Matthew John Makepeace has been struck off by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee after a conviction for assaulting his ex-partner.

Mr Makepeace faced five charges.

The first charge was that in 2022 Mr Makepeace was convicted at Scarborough Magistrates Court of assaulting by beating his ex-partner.

He was sentenced to a community order and a curfew order and was ordered to pay a £95 surcharge and £85 in costs.

It was alleged that the conviction rendered him unfit to practise as a veterinary surgeon.

The second was that in August 2022, Mr Makepeace submitted a character reference which purported to have been written by his ex-partner saying that they "still live happily together", when this was untrue. It was also alleged that the reference purported to have been signed by Mr Makepeace's ex-partner when he knew that was not the case.

The third charge alleged that Mr Makepeace had sent WhatsApp messages to his ex-partner which were offensive, insulting, abusive, threatening and/or intimidating.

The fourth charge  was that was a repetition of the second. 

The fifth and final charge was that in relation to charges 2 and 4, that Mr Makepeace’s conduct was misleading and/or dishonest; and that it is alleged that in relation to charges 2,3,4 and/or 5, whether individually or in any combination, that Mr Makepeace was guilty of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.

The first charge was proven by virtue of a certified copy of the memorandum of an entry in the Magistrates’ Court register.

Mr Makepeace also admitted the facts of all the other charges, meaning they were found proven by admission.

In terms of the conviction, the Committee assessed the incident to be serious – the assault was prolonged, involved strangulation and biting which led to physical injuries, and involved a pursuit.

This was found by the Committee to bring the reputation of the profession into disrepute.

The Committee therefore found that the conviction rendered Mr Makepeace unfit to practise.

With regard to the remaining charges, the Committee found Mr Makepeace’s behaviour serious, saying that it showed a blatant and wilful disregard of the role of the RCVS and the systems that regulate the veterinary profession, and that his actions were intended to dishonestly subvert that process.

The Committee considered that his actions fell sufficiently below the standards expected in terms of honesty and integrity, as well as in terms of the behaviour expected of a registered professional.

All this constituted disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.

When making a decision on the appropriate sanction, the Committee took into account evidence from Mr Makepeace, two character witnesses, and a document bundle including evidence of training, continuing professional development (CPD) and other testimonials.

Aggravating factors taken into account were:

• that Mr Makepeace’s actions in relation to the assault were premeditated, in that he pursued his ex-partner;
• that there was an increased position of trust between partners and co-habitants, and that his ex-partner was entitled to trust him;
• that his conduct in relation to the assault was exacerbated by alcohol consumption;
• that, in relation to the WhatsApp messages there was a course of coercive, intimidating, and abusive behaviour over a significant period, despite Mr Makepeace’s abstention from alcohol at that time and the prior completion of an anger management course and therapy;
• that there was a blatant and wilful disregard of the role of the RCVS and the systems that regulate the profession in that his actions in charges 2, 4, and 5 were intended to subvert that process and were dishonest towards the RCVS;
• that his dishonesty towards his regulator was for personal gain in order to present himself in a more favourable light before his regulator;
• and that he demonstrated inadequate insight into his actions.

Mitigating factors taken into account were that Mr Makepeace made full admissions at the start of the hearing; he expressed remorse; was shown to be of previous good character; that there had been a significant lapse of time since his conviction; he had made subsequent efforts to avoid repetition of the behaviour which led to the conviction; the financial impact upon Mr Makepeace if he was prevented from being able to practise; and the testimonials.

Neil Slater, Chair of the Disciplinary Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee’s view was that the demands of the public interest in this case were high, and in light of all of the circumstances, removal from the register was the only means of upholding the wider public interest, which includes the need to uphold proper standards of conduct and performance, and to maintain confidence in the profession and its regulation.

“The Committee therefore decided to direct that the respondent should be removed from the Register.

"In coming to this decision, the Committee carefully applied the principle of proportionality and took into account the impact of such a sanction on the respondent’s ability to practise his profession, as well as the financial impact upon him, taking into account his evidence in this regard.

“However, the Committee determined that the need to uphold the wider public interest outweighed the respondent’s interests in this respect.

"In light of the gravity of the conduct, and all of the factors taken into account, any lesser sanction would lack deterrent effect and would undermine public confidence in the profession and the regulatory process.

"Removal was the only appropriate and proportionate sanction.”

https://www.rcvs.org.uk/concerns/disciplinary-hearings 

In light of the currently worsening situation across the UK, the Welsh Government’s decision to impose a further lockdown, and the potential for tighter lockdown restrictions elsewhere in the country, the RCVS has produced two flow charts and two sets of temporary guidance on remote prescribing, to reflect the main two types of government restrictions a practice may be working under.

The two sets of guidance cover:

1. Circuit-break’ or ‘Fire-break’ lockdown conditions: FAQ2a and FAQ4a
   A ‘new’ flowchart which broadly represents a return to the College’s original guidance in April to undertake essential and emergency work only and with a temporary option to remote prescribe POM-Vs at an earlier stage, subject to certain conditions.
2. Tier 1, 2, or 3 restrictions: FAQ2b and FAQ4b
   The current flowchart which incorporates all of Council’s recent changes, including an expectation that a veterinary surgeon should first endeavour to bring an animal under their care before considering prescribing POM-Vs remotely, subject to certain conditions.

RCVS President Dr Mandisa Green said: “I would like to reassure my colleagues once again that we understand the extreme challenges and difficult decisions they are facing.

"The College has no interest in taking anyone to task for considered professional judgement, providing they act reasonably in the circumstances, can justify their actions and take reasonable notes.

"Sadly, we’re seeing the pandemic situation deteriorating again in the UK, but to varying degrees across the country. This presents a significant challenge in ensuring our guidance is clear and straightforward, while remaining relevant to as many people as possible.

For more information, visit: https://www.rcvs.org.uk/setting-standards/advice-and-guidance/coronavirus-covid-19/ 

The RCVS has withdrawn from the Stonewall Diversity Champion Scheme, which it joined in 2017.

In a statement given to the Veterinary Record earlier this year, the College said: 

"In 2017, our commitment to equality for our LGBTQ+ employees, members of the professions and other stakeholders, was cemented when we became a Stonewall Diversity Champion, with the aim of ensuring that all people in the community are accepted, without exception, within the veterinary professions.

In subsequent years this commitment has been demonstrated by the establishment of our Diversity & Inclusion Group, for which LGBTQ+ representation is a key component and has been incorporated into both our internal and external diversity and inclusion strategies.

Focusing on our internal diversity and inclusion strategy, the insight from Stonewall and our internal LGBTQ+ group, has aimed to make the RCVS a safe space for people from the LGBTQ+ community by creating a fully inclusive workplace.

These insights have also fed into the profession-facing work of the Diversity & Inclusion Group and its strategy.

After six years as a Stonewall Diversity Champion, we have decided this year not to renew our contract with the organisation, on the basis that we feel we no longer need to work with an external organisation to continue to deliver on our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

The RCVS will continue to demonstrate allyship and be a safe space for all groups within the LGBTQ+ community, as demonstrated by the fact we are creating a staff network representing RCVS colleagues from marginalised communities.

We may in future decide to work with another accredited organisation, but until the staff network is in place, no decisions have been made.
 
For example, we have recently brought in a staff policy regarding how best to support RCVS employees who are going through the process of gender reassignment, reiterating the current legal position, how to report experiencing or witnessing transphobic discrimination, as well as advice for colleagues supporting those undergoing gender reassignment and those who have family members going through the process.
 
We are grateful for Stonewall for working with us over the past six years and helping us, through its Workplace Equality Index, to finesse our policies and procedures in relation to LGBTQ+ rights and issues and drive forward our agenda to be a diverse and inclusive workplace and regulator."

CVS is launching an app which will allow veterinary locums to see available shifts at its practices, negotiate rates, book shifts, message practices and submit invoices for payment.

The new app has been specifically developed for CVS, is unique to the group, and is owned by the company.

It is powered by LocumBell technology.

When registering on the app, locums can input their work preferences - including their skills, desired travel radius and preferred shift times - so that they are only served up shift advertisements relevant to them.

Users can also set up notifications for upcoming jobs.

The app then allows locums to set minimum shift rates, submit the rate they would like to receive for a shift and negotiate their fees directly with a practice.

Shifts can be then be booked or cancelled on the app at the touch of a button.

All upcoming booked shifts appear on the users’ calendar.

Once a shift has been completed, locums can submit the invoice for their work using the app.

The app allows locums to see every CVS practice invoice and its status, which CVS says will allow queries to be resolved quicker and payments issued faster.

The app is being rolled out to all of CVS's practices from this August.

Amy Hughes, Head of Recruitment at CVS, said: “Locum administration can be time-consuming – as locums first have to identify work, liaise with a practice and our central support team, to negotiate and book a shift, then complete all invoice paperwork.

"We wanted to remove that pain and make it easier for locums to work with us. 

The app is available for Apple devices on the App Store and for Android devices on the Play Store.

For any technical difficulties or assistance, contact: support@locumbell.com or call 0161 556 7685.

Premier Vet Alliance is hosting a one hour webinar: "The Future Practice – Harnessing Technology To Help Your Team" on Thursday 26th May at 7:30pm.

The webinar is presented by Will Stirling, partner at VetsDigital, a digital marketing agency which supports the veterinary industry across Europe.

Will will offer practical advice and guidance on the growing importance of applying digital marketing and the effect it can have on both team morale and the bottom line.

To register for the webinar, visit to: https://tinyl.io/5aIi

Bayer Animal Health, maker of Seresto flea and tick collars, has carried out some market research which suggests that as many as one in ten pet owners have been duped into buying counterfeit pet medicines. 

For the research, 2000 pet owners were asked whether they they had bought counterfeit pet medicines online. 31.3% said yes. They were then asked if they had reported the matter. 62.2% said they had. Finally, they were asked what the outcome of their report was. 60.9% said their purchase was confirmed as a fake, suggesting that at least one in ten pet owners - probably more - have bought fake pet medicines.

Bayer says the true number of owners affected is likely to be even higher, as a further 12% of pet owners in the survey said they believed that they may have bought fake pet medicines but had not reported it. 

The research also showed that 87% of shoppers purchased pet parasite prevention products from unaccredited sites that have been known to sell counterfeit pet medicines. Indeed since April this year, the VMD has removed over 500 veterinary medicine listings from online marketplaces.

The message to clients is that chasing the lowest price for veterinary medicines can be a false economy.

Photo: Can you tell whether this product is fake or not?

The BVA is calling on veterinary practices to embrace flexible working after stats from its Autumn 2021 Voice of the Profession survey showed that 44% of vets would like to work more flexibly.

With recruitment and retention issues in many sectors of the profession, the Association says flexible working might improve job satisfaction and therefore retention.

Other statistics from the survey showed that whilst levels of flexible working have risen from 44% in 2019 to 50% in 2021, 36% of those who already work flexibly 36% would like more flexibility.

The most common reasons vets gave for wanting to work more flexibly were: to allow more time for leisure activities (56%), lifestyle needs (50%), caregiving responsibilities (28%), health reasons (28%), for professional development (22%) and for voluntary work (16%). 

The type of flexibility vets were hoping to achieve also varied. Working part time was the most common type of flexible working sought (31%), followed by homeworking (16%), flexitime (13%) and compressed hours (5%).

As part of its campaign, the BVA has launched "Flexible working: Embracing flexibility in the veterinary profession", a booklet which includes facts, figures and case studies to help demonstrate how flexible working can benefit both employers and employees in a range of different veterinary teams.

The booklet also offers tips and advice on tackling some of the challenges that can arise when introducing increased flexibility into a clinical workplace.

BVA Junior Vice President Malcolm Morley said: “The statistics clearly show that there is a huge appetite for more flexibility in working hours, particularly in clinical practice, where employers have previously been quite hesitant to explore this option.

"We understand that there are potential challenges to allowing more flexibility but we’re hoping to demonstrate that these are not insurmountable.

“It’s vital that the profession recognises that inflexible working patterns contribute to poor retention—recognition is the first stage in finding a solution.

"Embracing developments in flexible working could increase job satisfaction for many team members and ultimately improve retention.”

Malcolm added: “The profession continues to face serious staffing shortages and we understand that the increased pressures on vet teams may make some employers anxious about introducing flexible working at a time when they are already struggling to cover shifts.

"However, the solution does not lie with vet teams working increasingly longer hours; a successful solution will need team members to be involved in supporting each other’s working patterns.

"Promoting a better balance between home and work could be key to supporting many staff who are currently unsure about remaining in the profession or returning to work."

www.bva.co.uk/flexible-working

The RCVS has bought new premises at 1-2 Hardwick Street, Clerkenwell, London.

Having sold Belgravia House – its Westminster offices since 1995 – to a private investor in March 2021 for £14.5m, RCVS Council agreed the purchase of the new building for £20.5m.

The additional cost has been funded from College reserves.

The new building is a converted Victorian warehouse with open-plan office space spread across six floors.

The new premises are large enough to accommodate more staff and for the College to host more meetings and events.

Alternatively, the space can be used for greater social distancing and hybrid working if needed.

The College says any unwanted space can be rented out.

Two existing tenants will continue to lease office space at the premises for the time being and some refurbishment work will need to be completed before the College and RCVS Knowledge teams can start moving in.

Following Council’s earlier decision to terminate the lease on Belgravia House at the end of March 2022, RCVS staff will continue to work either remotely, or in temporary office space leased from the workplace provider, WeWork, in Chancery Lane.

The College says this arrangement offers a significant saving over leasing back Belgravia House.

Chief Executive Lizzie Lockett said: “Like any property purchase, it has been an extremely long and difficult journey to get to this point, with many challenges to navigate along the way, but I am delighted that we are finally able to announce our new home.

“Whilst we will have to wait a while longer before we can enjoy everything 1-2 Hardwick Street has to offer, we are very much looking forward to welcoming members of the professions to visit our new offices, and being able to host a variety of meetings and new events there for them.

A new study, published in the latest issue of the Journal of Small Animal Practice (JSAP), has found that key surfaces in the small animal veterinary hospital setting are unlikely to be cleaned satisfactorily, potentially posing a risk to both animal and human health.

In the study, Fluorescent tagging for environmental surface cleaning surveillance in a veterinary hospital ¹, researchers at Ohio State University used a fluorescent dye to tag pre-determined surfaces in a large veterinary teaching hospital.

The dye was invisible to the naked eye, but fluoresced under a blacklight (UV-A source). It could be easily removed by regular cleaning.

Surfaces were tagged and then assessed 24 hours after tag placement to determine whether they had been cleaned. Tagging and assessment took place during non-peak hours in an attempt to eliminate observer bias. The study ran for a period of 5.5 weeks between June and July 2014 and a total of 4984 surfaces were tagged and assessed.

Jason Stull, corresponding author of the paper said: "Overall, 50% of surfaces were adequately cleaned so that the tag was completely removed. Cleaning varied widely by surface/object and hospital location. Of the surfaces designated as having primarily human contact, the equipment cart and door handle to the dog walking area were most frequently cleaned (100%), whilst examination equipment including the otoscope, ophthalmoscope and swivel light handle were the least frequently cleaned (2.3%).

"Of the surfaces designated as having primarily animal contact, the ward cage interior was the most frequently cleaned (89.0%) whilst the dog run interior was the least frequently cleaned (23.1%). In terms of hospital location, the most frequently cleaned area was radiology (77.5%) and the least frequently cleaned area was the small animal treatment area (4.2%)."

The overall proportion of surfaces satisfactorily cleaned was similar to that reported in previous studies, however, the findings for some surfaces and hospital areas differed.² This demonstrates the importance of veterinary cleaning surveillance in individual practices so that targeted interventions can be implemented.

Nicholas Jeffery, editor of JSAP said: "With health-care associated infections being a persistent problem in human and veterinary medicine, it is important that surfaces and equipment within the veterinary practice are adequately cleaned. This research demonstrates the potential use of a commercial fluorescent dye for veterinary cleaning surveillance to inform hospital cleaning practices."

The full article can be found in the February issue of the Journal of Small Animal Practice which is free for BSAVA members. It can also be read online here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsap.13090 

References

1. G. Langdon, A. E. Hoet, J. W. Stull (2020) Fluorescent tagging for environmental surface cleaning surveillance in a veterinary hospital. Journal of Small Animal Practice, 61 (2). Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsap.13090
2. J. S. Weese, T. Lowe, M. Walker. (2012) Use of fluorescent tagging for assessment of environmental cleaning and disinfection in a veterinary hospital. Veterinary Record, 171. Available at: https://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/171/9/217.info

Linnaeus has introduced enhanced support for those of its veterinary nurses who are Veterinary Technician Specialists (VTS) or studying towards the qualification.

Support for those studying to get the qualification includes access to an internal mentor, regular contact with Linnaeus’s nursing central support team, a training agreement covering things like additional CPD allowances, study time and networking opportunities specific to the candidate’s specialism.

Linnaeus also runs an internal VTS networking group to support both candidates and holders. 

For VTS holders, Linnaeus now offers an enriched CPD package to support their re-certification process, which takes place every five years.

This includes an enhanced CPD budget and time allowance for attendance at international specialist conferences.

Holders are also invited to interprofessional discipline-specific away days and offered membership to a specialist organisation.

Vicky Ford-Fennah, Professional Development Manager at Linnaeus and a VTS holder in anaesthesia and analgesia (pictured), said: “Achieving the VTS status requires hard work and determination.

"This new process will provide our nurses with the support to set them up for success. It also recognises the different requirements of our VTS holders to maintain their status. 

“Not only do our VTS candidates and holders improve their own skills; our education and networking opportunities enable them to share knowledge and become fantastic role models to other nurses wanting to progress their careers. 

Sophie McMurrough is Nurse Team Leader in internal medicine at Northwest Veterinary Specialists in Runcorn and a VTS holder in Small Animal Internal Medicine.

She said: “Becoming a VTS holder has opened so many windows of opportunity for me. I have been able to master advanced clinical skills, teach my peers and share my knowledge through writing and speaking. I would encourage anyone with a passion for a specialist area to pursue the VTS.

Virbac has launched Trilotab, the first chewable, flavoured and divisible trilostane tablet to treat Cushing’s syndrome in dogs.

Trilotab is licensed for the treatment of pituitary-dependent hypercortisolism (PDH) caused by an adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH)-secreting pituitary adenoma, which accounts for 85% of spontaneous cases of Cushing’s, and for the treatment of adreno-dependent hyperadrenocorticism (ADH) caused by a cortisol-secreting adrenocortical tumour (ACT), which accounts for the remaining 15% of spontaneous cases¹.

The new tablet is divisible into halves and quarters to facilitate dose adjustment and make administration easier.

Divided tablets remain stable outside of the blister packaging until the next dose is due, thereby avoiding wastage.

Trilotab tablets are chewable and chicken-flavoured to help improve treatment compliance.

They contain hydrolysed chicken flavouring so they can be prescribed for pets allergic to chicken.

Trilotab is administered once daily with food with a starting dose of 2mg trilostane/kg bodyweight. 

The new tabs are available in three presentations: 10mg, 30mg, and 60mg presentations, which Virbac says should help practices reduce their dispensary stockholding.

Andrew Connolly, Marketing Director – UK & Ireland at Virbac, said: ‘The complex nature of Cushing’s syndrome in dogs can make it a challenging condition to manage for both the clinician and the pet owner.

"With the requirement for lifelong treatment, it is our hope that Trilotab’s easy administration and simplified dosing protocols will genuinely help to improve the lives of dogs affected by the disease, whilst making the clinician and pet owner’s lives just a little bit easier too!"

Reference

1. Sanders, K., Kooistra, H.S. and Galac, S. (2018) Treating Canine Cushing’s Syndrome: Current Options and Future Prospects. The Veterinary Journal, 241, 42-51

Ceva Animal Health, maker of Amodip, has launched a free online feline ophthalmology course called ‘Looking hypertension in the eye’.

Ceva says the aim of the course is to enable vet nurses to get the most out of their ocular exams and gain confidence in identifying ocular lesions associated with feline hypertension.

The course is presented by Dr Ben Blacklock BVSc (Hons), Dipl. ECVO, MRCVS, senior lecturer in veterinary ophthalmology at the University of Edinburgh. 

It comprises of 10 short videos grouped into four sessions, along with a self-assessment quiz to consolidate learning for each module.

The course counts for a total of two hours’ CPD.

Course content includes: the patient/equipment set up and getting the most from an ophthalmoscope; determining what is normal and what is abnormal during ocular examinations; an overview of ocular pathologies associated with hypertension; avoiding common pitfalls and mistakes; and hints and tips on how to take photographs of the fundus on a mobile phone.

To register, visit www.veterinarywebinars.com/community/ceva.