Eastcott Referrals, in Swindon, has launched a £500,000 Emergency and Critical Care (ECC) unit being led by David Mackenzie, an advanced practitioner in ECC and RVN Harriet Deering, the clinical lead.

Eastcott says all staff working in the ECC unit have received specific intensive care training and will be supported by discipline-specific specialists at all times.

The service will be run by three ECC/medicine vets during the day and three ECC vets at night, supported by four day nurses and two night nurses.

Harriet said: "By having all the specialist disciplines available at the practice, we can offer a more holistic service to emergency patients. For example, if a dog is involved in a road traffic accident, the ICU can stabilise it and give emergency care and pain relief. 

"Dentistry can then repair jaw and mouth injuries; orthopaedics can repair any other broken bones and soft tissue can assess and repair any damaged organs.  This is all supported by our dedicated anaesthesia service and advanced imaging capabilities.

"The ICU also provides a calm environment for critically ill and injured patients to recover following surgery or other planned treatments from other disciplines."

David said: “We’ve created a purpose-built intensive care unit with all the latest ICU equipment, including our own laboratory; critical care cribs; temperature, humidity and oxygen-controlled intensive care kennels and an ICU ventilator.

"This means we have the facilities to care for the most severely injured and critical cases.

"We also have a high-quality team of enthusiastic, dedicated ECC vets and nurses to lead the service. Everyone has a background of ECC work and a true passion for it."

For more information, visit www.eastcottreferrals.co.uk. 

Burgess Pet Care and the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund are inviting nominations for three new awards to celebrate the work of rabbit-friendly vet nurses, vets and practices in the UK.

Judges for the UK Rabbit Vet of the Year, the Rabbit Nurse of the Year and the Rabbit Veterinary Practice of the Year awards will be looking for exceptional knowledge of rabbit care and husbandry, and evidence of the winners’ continued commitment to educating the public on how to care for rabbits correctly.

Dr Suzanne Moyes MVB MRCVS, awards judge and Veterinary Director at Burgess Pet Care said: "These awards are our way of saying ‘Thank You’ to the veterinary professionals that are helping to improve the lives of pet rabbits."

Rae Todd, Director of the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund said: "Rabbits make absolutely fantastic pets but research continues to show that there are still too many rabbit owners failing to meet the correct needs of their rabbits. We’re incredibly grateful for the growing number of vets and nurses that are working hard to address this, whether that’s by utilising the available rabbit CPD, taking part in events like Rabbit Awareness Week or generally making their practices more suitable environments for rabbit-owning clients."

Veterinary nurses and surgeons can self-nominate for these awards, and nominations are also being sought from the public. 

The winners will each receive a cash prize of £500. 

To enter the awards, visit www.burgesspetcare.com/excel-vet-awards. 

RCVS Council has elected Dr Christopher (Kit) Sturgess to be Junior Vice-President of the College for 2020-21.

Kit, who has served on Council as an elected member since 2013, is currently the Chair of the RCVS Finances & Resources Committee and has been RCVS Treasurer for the past three years.

He is also a member of a range of committees and project groups across the RCVS including: the Audit and Risk Committee; the PIC/ DC Liaison Committee; the Certification Subcommittee; the Estate Strategy Project Board; the RCVS Knowledge Board of Trustees; and the Advanced Practitioners Panel.

Since 2003 Kit has been working as an internist (he is an RCVS-recognised Specialist in Small Animal Medicine) in private referral practice. In 2006 he became a founding partner in a multidisciplinary referral centre that he saw grow from five to 65 members of staff within five years.

His interests include workforce issues, communicating the diverse clinical and non-clinical skills of veterinary surgeons to the general public and government, and facilitating life-long learning through achievable further professional qualifications and effective CPD.

Kit said: "It was a great honour to be elected as the next Junior Vice President by my fellow council members. I feel that I can make a positive contribution to the work that the RCVS is already undertaking in ensuring the veterinary team remains healthy and respected. In particular I am keen to look at how the RCVS can help find solutions to our workforce issues - improving retention as well as encouraging and facilitating vets and nurses back into the profession."

In addition to Kit being elected as JVP, the current holder of that office, Dr Mandisa Greene, was confirmed as President for 2020-21 and current President, Dr Niall Connell, was confirmed as Senior Vice-President for this period.

Professor Susan Dawson was voted in as RCVS Treasurer, and she will be formally invested in this role at Royal College Day on Friday, 10 July.

Professor David Argyle has been elected as Chair of Advancement of the Professions Committee for a second year, Dr Susan Paterson has been elected as Chair of Education Committee for her second year, and Dr Melissa Donald has been elected Chair of Standards Committee for her second year.

Kit and Melissa's positions are subject to their successful re-election in the 2020 RCVS Council Elections

More information on the RCVS Council and its members can be found on the RCVS website: https://www.rcvs.org.uk/who-we-are/rcvs-council.

For the first time in over 60 years, the BSAVA has cancelled Congress due to the global spread of coronavirus.

The Association says it delayed this decision as late as possible, and whilst the most recent government advice does not prohibit large public gatherings, it recognises the importance of personal safety for Congress attendees and the need to support the profession in preserving business continuity, maintaining client services and protecting animal welfare.

Amanda Stranack, BSAVA CEO, said: "As the situation continues to escalate, the government have given a clear steer that they expect more stringent controls to come into force in the coming weeks. With Congress now only a few weeks away, we want to give all our attendees as much notice as possible, both to ensure peace of mind, and to give people adequate time and flexibility to change their plans.

"BSAVA recognises the pressures the current situation brings to bear on the veterinary community and in making this difficult decision, has the interests of the profession first and foremost in its mind.

"We would thank all those who have worked hard over the past two years to contribute to the development of Congress, a huge amount of effort goes into preparations from BSAVA volunteers, Congress participants and our staff."

Sue Paterson, BSAVA President, said: "It is with great regret that we have made the difficult decision to cancel Congress, which has taken place annually for more than 60 years. Congress is an incredibly important event in the veterinary calendar, and we were all looking forward to an inspiring agenda and saying a fond farewell to the city that has made Congress such a great success over so many years. The health and wellbeing of our attendees is of utmost importance to us, and whilst we are sorry to be making this decision, we are confident it is the right one."

BSAVA says it is aware of the impact that cancelling will have on many delegates' CPD hours, so it is now looking at other ways it can deliver Congress lectures and podcasts.

Sue added: "Whilst we won’t be able to deliver the full Congress programme, we will be working with our speakers to capture as many lectures as we can to make content available online."

The RCVS has set out a new methodology and timeline for its review of its guidance to the profession on ‘under care’ and 24/7 out-of-hours emergency cover.

The review, which had been due to start in late 2019, will now start in April 2020. 

Melissa Donald, Chair of the RCVS Standards Committee (pictured right), said: "Regretfully, as the scope and complexity of the review became clearer following Council’s approval of the project, it was also apparent that the original methodology, and the timetable set for it, was not going to be suitable to the task.

"Therefore, over the past few months, the Standards Committee and College staff have been working hard with the external research agency to revise the methodology and we have now reached the stage where we are confident we have got it right, and can now proceed with the review. 

“While we regret the delay, as this review relates to fundamental principles about the provision of veterinary care, it is vital we get it right and that the process is as comprehensive as possible. It is better that it is right than rushed.”

Under the new methodology the review has been split into the following stages:

• An evidence-gathering stage comprising focus group discussions across the UK. For this stage the external research agency will be inviting a wide range of vets from across different sectors and practices to give their views. There will also be a separate focus group discussion for veterinary nurses. The outcome of these discussions will inform the format of and questions to be included in the second-stage survey. Stakeholders, including representative bodies and other veterinary groups, will also be asked for their input at this stage.
• Following the analysis of the focus group discussions, an online survey for the veterinary professions will be launched in summer and will be live for six weeks. Informed by the views arising from the focus groups, this survey will invite views and feedback from the professions.
• Any proposed changes to the Code of Professional Conduct and its supporting guidance on the concept of ‘under care’ and 24/7 emergency cover arising from the survey will be the subject of public consultation. 

Melissa added: “Invitations to our regional focus group discussions, which will be selected randomly from amongst the professions by our research agency, will be going out soon and I would urge anyone who receives an invitation to come along and share their views and ideas.”

For further information, see: www.rcvs.org.uk/undercare

TVM UK has announced that is taking its 'Lunch and Learn' CPD sessions, which normally take place in practices, online.

The sessions, which are delivered by the company's territory managers and cover things like toxicology, ophthalmology and the management of epilepsy, will now be streamed live to computers, tablets or smart phones.

Product Manager Will Peel (pictured right) said: "We know that concerns over coronavirus are affecting our customers so we want to make it as easy as possible for them to benefit from the information imparted in our Lunch and Learn sessions while normal service is disrupted.

‘We hope that these measures will also help us offer more virtual workshops in the future to make our sessions more accessible for busy veterinary staff and we are looking at the possibility of organising virtual drop ins from our sales team in the future.’

For more information visit: https://www.tvm-uk.com. To rearrange a previously booked session contact your local territory manager or email help@tvm-uk.com.

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has reprimanded one veterinary surgeon and suspended another for four months, following a joint hearing regarding their professional conduct while they were in practice in Slough, Berkshire in August 2016.

The Disciplinary Committee considered a number of charges against Javier Salas Navarro MRCVS and Roman Kristin over 35 days.

The charges against Dr Navarro concerned his treatment of a kitten named Marnie. They included: 

• In August 2016, failing to read the anaesthesia consent form in relation to a surgical spay he performed;

• When Marnie was readmitted for surgery, failing to read the anaesthesia consent form, failing to undertake adequate assessment of Marnie’s condition; performing surgery without adequately considering her condition; subjecting Marnie to anaesthesia without recognising the seriousness of her illness; failing to obtain informed consent from the owners; administering medication which was contra-indicated; and failure to make an adequate record of his involvement in Marnie’s care.

The charges against Dr Kristin also related to his treatment of Marnie. They included:  

• In August 2016, failing to undertake an adequate assessment of her condition; failure to recognise and record the fact that Marnie could not pass urine; failure to refer or offer her for specialist treatment; and failure to ensure Marnie received care and treatment overnight. 

• When admitting Marnie for surgery, that he made a number of clinical mistakes including failure to gain informed consent; and failure to recognise the seriousness of her illness;

• that there were a number of failings in relation to Marnie’s care, including failure to arrange adequate overnight care, failure to monitor and record her condition, and failure to gain informed consent for the overnight care.

• that he failed to advise Marnie’s owners that he suspected her uterers had been ligated during the spay, failed to advise Marnie’s owners that she required specialist veterinary treatment; and advised that Marnie undergo further surgery at the practice in spite of this meaning her having to undergo further anaesthesia in a week and with poor chances of survival;

• that the above conduct was misleading and dishonest.

The Disciplinary Committee found a number of the facts in the charges against both Dr Navarro and Dr Kristin proven (the full details can be found in the documentation at www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary). 

The Committee found that Dr Navarro breached a number of aspects of the Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons including: making animal health and welfare the first consideration when attending to animals; the provision of appropriate and adequate veterinary care; responsible prescription, supply and administration of medicines; communication with professional colleagues to ensure the health and welfare of the animal; being open and honest with clients and respecting their needs and requirements; effective communication with clients; keeping clear and accurate clinical records; and working with the veterinary team to coordinate the care of animals. 

Of the proven charges, the Committee found that his initial failure to read Marnie’s anaesthesia consent form on 5 August did not amount to disgraceful conduct in a professional respect, but that the repetition of this failure on 9 August did amount to disgraceful conduct. It also found that Dr Navarro’s failure to undertake adequate assessment and perform surgery without this assessment amounted to serious professional misconduct. Furthermore, the Committee found that subjecting Marnie to anaesthesia in spite of her being unwell, failure to obtain informed consent and failure to keep adequate records also amounted to serious professional misconduct. 

For Dr Kristin, in summary, the Committee found not proven the allegation that he had failed to respond on 5 August 2016 to concerns from Marnie’s owners about her condition while she was recovering from a surgical spay and also all the allegations relating to Dr Kristin’s admission of Marnie to the practice on 9 August on the basis that it was not satisfied so as to be sure that Dr Kristin had been the veterinary surgeon who admitted Marnie on that day. 

The Committee found proven the remaining charges and found he breached the following parts of the Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons: making animal health and welfare the first consideration when attending to animals; keeping within area of competence and referring responsibly; providing appropriate and adequate veterinary care; responsible prescribing, supply and administration of medicines; communication with colleagues to ensure the health and welfare of the animal; being open and honest with clients and respecting their needs and requirements; communicating effectively with clients and obtaining informed consent; keeping clear and accurate clinical records; and working with the veterinary team to coordinate the care of animals.

Of the proven charges, the Committee determined that his failure to adequately assess Marnie’s health, to obtain a clinical history, to undertake blood tests and recognise that she was seriously ill, amounted to disgraceful conduct in a professional respect and led to “Marnie’s underlying condition going undetected and undoubtedly contributed to her eventual death two days later”. 

The Committee also found that Dr Kristin’s decision to hospitalise Marnie without adequate overnight care, place her on IV fluids without monitoring the treatment or her condition, and failure to obtain adequate informed consent – among other things – amounted disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.

Stuart Drummond, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "As a direct result of Dr Kristin’s acts and omissions, Marnie was left alone overnight on fluids when those fluids had nowhere to go. Had he done his job properly he would have known that and Marnie could have avoided the prolonged suffering caused by the chosen course of treatment that did not address the underlying condition. Every element of Dr Kristin’s behaviour was catastrophic for Marnie, and yet he took no personal responsibility for her welfare and just went home.” 

Following its findings on disgraceful conduct in a professional respect, the Committee then went on to consider its sanction for both Dr Navarro and Dr Kristin.

In respect of Dr Navarro, the Committee considered the mitigating factors including previous good character, admissions to some of the facts of the case from the outset; genuine insight and remorse into the seriousness of the actions; his youth and inexperience; and relevant and good-quality testimonials from colleagues. The Committee noted that the testimonials were universally positive and demonstrated that Dr Navarro had reflected on his conduct, had become more mature and confident in his practice and made efforts to rectify the areas in which he had fallen below standards. 

Stuart Drummond said: “Although the consequences for Marnie and her owners were clearly devastating, the Committee considered that Dr Navarro’s part in her demise has to be seen in the context of all the evidence. In light of the extensive mitigation, including significant evidence of insight and remediation, the Committee was able to conclude that Dr Navarro did not represent a future risk to animals or the public. In such circumstances, the Committee considered that it was not necessary to restrict Dr Navarro’s registration and that a reprimand was the appropriate and proportionate sanction in his case.”

In relation to Dr Kristin, the Committee took into account positive character evidence from Mr Karel Daniel, a semi-retired veterinary surgeon and Vice-President of the Czech Republic Veterinary Chamber, a similar body to the RCVS in that country, as well as other testimonials on his behalf. In mitigation, the Committee considered Dr Kristin’s previously unblemished career, the fact that it was a single case involving a single animal; some development of insight into his conduct; no evidence of repetition; expressions of remorse; the impact of a family bereavement during the course of proceedings; and his financial position.

However, the Committee also took into account aggravating factors including a lack of candour from Dr Kristin when he was giving evidence, demonstrated by a tendency to blame others rather than take responsibility, as well as his recklessness in suggesting a third operation on Marnie that was not in her interests, rather than referring her into specialist care.

The final decision of the Committee on the sanction for Dr Kristin was that, given the seriousness of the misconduct, it was satisfied that this warranted a six-month suspension period. However, given the mitigating factors, the Committee decided that four months was appropriate and proportionate. 

Commenting on the sanction Stuart Drummond said: “The Committee determined that it was important a clear message be sent that this sort of behaviour is wholly inappropriate and not to be tolerated. It brings discredit upon the respondent and discredit upon the profession and, most importantly, caused harm to Marnie and great distress to her owners.

"The Committee did consider whether to remove Dr Kristin from the Register. However, in light of the mitigation in this case, the fact that this was a single case in an otherwise unblemished career, together with the unlikelihood he would repeat his disgraceful conduct, the Committee decided that, in all the circumstances, to remove him from the Register would be disproportionate.

"The Committee therefore decided to order that the Registrar suspend Dr Kristin’s registration…. The Committee was satisfied that a period of four months was appropriate and proportionate in all the circumstances."

The full facts and findings from the case can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary 

The National Office of Animal Health (NOAH) is calling on vet practices to support the #VaccinesWork campaign.

Starting in the New Year, the benefits of vaccination will be communicated to both farmers and pet owners, initially focussing on farm use. 

The aims of the campaign are to raise awareness of how and why vaccines work and the range of diseases they protect against, to review and improve how vaccines are stored and administered, and to encourage better uptake of existing vaccines. 

Further information and tips on storing and using vaccines correctly will be shared, to help ensure that vaccines used will be effective.

NOAH says that research has shown that:

• Only 53% farmers know the correct temperature for vaccine storage
• 73% do not have a separate thermometer or data logger
• Less than 10% check fridge temperatures daily

Dawn Howard, NOAH’s Chief Executive said: “It is encouraging that vaccination of the UK’s calves and sheep against livestock diseases has risen to one of the highest levels in seven years¹. This increase is encouraging, however still more needs to be done in relation to uptake, storage and usage. We are asking the vet profession to support the #VaccinesWork campaign by spreading the messages with their clients and engaging on social media."

"We will be providing information for farmers e.g. if vaccines are not stored correctly, it will impact on their potency, meaning they could be less effective – not only will there be the potential for the vaccine to fail to protect animals against disease but also farmers may have wasted their efforts – and may be deterred from vaccinating again."

Whilst correct use by farmers is the initial focus, the campaign will include pets. Dawn said: "The topic of vaccine hesitancy is becoming increasingly important. Recognised by the WHO as one of the top 10 global health threats for people in 2019, this phenomenon is translating to the veterinary sector as well, especially in companion animals. The PDSA reports an ‘alarming’ drop in pet vaccinations: the proportion of pet dogs, cats and rabbits receiving a primary course when young has fallen by 18% over the past 3 years, down to 66%³.”

"This is bad news for the health and welfare of the nation’s pets, who are increasingly at risk of disease, and we need to work to address this."

NOAH is asking practices to support the campaign by sharing messages and materials which will be published on its website (https://www.noah.co.uk/campaigns/vaccineswork) and on social media, @UKNOAH

References

1. https://ahdb.org.uk/knowledge-library/use-of-vaccines-in-cattle-and-sheep-2018-sales-update

2. https://www.noah.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/NOAH-Vision-Paper-8pp-A4-Sep-19-vf.pdf

3. https://www.pdsa.org.uk/media/7420/2019-paw-report_downloadable.pdf 

Petplan is making a last call for nominations for its 2020 Veterinary Awards.

The deadline for nominations for Practice of the Year, Vet of the Year, Vet Nurse of the Year, Practice Manager of the Year and Practice Support Staff of the Year, is 16th January.

The award ceremony will take place on 2^nd April 2020 in Birmingham.

James Barnes, Head of Sales & Partnerships at Petplan, said: "We’ve been recognising the brilliant work of the UK’s veterinary professionals through the Petplan Veterinary Awards for 21 years now and every year the standard of entries just gets higher.

"The nominations are a testament to the hard work of all of those involved at practices who care for animals and clients all year round.

"The awards are a perfect opportunity for you to showcase your practice and your colleagues. Being acknowledged is great for team morale and a wonderful opportunity to raise the profile of the practice to new and existing clients alike. If you haven’t already I’d invite you to nominate someone today!"

You can nominate a colleague or your own practice at petplanvet.co.uk/vetawards, before nominations close on 16th January 2020.

Ayesha Ali, a fourth year veterinary nursing student at the Royal Veterinary College, is asking RVNs to take part in a survey to explore what, if any, canine environmental enrichment techniques are being used in practice.

All those taking part in the survey will be entered into a draw for one of two £25 Amazon vouchers, unless you don't want to give your email address. Either way, entries to the survey, which has been approved by the RVC Ethics Committee, will be anonymised. 

Ayesha said: "My survey is about acquiring knowledge from RVN perspectives on canine enrichment mediums such as kong feeders, food chews and pheromonal sprays such as DAP. There is a lot of literature out there about feline stress reducing activities but not as much about the types, why used and whether enrichment mediums are used by RVNs in veterinary practice specifically for dogs."

She added: "My survey takes a few minutes to complete and it is aimed at RVNs currently working with dogs in veterinary practice in the UK."

You can take part in the survey here: https://rvc.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/comparing-the-use-of-canine-specific-environmental-enrichm 

The survey closes on 4th February 2020.

Burgess Pet Care has announced the full judging panel for its new awards to celebrate the work of rabbit friendly veterinary surgeons, nurses and practices across the UK.

The Burgess Excel Vet Awards have three categories: UK Rabbit Vet of the Year; Rabbit Nurse of the Year and Rabbit Veterinary Practice of the Year.

The newly-announced judging panel is made up of: 

1. Dr Suzanne Moyes MVB, MRCVS, Veterinary Director at Burgess Pet Care and lead spokesperson for Rabbit Awareness Week;
2. Rae Todd, Director of the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund, the UK’s largest rabbit welfare charity;
3. Dr John Chitty BVetMed CertZooMed MRCVS, co-director of a small animals/exotics practice in Andover and outgoing president of the British Small Animal Veterinary Association 2017-2018;
4. Dani Sewell MICPR, Communications Director at Fred Marketing, a marketing agency which specialises in the pet / animal welfare sector.

The judges will be looking for exceptional knowledge of rabbit care and husbandry and evidence of continued commitment to educating the public on how to care for rabbits correctly. Practices will be assessed on their provision of rabbit-specific materials and their efforts throughout the year to engage with rabbit owners.

Suzanne Moyes, said: "Our work with Rabbit Awareness Week has provided a unique opportunity to gain an insight into the positive impact veterinary practices can have on rabbit welfare. Research consistently demonstrates that there are too many rabbit owners out there who are neglecting the welfare needs of their pets and education is key to addressing this.

"Many vets and vet nurses will have first-hand experience encountering rabbits in practice that have been admitted with entirely preventable illnesses or diseases. As a profession, if we can spend more time engaging with and informing pet owners on how to correctly care for their rabbits, we can drive significant change that positively benefits their lives. That’s a unique position for vets and vet nurses to be in."

John Chitty (pictured right), co-director of Anton Vets in Andover said: "Rabbits are one of the UK’s most popular pets but unfortunately they’re also one of the most neglected. Despite the growing threat of fatal diseases such as RVHD2, vaccine numbers are dangerously low and far too many rabbits are being seen with nutritional and husbandry related issues.

"These awards will highlight the importance of providing the right levels of care and attention to learning the particular needs of rabbits. Doing so has numerous benefits, not just for the UK’s pet rabbits, but for the veterinary practices that are taking care of them too, as research shows rabbit owners will seek out practices that specialise in rabbit care as a preference."

Nominations for the Burgess Excel Vet Awards will open in March 2020 and winners will be announced at the London Vet Show 2020.

One winner from each of the three categories will receive a cash prize of £500.

Veterinary surgeons, nurses and other interested parties can register their interest in the Burgess Excel Vet Awards now by visiting www.burgesspetcare.com/excel-vet-awards.  

The British Equine Veterinary Association has launched a pilot project to tackle equine obesity.

The scheme uses a traffic light colour system of vaccination reminder stickers which veterinary surgeons can place on the front of passports at each vaccination appointment. If the 6-month pilot is a success, the initiative will be rolled out across the UK in the summer.

BEVA says that despite the best efforts of numerous equine welfare charities to address the obesity issue, a significant proportion of owners are either not recognising obesity in their horses, or not being motivated to take action.

For this reason, the Association decided to try and confront the problem in a different way, using knowledge gained from the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) – a government think tank specialising in behavioural economics and psychology.

Lucy Grieve, President Elect of BEVA and part of the Association’s obesity campaign working group, said: "Determined to look at new ways to positively engage with horse owners, we harnessed the BIT’s experience of what methods work most effectively and came up with a simple, practical scheme revolving around vaccination visits, which could be affected by vets themselves."

The idea is to use the routine annual or six-monthly vaccination visit as a time to assess a horse’s body condition. After the vaccination is given and the body condition assessed, a colour-coded vaccination reminder is stuck to the front of the passport, both to remind the owner when the next vaccination is due and to start a conversation about body condition. 

A green sticker indicates a ‘healthy’ body condition. Amber means the horse is carrying too much fat tissue and needs moderate changes to diet, exercise, management, rugging and clipping regimes. Red implies that the horse is carrying excessive amounts of fat tissue which are placing the horse in morbid danger.

Amber or red stickers provide the opportunity to talk about the potential impact on the horse’s health and what needs to be done.

If there isn't enough time to talk about it during the appointment, the sticker includes a colour-specific QR code which the owner can use to access additional information via their smartphone in their own time.

One of three short, colour-specific videos will explain the reason their horse has been designated the colour of sticker on their passport, leading to a link to more specific advice on what the owner needs to do next. Having swotted up on the background information beforehand, the owner can then discuss the various management options with their vet at a convenient time. 

Lucy said: "The first challenge is helping owners recognise when their horse is overweight. Once this has been established then we can make a plan to correct the problem as a team.

"The owner needs to be on board and committed in order to carry out the tough task of reducing the weight of their horse. We hope that owners will be ‘nudged’ by the sticker intervention to consider the information they have been offered and start to tackle the problem before it causes life-threatening disease."

Nine equine veterinary practices were invited to participate in the pilot scheme, including Loch Leven Equine Practice in Kinross. Managing director Liz Somerville said: "We have been focusing on equine obesity for the last couple of years including running a #FitnotFat campaign last year to try to highlight the growing obesity problem in our horses. Unfortunately, it sometimes feels that we are banging our heads against a brick wall so when BEVA came up with a new approach to try and get the message through to our owners it was too good an opportunity to miss."

BEVA says that at the end of the pilot, it will assess how well the project has worked for the vets involved, what proportion of owners used the QR codes, visited the advice pages and sought guidance from their vets. 

For more information, visit: https://www.beva.org.uk/Resources-For-Vets-Practices/Clinical-Practice-Guidance/Obesity-in-horses 

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has announced that City & Guilds is to withdraw veterinary nursing from its portfolio of qualifications, meaning the Awarding Organisation will accept no new registrations from 1 September 2020, and cease certificating existing qualifications from 1 September 2022.

The specific qualifications affected will be as follows:

• Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing (Small Animals) (7457-03) Ofqual Accreditation No: 600/6052/9

• Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing (Equine) (7457-13) Ofqual Accreditation No: 600/6052/9

• Level 3 Diploma in Small Animal Veterinary Nursing (7457-33) Ofqual Accreditation No: 603/5101/9

• Level 3 Diploma in Equine Veterinary Nursing (7457-43) Ofqual Accreditation No: 603/5102/0

According to the College, City & Guilds has also said it does not intend to apply to become an End-point Assessment Organisation for the veterinary nursing apprenticeship end-point assessment.

The College also says that City & Guilds has not provided any reason for its decision, other than to say it is 'based on several factors'.

Susan Howarth RVN, Chair of the RCVS Veterinary Nurse Education Committee said: "We fully recognise this will be worrying news for many VN students, so our immediate priority is to provide as much information and reassurance as possible to those currently enrolled with City & Guilds-approved centres, or those who might be intending to enrol soon.

"We have published a list of frequently asked questions on our website to help address what are likely to be the most immediate concerns (www.rcvs.org.uk/cityandguilds), which we will add to as more information becomes available.

"Anyone with additional questions or concerns at this stage should speak to their Centre in the first instance, or contact the RCVS VN team at vetnursing@rcvs.org.uk or 020 7202 0788."

During the next days and weeks, the College will be liaising closely with City & Guilds to ensure the needs of their VN learners continue to be met and all commitments to them honoured up to September 2023. It will continue to audit and monitor the City & Guilds programme and affiliated Centres until 31 August 2023.

In the meantime, the College will also work closely with the two other awarding organisations – Central Qualifications and VetSkill – and with the Higher Education establishments that offer alternative routes to VN qualifications, to consider how best to prevent a shortfall in VN training places arising from City & Guilds’ decision to withdraw these qualifications.