declaration to be made by veterinary surgeons, which gives increased emphasis to animal welfare.
The new Code, together with the consultation paper, can be downloaded at www.rcvs.org.uk/codeconsultation.
Comments, which are welcomed from the profession and the public, should be sent by email to Christopher Murdoch, Secretary to the Guides Review Working Party, at c.murdoch@rcvs.org.uk by Friday, 24 June 2011.
A separate consultation will open shortly on a draft RCVS Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Nurses.
The RCVS is reminding veterinary surgeons and nurses that there is one week left till the deadline for nominations for the 2012 RCVS and RCVS VN Council elections.
Nominations must be made in writing on the prescribed form and received by the RCVS on or before 31 January 2012.
Prospective candidates need to provide the signatures and registered/listed addresses of two proposers, and should also submit a short biography, manifesto and photograph for inclusion in the RCVS News Extra election specials.
Nobody may nominate more than one candidate, and no current member of the RCVS Council or VN Council may make a nomination.
Full details and guidance notes for both elections are available online from the RCVS Council Election page (www.rcvs.org.uk/rcvscouncil12) and VN Council Election page (www.rcvs.org.uk/vncouncil12).
Nomination forms and candidate information forms for RCVS Council may also be requested from Mrs Gabriella Braun (020 7202 0761 or executiveoffice@rcvs.org.uk) and those for VN Council from Mrs Annette Amato (020 7202 0713 or a.amato@rcvs.org.uk).
Six seats on RCVS Council and two on VN Council are due to be filled in the 2012 elections.
Those elected will take their seats on RCVS Day in July, to serve four-year terms, and will be expected to spend at least six to eight days a year attending Council meetings, working parties and subcommittees (a loss-of-earnings allowance is available).
The BVA has released more results from the Voice of the Profession survey, which show that 67% of vets have seen dogs that needed conformation altering surgeries and caesareans in the last year.
Every year the Kennel Club receives over 3,200 data submissions from both vets and dog owners about conformation altering surgeries and caesareans carried out on Kennel Club registered dogs. Sharing data about conformation altering surgeries and caesareans is vital to help build a picture of the current situation, and facilitate measures to improve health and welfare for future generations of dogs.
The information collected by the Kennel Club provides details of breeding lines appearing to perpetuate certain defects. For example, data submitted for caesareans prevents the registration of puppies born to a bitch that has already had two litters delivered by caesarean section while data submitted for conformation altering surgeries allows the Kennel Club to make decisions on whether or not to allow affected dogs to be entered for shows.
In the longer term, measures implemented by the Kennel Club will include analysis of all submitted data to create a research database that will provide an evidence-base to influence the future of dog welfare.
When asked about operations carried out on Kennel Club registered dogs, the majority of vets said that they do submit data on conformation altering surgeries (60%) and caesareans (65%) however 15% of survey respondents revealed that they never submit data. Those vets who do not always report gave ‘time’ as the main reason for not doing so.
BVA is working with its members to raise awareness of the Kennel Club’s new online system, which takes a few minutes to complete, to encourage a data drive that could reduce avoidable hereditary problems, prevent further lifelong discomfort and suffering, and improve health and welfare for dogs.
BVA President Sean Wensley said: "Vets are seeing concerning trends in dog health and welfare, especially with the current public want for designer dogs and brachycephalic breeds, so the need for a record of conformation altering surgeries and caesareans carried out in daily practice has never been more important. Owners can submit data on their dogs’ operations yet data from veterinary practices is vital for the Kennel Club’s evidence base as it offers additional validity that many owners are not able to provide, ensuring robust and informative data for now and the future."
Other reasons vets gave for not always submitting data on conformation altering surgeries and caesareans, included:
BVA is urging vets and practice teams to recognise the importance of submitting this data and to work with their clients to ensure delivery of the best welfare outcomes for dogs. To support its members, BVA has compiled FAQs on conformation altering surgery and will be taking further questions to the Kennel Club Dog Health Group. To assist with the process of data submission in daily practice, BVA has developed a poster that can be downloaded at www.bva.co.uk/dog-breeding.
76 vets, 34 nurses and 7 other practice staff took part in the survey, which was conducted at the VetsNow ECC Virtual Congress. Participants were asked a number of questions on antibiotic resistance and UTI management.
47% of vets said they currently feel confident prescribing antibiotics for suspected UTIs in the absence of culture and sensitivity results. However, 84% would be confident if they were able to use a rapid in-house sensitivity test.
77% of the participants said they were concerned about the increasing emergence of antimicrobial resistance.
Rachel Kirkby MRCVS, Business Development Director, said: "Antibiotic resistance is a huge threat to both human and animal healthcare across the world. We all need to work together to address it, and at Test and Treat we want to make it easier for vets in practice to do their bit by prescribing antibiotics according to best practice."
Test and Treat says the problem is that while many vets are keen to tackle resistance, it is not always easy to avoid empirical prescribing in practice. Of the vets surveyed, 65% reported that they are typically not able to obtain an accurate clinical diagnosis prior to prescribing antimicrobial therapy.
Rachel said: “It can be frustrating for vets to have to prescribe empirically when they don’t have any information on antibiotic sensitivity. But logistical constraints often mean that it’s not practical to send samples off to the lab.”
Test and Treat's U-Treat system consists of two rapid tests: a 5-minute assay that can confirm the presence of infection and a 30-minute assay that evaluates antibiotic sensitivity. With this diagnostic tool, vets can therefore select and prescribe the most appropriate antibiotic within an hour.
Rachel said: "Since you get results so quickly, you can use the test while the owner waits – or, in the current situation, more likely goes for a walk and comes back. This means that vets can get their patients started on the most appropriate treatment right away.”
U-Treat is currently validated for use in dogs and cats, but company says it is also looking to license it in rabbits and human healthcare.
To find out more about U-Treat, contact Test and Treat’s National Sales Manager Jo Nickerson on Jo.Nickerson@tandtreat.com or visit http://www.tandtreat.com.
The awards, which which celebrate initiatives that advance the quality of veterinary care and demonstrate a commitment to using an evidence-based approach, will be open for applications until 13th January 2023.
The two new award categories are Antimicrobial Stewardship and Canine Cruciate Outcomes.
The Canine Cruciate Outcome Awards are to recognise and celebrate individuals and teams who are using Quality Improvement initiatives alongside RCVS Knowledge’s Canine Cruciate Registry (CCR) to monitor and improve their canine cruciate surgery outcomes.
Applications are invited by surgeons and teams who are using the CCR.
The Antimicrobial Stewardship Awards, which are divided into farm animal, equine, and companion animal categories, aim to showcase practical examples where individuals and teams are improving responsible antimicrobial prescribing.
In addition, the charity is looking for entries for its existing awards for students and those who have implemented Quality Improvement (QI) techniques.
The Veterinary Evidence Student Awards enables students from around the world to enhance their academic and research skills by writing a Knowledge Summary and submitting it for publication to Veterinary Evidence, RCVS Knowledge's open access, peer-reviewed journal.
The Quality Improvement Awards showcase the implementation of Quality Improvement techniques which drive improvement within the professions.
www.rcvsknowledge.org/awards
Caused by the mite Psoroptes ovis, sheep scab was notifiable in the UK until 1992, after which a voluntary reporting scheme was put in place in England and Wales. Sheep scab was made notifiable again in Scotland in 2010.
The study was suggested by Emily Gascoigne MRCVS of Synergy Vets, who noticed that hers was one of the few practices that appeared to be voluntarily reporting cases in England.
She said: "It’s been observed that that farmers can feel ‘judged’ when sheep scab appears in their flock and the impulse to keep it hidden may hold back efforts to control it.
“The results will help to quantify the problem but we are also tackling the other side of the coin by trying to make sheep scab less of a taboo. The potential for contiguous infection from one farm to the other means that forewarned is forearmed.
"Farmers often blame themselves when their sheep get scab which although it can result from a failure of biosecurity at boundaries or during quarantine, can also be brought in on people, deliveries or equipment. Then there are real worries about whether that will affect the saleability of their stock or their relationship with their farming neighbours. We want to encourage vets and farmers to start the conversation and to start actively testing for sheep scab.”
Around 40 practices within the XLVets community are now taking part in the study. In addition to contributing to the survey, participating practices will also be sharing information with farmers about the importance of testing for sheep scab.
The initiative is being supported by Bimeda UK, which provides an online Sheep Scab Academy to help veterinary surgeons and SQPs stay up to date with best practice for sheep scab control. Bimeda UK’s Professional Services Vet Sharon Cooksey, said: "Bimeda has worked for many years to raise awareness and promote best practice in managing this awful disease, including supporting the launch and ongoing operation of the Biobest ELISA test, so this is an initiative we are happy to support.”
The survey has been running since the start of October and will continue for the next five months, with results expected around March 2021.
The company says that while attendance CPD events are permitted under UK coronavirus guidelines, it has found that many lecturers and delegates are unwilling or unable to participate in them for the time being.
The main distinction between Zoom and traditional webinars is the ability for members of the audience to see each other and the presenter, which helps engender a sense of community and of a live event. Central CPD says it gives all the feel and interactivity of attending a CPD course in person.
Central CPD is now delivering day-long events split into four sessions, which gives delegates the choice of joining for a whole day or just selected sessions.
The Zoom presentations are recorded in high definition, with the audience removed, so delegates can catch up on anything they missed later via Central CPD On-Demand.
Two days of CPD have so far been delivered via the new livestream service. Lecturer Mike Rhodes BVM&S CertVOphthal DipECVO MRCVS said: "This was my first time giving a livestream CPD day and compared to my previous experience of prerecorded lectures I found the interaction with the delegates very good fun - this could definitely be the new future with regards to veterinary CPD: COVID or no COVID!"
Livestream courses are free for subscribers or £45 + VAT per event, including unlimited access to the recorded footage afterwards.
Upcoming events for December are:
Details and booking information can be found at https://www.centralcpd.com/categories/30
The 12-strong crew, aged between 18 and 60, left Marina San Miguel, Tenerife on 22nd March and rowed 2,875 nautical miles across the Atlantic Ocean, arriving in Falmouth Harbour, Antigua 42 days, 2 hours and 30 minutes later.
Each of the crew of the 12-metre boat, Roxy, rowed more than 1.5million strokes and burned over 5000 calories a day.
During the journey, the team had to battle with ocean storms and seasickness, not to mention extreme blisters and callouses. Simon lost almost 10kg.
Simon, who was a rowing novice before this, raised almost £15,000 for MacMillan Cancer Support. He said: "It’s without a doubt the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I can’t put into words how I’m feeling right now. The sense of achievement is a little overwhelming.
"The journey was everything I wanted it to be - tough both physically and mentally but hugely rewarding and one thing is for sure, I wouldn’t be standing here at the finish line if it hadn’t been for each and every one of the incredible crew. What a gorgeous group of people who will remain lifelong friends. After catching up with my family, the thing I was most looking forward to was a good meal!”.
The crew were welcomed to Antigua by a flotilla of smaller boats with many of the crew’s families onboard, before a reception at the Antigua Yacht Club.
Krka says Arocenia provides fast, broad-spectrum anti-emetic efficacy with a 24-hour duration of action following a single daily dose.
It can be administered intravenously or subcutaneously and is supplied in 20 ml multi-dose vials, allowing up to 40 punctures per vial and a 60-day open vial shelf life.
Renzo Di Florio, Krka’s Technical Veterinary Adviser, commented “Vomiting is one of the most common presenting signs in small animal practice, and maropitant is a medication you’ll find on just about every vet’s dispensary shelf. With Arocenia, we’re adding a cost-effective formulation to the available options.”
https://www.krka.co.uk//products/our-products/animal-health/arocenia-10mgml-solution-for-injection
Genitrix has announced the reformulation of Cerusolve, which cleans and deodorises the external ear canal of cats and dogs.
According to the company, the reformulation has enhanced Cerusolve's exfoliant and keratolyic properties and has given it a new fresh fragrance. Cerusolve ingredients now include:
Cerusolve is presented in a 100 ml bottle with a soft canula for application. It is priced at £5.65.
Genitrix Marketing Director Rob Watkins said: "Cerusolve has proved itself in practice as a gentle but effective ear cleaner in dogs and cats. The reformulation has given us the opportunity to increase the acidity of the product following a recent study which suggested that topical acidifying products could be therapeutically beneficial for cutaneous yeast infections.
"We believe the new ingredients will enhance the product and, to celebrate its arrival, we're offering practices the opportunity to buy five bottles of Cerusolve and get one free."
Further details are available from Genitrix on 01403 786345.
The Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS) has published advice to help practitioners set realistic and reasonable script fees for POM-V medicines.
The document, which is now available to all practitioners via the SPVS web site (www.spvs.org.uk) or can be emailed or posted upon request, has been produced following extensive consultation with SPVS members, principally via the Society's active and influential discussion list, and in conjunction with the BVA Medicines Group, which backs the advice.
The document constitutes a valuable framework for practitioners in calculating a prescription fee that is fair and workable for clients wanting a written prescription as well as for those who do not want a prescription issuing. Furthermore, it also provides a framework that is fair to practitioners themselves.
The Society firmly believes that the act of preparing and providing a prescription is a professional service and as such, that it should attract a professional fee.
Richard Hillman, SPVS President, explained: "We welcome whole-heartedly the re-introduction of prescription fees, which will mark the end of a bureaucratic and fundamentally unfair sitituation for many thousands of small businesses that have had their trade and profitability restricted for three long years.
"The time element involved in writing subscriptions will need to be taken into account, and this will no doubt form a sensible basis on which to base a fee. Script fees should be calculated rationally to reflect true business costs, like any other service that a business provides to its customers."
He added: "We would, above all else, urge practitioners to exercise restraint in setting script fees, as it is by no means certain that they will still be in place even two years from now. We will also not condone any form of 'punishment' of clients taking away prescriptions by punitive fees. We are already cooperating with the RCVS as they work with the OFT in the monitoring period to ensure that there is fair competition in the veterinary medicines market."
To obtain your copy of the document Advice on Prescription Fees, go to www.spvs.org.uk where it can be downloaded or call SPVS Secretariat on 01926 410454 or email office@spvs.org.uk.
The International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM) has published 'Consensus Guidelines on the Long-term use of NSAIDs in cats' in the July 2010 edition of the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery.
The society says it has developed the guidelines in order to try and address the major welfare issue of cats suffering unremitting and untreated chronic pain. Until recently, NSAIDs had only been licensed for short-term use in cats, but with changing licensing indications and recommendations, they are now also increasingly used for long-term treatment of cats, for example in the management of osteoarthritis.
However, in most cases where long-term use of pain relief in cats is required, there are concomitant problems with other diseases or other drugs that are being given. According to the ISFM, one of the most common concerns is whether NSAIDs can be used to treat arthritis in older cats with kidney disease. The society says that because of concerns like these, and the potential for adverse effects, cats often receive no treatment at all, and their quality of life can be severely compromised.
For this reason, the ISFM set up an international expert panel to develop practical and rational guidelines on the long-term use of NSAIDs in cats. The aim was to provide guidelines that would empower clinicians, enabling them to make sensible and rational choices, and ensure much-needed therapy is not needlessly withheld from patients.
The panel was made up of Andrew Sparkes, Duncan Lascelles, Richard Malik, Sheilah Robertson, Margie Scherk, Polly Taylor, Llibertat Real Sampietro and Reidun Heiene.
Along with the veterinary information in the guidelines, the panel also developed a brief client-facing leaflet that can be given to owners when NSAIDs are prescribed for their cats - this leaflet provides simple, clear advice on why NSAIDs are used, why they are important, but also what simple precautions avoid adverse effects, with further advice on when to seek veterinary advice to reinforce the safety message.
Both of these publications are available to download from the website www.isfm.net/toolbox
CM Research, the veterinary market research company, has released the results of a survey which suggests that staffing and HR issues are becoming an increasing challenge for the profession.
629 veterinary surgeons picked from 12 answers to the following question: "What would you say are the biggest challenges facing your vet practice at the moment?"
The biggest challenge, voted for by 42% of respondents, was 'Clients unable to pay their bills'. However, only marginally behind in second place (up significantly from fifth place the previous year), was 'Managing and retaining staff' (41%).
The full results were:
Coincidentally, VetSurgeon.org also carried out some research recently which explored what candidates look for in an ideal job - one of the keys to staff retention and good employer / employee relationships. You can download the report here.
When vets were asked to predict what they thought the future held for the profession, key themes included more corporatisation, more specialisation and the Internet having a still greater impact on business, both in terms of competition and clients consulting Dr Google:
The RCVS has announced the appointment of Gordon Hockey as its Head of Legal Services/Registrar.
Gordon, who was previously Head of Professional Conduct and Assistant Registrar, has latterly been Acting Registrar, following the departure of Jane Hern in November 2011 and the arrival of Nick Stace as Chief Executive on 3 September.
A qualified barrister and pharmacist, Gordon has been at the RCVS for the last 14 years.
His is a new role created when the old post of Registrar and Secretary was effectively split into two: Chief Executive and Secretary, and Head of Legal Services/Registrar.
Nick Stace said: "I am delighted that Gordon's is my first appointment as Chief Executive, and I am grateful that he held the fort so well for the last nine months. I look forward to working with him to ensure that the RCVS is in the best shape possible to meet the needs of the public and the veterinary team."
Jacqui Molyneux, RCVS President said: "We have a very strong team to take the RCVS forward. Nick has joined us with leadership experience, consumer expertise and new ideas and impetus; Gordon consolidates this with his legal expertise and experience of the veterinary profession and the RCVS. I look forward to working with them both."
The appointment is subject to formal ratification at the November meeting of Council.
Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall made her first visit to the RVC's Camden campus today, in her role as patron of the College's charity, the Animal Care Trust.
The Duchess became Patron of the Animal Care Trust in 2005, and was visiting to see how funds raised by the charity help to provide cutting edge equipment for the College's hospitals, provide assistance to the College's research teams and support the commitment to excellence in veterinary education.
During the tour of the Beaumont Sainsbury Animal Hospital (BSAH), the Duchess saw how donations from the ACT have helped to purchase laparascopic surgical equipment enabling the hospital to provide key-hole surgery for routine neutering procedures, bringing welfare benefits to the animals and allowing students to develop their first-day skills needed in veterinary practice.
The Duchess also met the specialist exotics team that forms part of a newly launched Small Animals Referral Service based at the BSAH and which receives funding from the ACT.
Professor Stuart Reid, Principal of the RVC, said: "The generous donations to the ACT are invaluable in helping us to deliver the best possible care to our patients and world-leading veterinary education to our students. We were delighted to welcome The Duchess of Cornwall to our teaching hospital in Camden so that she could see just how much of an impact these donations have on the work that we do."
As well as spending time in the hospital the tour also took in the RVC's anatomy museum where the Head of Anatomy Service at the College, Andrew Crook MBE, demonstrated how an investment from the ACT in plastination facilities is helping the College to preserve valuable anatomical samples in a form that can be handled by students without fear of decomposition.
The visit finished with a reception, where supporters and donors of the Trust, as well as some of the College's students had the chance to meet the Duchess.
The new Tosoh AIA 900 analysers have been trialled for the last 18 months at Liphook Equine Hospital, which was the first practice to introduce ACTH testing for horses 25 years ago and gets hundreds of blood samples every week from veterinary practices all over the UK and Europe.
Professor Andy Durham, who heads up the laboratory at Liphook, said the test period has shown that the new machine produces more accurate results primarily because it’s less sensitive to ACTH degrading in blood samples between collection and receipt by the laboratory.
Andy said: “There are several analytic methods available for use in horses, and we wanted to see if this alternative machine had diagnostic benefits over the ones we’d used previously.
"The ACTH molecule we test for immediately begins to break down after a blood sample is taken, even if you handle it carefully and place it in chilled packaging, but this new analyser is able to detect much more of the degraded ACTH molecule, and therefore it gives a more accurate result.
“As a comparison, ACTH values measured using the previous method suffered about three to four times more degradation over 24 hours.
"What this means for horse owners is that it will reduce the risk of false negative results in ACTH tests, so more horses suffering from Cushing’s disease will receive the treatment they need.”
In testing, the new analysers also demonstrated greater accuracy when measuring insulin levels in blood samples.
https://liphookequinehospital.co.ukhttps://www.rainbowequinehospital.co.uk https://www.rossdales.com
The Congress, which is organised by Improve International, has separate streams for small animal medicine and small animal surgery and a dedicated veterinary nursing stream.
There will also be an exhibition of the latest innovations in veterinary products and services running alongside the lectures.
Helen Richmond, Head of Publishing at Improve said: “While technological innovation has made online congresses much more engaging and accessible over the last year, we felt the time was right to bring Vets North back in a face-to-face environment. Many of our previous delegates have already told us how much they are looking forward to being able to learn and enjoy some social time together again.
“As usual this year’s programme will include presentations and lectures from global experts, who will give advice and share knowledge that can be implemented in practice immediately. We would like to thank Elanco as our lead sponsor of this year’s Vets North and we also thank our other partners and sponsors for their support and loyalty during this difficult year.”
"Naturally, keeping delegates safe is our highest priority so we are working with the venue to ensure that the Government’s recommendations are implemented to the full and that Haydock Park is a COVID-secure venue.”
Early Bird tickets are available until the end of June.
For more information visit www.vetsnorth.com or call 01793 20805.
Rabbit Awareness Week (RAW), which starts on 23rd May this year, is calling on veterinary practices to sign up to its free health check scheme to help raise awareness of rabbits' behavioural needs.
Participating practices will receive free support packs to help them advertise and run their health check events, as well as goodie bags to give out to clients who bring their rabbits in.
The 2011 event will see a PR, advertising and marketing campaign with backing from Burgess Excel and RAW partners, including Panacur Rabbit, Petplan Insurance, RSPCA, PSDA, The Blue Cross, Wood Green Animal Shelters and RWAF (Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund), which are the driving forces behind the RAW 2011 initiative.
Naomi Chatterley, marketing manager at Burgess Excel, said: "Following the success of last year's event, our aim is to create an even bigger success in 2011. This May, the focus is on raising awareness of rabbits' emotional welfare needs by encouraging owners to consider their rabbit's mental and emotional health. Rabbits that are not stimulated both mentally and physically tend to develop behavioral problems such as fur plucking, depression or severe aggression. Our sole aim is to educate owners about responsible rabbit ownership and improve the wellbeing of Britain's 3rd most popular pet."
If you are interested in supporting RAW 2011 by hosting rabbit healthcare clinics at your surgery, please visit http://www.rabbitawarenessweek.co.uk/ to order your free support kit and register your event.
RCVS President, Dr Jerry Davies, has committed to prioritise the establishment of a new Audit and Risk Committee, following publication of the recommendations of a report into two overspends at the College.
Earlier this year, outgoing President Peter Jinman had announced that a review would be carried out into the circumstances that led to higher-than-expected expenditure on the College's new database and building development works in the Lower Ground Floor at Belgravia House.
The RCVS Officer team asked Professor Bill McKelvey - a member of the College's Governance Review Group - and two of the College's Privy Council-appointed Council members to look at all aspects that related to its budgeting and expenditure process of those projects, and propose lessons that should be learned.
Dr Davies said: "That such a review was required is regretted, but I would like to thank Professor McKelvey, Richard Davis and Judith Webb for their diligence in this work. Their recommendations will be a very helpful addition to the work that is currently underway to ensure corporate governance is fit for purpose and, in particular, that the management of capital projects within the College is optimised."
The full Overspend Report (one sentence was redacted on legal advice) was considered by Council at its meeting on 3 November. Council agreed that the recommendations should be made public. The College is currently seeking further legal advice on whether it is proper for the report to be made available under the Freedom of Information Act.
Dr Davies added: "The recommendations of the report are under consideration by a group of five past Presidents, together with Richard Davis and Judith Webb as lay members of Council, under the Chairmanship of Peter Jinman, and their proposals will be considered by Council in due course.
"The recommendation that an Audit and Risk Committee be set up will be prioritised, as this was highlighted as an imperative. Other related activities, such as the development of a protocol for the management of major projects, had already been put in place by Officers prior to the overspend review."
Regarding the two projects at the heart of the report, the College says building work in the Lower Ground Floor at Belgravia House has been complete for some time and the new rooms and their facilities are being used, particularly when Disciplinary Committee hearings render much of the rest of the building out of bounds. The new data management system is also in use and an external consultant is currently looking at the work that has been carried out so far, and will make recommendations for the future.
"Meanwhile, although there are many lessons to be learned from the report, it's business as usual in terms of bringing to a conclusion many of our important ongoing initiatives, such as the introduction of the new Code of Professional Conduct, the consultations on the recommendations of the Specialisation Working Party and a draft Performance Protocol, and, of course, the ongoing work of the Disciplinary and Preliminary Investigation Committees," said Dr Davies.
The recommendations of the report, which were adopted by Council, can be downloaded from www.rcvs.org.uk/McKelvey.
Petplan has been awarded an Insurance Times Tech Award for its social media campaign entitled "Like & Donate", which was devised to support two animal charities, the Dogs Trust and Cats Protection.
As part of the campaign, pet lovers are being encouraged to donate a food pouch to either charity by "liking" the Petplan Facebook page; with one "like" equalling one pouch of food for either the cat or dog charity.
The Facebook app also allows Petplan's Facebook fans to track the progress of donations and encourage friends to visit the page and support their chosen charity. The initiative has resulted in over 48,000 food pouches being donated to the charities with the Cats Protection receiving over 29,000 "likes" and the Dogs Trust gaining 19,500.
Petplan's Head of Marketing, Isabella von Mesterhazy said: "We are delighted our Like & Donate campaign has been awarded Best Use of Social Media. At Petplan we work with over 1,700 animal charities and our Like & Donate campaign has further helped to support the fantastic work of both the Dogs Trust and Cats Protection in rehoming dogs and cats across the UK."
To take part in Petplan's "Like & Donate" programme visit www.Facebook.co.uk/Petplan.