The new aids will make their debut at this month's Vet Festival (20-21 May 2022, Loseley Park, Surrey).
The Flexi-Wedge (pictured) positioning aid aims to deliver both better quality and easier to interpret imaging, and to facilitate the ideal positioning of surgical patients.
The second product is the Saddle-Sandbags, which The Big Dog Bed Company says address two problems – the need to hold a patient in place without loading weight to any part of the body and the tendency of existing sandbags to leak sand after a few months of manipulation to different shapes.
Dru Ross, Director at Big Dog Bed Company said: “Support wedges are obviously widely used in the veterinary field.
"The difference with the design of the Flexi-Wedge is that they can be held securely in the desired position and are fully adjustable, making them suitable for a wide range of patient size and shape”.
“The Saddle-Sandbag is designed for those situations when a limb needs to be held out securely without any load on it and standard sandbags are not suited to this purpose.
"There is no need to manipulate the sandbag to the desired shape.
"The weight is split between two bags joined by a broad central strap so the strap is placed round or over the limb”.
James Weston, Managing Director at Northwest Referrals was one of the first to use the Flexi-Wedge.
James said: “I’ve never had such a straight spine when scanning a greyhound before using these supports. Every CT scanner should be sold with these”.
Patrick Harte MRCVS from the The Sidings Veterinary Surgery said: “The weighted ends make these sandbags much easier to handle.
"The larger aid is excellent for holding upper thoracic limb out of the way for lateral views of the elbow, for instance and the width of the flat part of the aid is perfect for wrapping around the antebrachium of the thoracic limb.”
The Flexi-Wedges and the Saddle-Sandbag products use waterproof, antibacterial, wipe clean fabrics in which the seams are thermally welded so no moisture can enter and no sand can escape.
The Flexi-Wedges are available in two lengths 60cm and 90 cm.
They are supplied with wipe clean straps that can be tailored to the size of table on which they are used.
The Saddle-Sandbags are available in three sizes.
Mr Roger faced three charges: that he had failed to provide adequate care, failed to communicate with the owner adequately and failed to keep adequate clinical records for Honey, a Shiih Tzu dog who, it transpired, had hypergycaemia.
At the initial consultation, Mr Roger took a blood sample which showed that there was an elevated blood glucose, an elevated white blood cell count, an elevated ALT and an elevated ALP (which Mr Roger took to be indicative of liver damage secondary to infection).
Mr Roger prescribed a cholagogue (ursodeoxycholic acid), an antibiotic (Synulox) and a diuretic (Frusemide).
In its findings of fact, the Committee found it likely that Mr Roger would have realised that Honey had a potential diabetes mellitus diagnosis with an elevated blood glucose of 28.
However, Mr Roger explained that he had believed the elevated blood glucose was due to the stress Honey had undergone in taking the blood samples.
The Committee therefore accepted that Mr Roger’s actions did not indicate a complete failure by him to notice the elevated blood glucose because he had explained he believed at the time it was due to stress.
Honey’s owner took her back to the veterinary practice that Mr Roger worked at three days later.
A different veterinary surgeon examined Honey and flagged that her blood sugar was high and that her liver was damaged.
She was taken to an alternative veterinary practice for follow-up but died later that day.
Mr Roger admitted failing to ask Honey’s owner if there was a history of diabetes mellitus, failing to take repeat blood glucose tests or carry out urine analysis or carry out additional blood tests, failing to communicate adequately with Honey’s owner about the significance of the hyperglycaemia and the options for investigation/management and failing to keep adequate clinical records in regard to Honey’s blood glucose levels.
The Committee found the admitted facts proved.
The evidence presented to the Committee included the clinical notes taken during Honey’s consultations, emails sent from Honey’s owner to the RCVS outlining the complaint, and evidence from experts in small animal veterinary practice.
Although the Committee found some matters not proved, it did find proved that Mr Roger had failed to recognise and/or pay adequate regard to Honey’s elevated blood glucose levels, had failed to manage Honey’s hyperglycaemia either by treating it or by documenting an appropriate plan to do so and had failed to communicate adequately with Honey’s owner about the significance of her elevated glucose and the reason for it.
Having reached its decision in relation to the facts, the Committee went on to consider whether the facts it had found proved either individually or cumulatively amounted to serious professional misconduct.
Judith Way, Chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf said: “The Committee found that the charges and particulars it had found proved did not amount to disgraceful conduct in a professional respect either individually or cumulatively.
"In its judgment, the conduct found proved fell short of the standard to be expected of a reasonably competent veterinary surgeon but not far short of the standard which is expected of the reasonably competent veterinary surgeon.”
As a result of the Committee finding that Mr Roger was not guilty of serious professional misconduct on any of the proven charges, either individually or in any combination, the hearing did not proceed further.
The impact of the College's research on society was similarly highly-ranked, with 83% being scored 4*, and 7.5 of the 9 impact case studies submitted found to have “outstanding reach and significance”.
Additionally, there has been a 54% increase in the number of full time equivalent academic staff submitted since the last assessment – establishing the RVC as the largest veterinary research institution in the country.
The impact case studies submitted by the RVC covered a range of research areas, including those which advance clinical practice; protect public health by enhancing food safety; inform World Health Organisation and the Food and Agriculture Organisation policy on the control of disease afflicting some of poorest people in the world; and tackle antimicrobial resistance through innovations in drug delivery.
The College says the results also highlight its holistic and transdisciplinary approach to research, with researchers, teachers, clinicians and pathologists working collaboratively to ensure ‘real world’ impact and advances in clinical practice.
Professor Jonathan Elliott, Professor of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology at the RVC, said: “REF 2021 has recognised the outstanding reach and significance of the impact of our research which is so pleasing to see.
"I know all my academic colleagues are motivated to innovate in order to make a difference to lives of people and those of the animals they keep.
"Our submission truly reflects the breadth of scholarship at the RVC which generates the new knowledge we teach our students, the high quality of which has been endorsed by this external review.”
The strike follows a breakdown in negotiations for better pay and conditions earlier in the year.
Valley Vets, which is owned by VetPartners, offered a 7.27% increase to its lowest paid staff, with smaller increases for higher paid staff.
However, the BVU rejected the offer, describing it as a "derisory real terms pay cut".
A postal ballot was held and 94% of members voted for industrial action, with a 93% turnout.
The BVU says it is open to restarting negotiations in the hope that an improved offer will make the strike unnecessary.
Jonathan Hill (UK Country Manager) said: “I’m delighted to announce that TVM UK is changing its name to Dômes Pharma.
"This will align with the other operating companies within the group.
"TVM UK has always been owned by the Dômes Pharma group, and since the start of our journey in the UK market we have been synonymous with expertise and outstanding levels of customer service in selected speciality segments of the animal health market and this won’t change.”
“Under the Dômes Pharma name we will continue to build and grow on this very strong foundation.
"I’m looking forward to working with the entire Dômes Pharma team as we increase our presence as a leading specialty pharmaceutical company, bringing our ethos to new speciality segments with innovative products and solutions for vets in the UK.
"Dômes Pharma remains a family-owned business, and the culture of the company really reflects this and we live by our values of kindness, boldness and responsibility.”https://www.domespharma.com https://www.tvm-uk.com
15.3% said they had received written abuse and 13.4% had received online abuse.
One in ten (9.87%) had cited receiving generally negative grumbles from their clients and a small percentage (0.8%) said they had noticed negativity from usually supportive clients.
17% reported abuse relating to the CMA across more than one platform.
On the other hand, the survey also revealed that 22.4% had received support in person, almost one in twenty (4.5%) had received online support, and 2.4% cited they had received supportive correspondence.
The nursing stream will run all day on Friday 13 September and not only will there be a dedicated lecture and workshop stream but there will also be practical sessions on critical care and bandaging, casting and suturing.
In the critical care session, nurses will be able to problem solve and carry out nursing tasks on a variety of models to simulate treating real life critical care cases.
In the bandaging, casting and suturing practical, nurses will be immersed in a learning experience where they can showcase their existing skills and learn new ones.
The nursing stream also includes a neurodiversity workshop which is open to all.
Marie Rippingale, BEVA’s Equine Veterinary Nurse Committee Chair, said “All in all - this Congress nursing stream is not to be missed!
"It is a perfect balance of theory and practical sessions run by friendly and approachable experts in their field who are keen to share their knowledge and experience for the benefit of the equine nursing profession.”
Tickets are £221 for all three days for BEVA nurse members.
Day tickets and practice passes are also available.
http://www.bevacongress.org
For the study, 12 month's worth of anonymised data from CVS practices was analysed2.
The study concluded that lower engagement between a practice and its staff or clients, recent parental leave, shorter practice employment tenure, and younger age were all associated with an increased likelihood of support staff resignations.
Lower practice client engagement, which CVS says is a proxy for client satisfaction, was associated with increased odds of support staff resigning3, highlighting the potential impact of client incivility on veterinary colleagues who are typically in customer facing roles.
Reduced employee engagement – measured by a ‘employee net promoter score’ (eNPS), where colleagues rate how likely they would recommend the practice as a good place to work4, also correlated with increased resignations.
Within CVS, eNPS has been demonstrated to be positively correlated with the frequency of line manager discussions.
The current data suggests that consistent measurement of employee engagement in a veterinary setting at regular intervals throughout the year can have benefits for line managers in identifying increases in the risk of resignations and practice attrition, allowing them to take proactive steps to improve engagement.
A recent record of taking parental leave was also associated with greater odds of resigning in the following 12 months than staff who have not taken parental leave in the previous 12 months5.
Qualitative studies in other professions highlight the need for greater flexibility in working hours and focused managerial check-in support.
Therefore ‘return to work’ interventions may present an opportunity to improve retention.
Conversely, the increased length of employment tenure was associated with decreasing odds of support staff resignations6, potentially highlighting the role for long service reward schemes, such as the long service holiday awards CVS introduced a couple of years ago. Whilst employee age was associated with the odds of resignations, with a 1% decrease in the odds of support staff resigning with each additional year of age7.
Imogen Schofield, Director of Clinical Research at CVS, said: “Support staff are integral members of the team.
"These key roles contribute to the efficient and effective functioning of a veterinary practice.
"Despite the important roles of support staff, little research exists on these team members and there is no data describing reasons for their attrition.
“This research was done to help the wider industry to understand how we can reduce support staff resignations.
"It aims to identify demographic, payroll and engagement factors associated with resignations.
"We believe it adds valuable insights to previous survey-based research by organisations such as the British Veterinary Receptionist Association.
“Reflecting on our research from 2021, we have introduced a Zero Tolerance Policy to protect our colleagues against intrusive, offensive, violent or aggressive behaviour from clients.
"We have launched monthly interactive Receptionist Support Sessions, giving receptionists the opportunity to connect with their peer network, share experiences and ideas, and feel supported.
"And we are now focussing on developing our support staff through creating new Receptionist and Patient Care Assistant Career Pathways.”
References
Virbac has launched Nutribound, a complementary feed to help stimulate eating and drinking in inappetent cats and dogs.
The company says the product has been designed to help animals recovering from surgery or illness and those that are just experiencing a general lack of interest in food or water.
Nutribound is given alongside the pet’s diet but can also be given by tube or syringe if needed.
Claire Lewis, Product Manager, said: "Pets that lose interest in their food can be challenging for owners to deal with - and a pet that is struggling to eat or drink what it needs, especially after illness or surgery is more likely to have a prolonged recovery.
"Nutribound's palatable formulation aims to 'jump-start' normal eating behaviour by stimulating the animal's appetite and increasing its interest in eating and drinking again.
"Nutribound is presented in a handy-sized, take-home bottle and is easy for pet owners to administer. It can be given for up to 14 days or until a return to normal eating and drinking behaviour is observed. We are delighted to add it to our nutritional support range, alongside Nutri-Plus gel, our high energy, nutritional supplement for cats and dogs."
Bonqat 50 mg/ml oral solution for cats contains pregabalin, an analgesic, anti-epileptic which has now been licensed for the alleviation of acute anxiety and fear associated with transportation and veterinary visits in cats.
Tessie 0.3 mg/ml oral solution for dogs contains tasipimidine and is licensed for the short-term alleviation of situational anxiety and fear in dogs triggered by noise or owner departure.
Dômes Pharma points to research which shows that in the UK 1.4 million1 dogs show signs of distress when left alone, and 4.4 million dogs1 show fear of loud noises.
In addition, over 4 million cats2 are not having routine vet checkups each year, with 26%2 of these owners reporting that it is too stressful for their cat or themselves.
Jonathan Hill, UK country manager at Dômes Pharma sid: "Dômes Pharma is excited to be launching two new innovative products to help vets manage cases in this complex area.
"These products expand our portfolio and provide essential options for owners and their pets struggling with these situational related problems."
https://www.tvm-uk.com/the-behavioural-range
Reference
The London Vet Show has announced it will be offering delegates the chance to win a £12,000 trip to Thailand with Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS) at this year’s event (Olympia Grand, 19th & 20th November).
Delegates will be able to enter the competition by collecting a stamp in their LVS passport from each of the participating sponsors’ stands in the exhibition.
The 13-day working holiday kicks off by flying to Chang Mai in Thailand via Bangkok. The winners will then travel to the Narittaya Resort and Spa where they'll be staying in a private villa with its own pool. Working over the next six days with the WVS team in Chang Mai, they will be supporting an ongoing neutering and vaccination campaign while also training local vets in best practice surgical techniques.
The winners will get the opportunity to explore the temples in the ancient city of Chang Mai and a highlight of the trip will be an overnight visit to the Elephant Nature Park, which is dedicated to providing care and assistance to Thailand’s captive elephant population. The overnight stay will include a full orientation of the park and the elephants and a chance to bathe and swim with the herd in the river and communicate with them.
The winners will also have a chance to go either white water rafting or bamboo rafting.
For further information on the London Vet Show or to register to attend the event visit londonvetshow.co.uk.
The two organisations are collaborating to produce a topical monthly webinar with an expert speaker, supported with a collection of resources in the BSAVA library
Idexx is also offering a bursary scheme with 10 places on a BSAVA course of choice.
Dr Jason Johnson, Chief Medical Officer of Idexx said: "Continuous learning is an essential part of veterinary clinic life and an area that is increasing in demand, particularly with so many new and innovative ways to engage.
"Education enables veterinary professionals to provide better care for their patients and we are delighted to support them through our collaboration with BSAVA."
The first two ‘Topic of the month’ webinars will be on anaemia in cats and increased SDMA on pre-anaesthetic testing.
The webinars will be free of charge to all BSAVA members.
Sarah Fitzpatrick, Head of Partnerships and Events at the BSAVA said: “We are thrilled to be working with Idexx. It is increasingly important to us that our members receive accessible CPD, and through this valuable collaboration we are able to continue to support the veterinary profession.”
You can access the webinars through the BSAVA Library.
The practice has been leading research into the devastating disease since 2012 and has collated information on all confirmed cases across the country.
The disease, which originally appeared in the late 1980s, was first detected in the UK in 2012.
When it affects the kidneys, it has a 90% mortality rate.
The new site offers advice and information, including a live map of confirmed cases across the UK, for both vets and pet owners.
David Walker, American, RCVS and EBVS European specialist in small animal internal medicine, leads the team at Anderson Moores and is the UK’s foremost authority on the disease.
He said: “We have been at the forefront of research into CRGV for almost a decade now and have witnessed first-hand the often-devastating effects of the disease.
“In launching this new website, we aim to inform pet owners and colleagues in the veterinary industry about CRGV.
“We hope the confirmed case map will prove useful.
"Although an environmental trigger has not been definitively proven, the seasonality of the disease makes it eminently possible and the map allows everyone to see the location of confirmed cases.”
So far this year, Anderson Moores has recorded a total of 26 confirmed cases of CRGV.
This number comes on the back of 47 confirmed cases during 2020, 19 cases in 2019 and 18 in 2018.
277 cases have been confirmed since the disease was first recognised in the UK in 2012.
David said: “As we enter the winter months, we want to advise dog owners around the country to remain calm but vigilant and seek advice from their local vets if their dog develops an unexplained skin lesion(s), especially on the leg.
“Unfortunately, we find ourselves in the time of year when cases are most commonly identified – 92% of dogs with the disease are seen between November and May.
"This is understandably a concern for dog owners; however, the disease remains rare.
“If a dog is suspected to be suffering from CRGV, the best chance of recovery probably lies with early and intensive management which may be best provided at a specialist facility.
“Treatment primarily revolves around intensive management of the acute kidney injury and is sadly only successful in around 10% cent of cases.”
Visit https://www.alabama-rot.co.uk .
The dispensation was brought in during the spring 2020 lockdown to safeguard animal health and welfare, the health & safety of the veterinary team, and public health, by allowing prescriptions to be made by veterinary surgeons without having first physically examined the animal.
Since it was brought in, the temporary dispensation has been under constant review and, in September, was extended to midnight on Sunday 31st October 2021.
Last week, the Standards Committee met and decided to end the dispensation, although it has put back the end date for the guidance to midnight on Sunday 21 November to allow sufficient time for veterinary practices to change their protocols and policies accordingly.
Melissa Donald, RCVS Junior Vice-President and Chair of the Standards Committee, said: “Due to a number of factors, including evidence that there has been a decline in the amount of remote prescriptions taking place, the Committee took the decision to end the dispensation, albeit with a three-week extension period to allow those practices that are still prescribing remotely to change their policies, inform their clients and so on.
“While the dispensation is ending, it is worth noting that it will still be kept under review in light of any changes in the circumstances around the pandemic, including government advice and regulations.”
The full details about the temporary dispensation can be found at: www.rcvs.org.uk/coronavirus.
Those with any questions about the guidance should contact the RCVS Standards & Advice Team on advice@rcvs.org.uk or 020 7202 0789.
Head nurse Nicola Atkins (pictured right) said: “We are very happy and proud to have achieved our silver accreditation for cat-friendly clinic status.
“To earn this internationally-recognised award, we had to prove that we met all of the ISFM criteria, including allocating a nurse and vet at each centre who are dedicated to caring for our cats and providing ‘cat only’ waiting areas to reduce their stress.”
“We provide cats with carefully-tailored care from our stress-free waiting areas and high standards of anaesthetic protocols, which deliver an enriched stay at our hospitals.
“This also reassures owners and makes them feel more at ease about visiting our clinics with their cats.”
For more information, visit www.veterinaryvision.co.uk.
Methadyne can be administered for analgesia of moderate to severe pain in dogs and cats, to provide neuroleptanalgesia in combination with a neuroleptic drug and as part of a patient’s premedication protocol prior to general anaesthesia.
The new presentation will now be available alongside the 10ml vial to give greater flexibility and to help reduce drug wastage and streamline controlled drug stock management.
Jurox says Methadyne has proven compatibility when combined in the same syringe with other aqueous solutions for injection containing acepromazine as maleate and medetomidine and dexmedetomidine as hydrochlorides.
Methadyne has a shelf life of 24 months unbroached, and 28 days broached. After broaching, the bung can be punctured to draw up a dose of methadone as many times as required in 28 days.
Dan Cripwell MRCVS, senior veterinary technical advisor at Jurox (UK) Limited, said: “I am delighted that Jurox can provide the UK veterinary market with this evolution in our multidose methadone formulation, which is now available in both 5ml and 10ml vials.
"We constantly strive to provide the veterinary profession with first class clinical and technical support and, in this instance, we were able to assess what improvements could be made to our existing drug portfolio and respond to the profession’s feedback to help reduce wastage of controlled drugs when they are needed in smaller volume."
For further information, contact your local Jurox account manager, phone 0800 500 3171, visit www.jurox.com/uk or email customerservice@jurox.co.uk.
The company has been gathering information on the health, wellbeing and life expectancy of hundreds of thousands of dogs since 2014.
Sean McCormack (pictured right), Head Vet at tails.com, said: “As a vet nurse in practice, you gain an understanding of general animal issues and trends. But what this data can do is look over hundreds of thousands of dogs, unpick all of the nutritional, breed and age-related data we’ve collected over time, and then provide an insight-rich window into the best possible way to care for our dogs.
“We’re really just scratching the surface in terms of what we have at our disposal. There’s real potential for Data Labs to fundamentally change the way that we view dog nutrition and dog health going forwards.”
According to the company, the database has already revealed that:
Lorna Brightmore, Lead Data Scientist at tails.com, said: "Even at this early stage, we are finding strong associations between a number of health factors and longevity and our conclusions will only become stronger over time.”
The first major milestone of Data Labs will be the publication of tails.com’s first peer-reviewed scientific paper.
The paper will detail the effects of body weight, body condition, gender and neutering on the longevity and health of dogs, with further scientific papers planned for publication in the coming months and years.
For more information, visit www.tails.com/gb/data-labs/.
John graduated from the RVC in 1973, after which his first job was at a mixed, mainly farm animal practice in Gloucestershire.
After returning to England, his first job was at a mixed, mainly farm animal practice in Gloucestershire.
From there he moved to a mixed equine/small animal practice in Maidstone before joining Pierson Stewart and Partners, of which he later became a partner and then sole owner. He sold the business in 2018.
John has lectured widely in veterinary dentistry, practice management and cardiology.
He continues to see cardiac cases and carry out breed heart certification.
John invented the word autobiology as it seemed befitting of a life in which animals and plants have been so intricately tied to his work as a veterinary surgeon and his hobbies of gardening and lawn tennis.
He said: "I hope anyone in the profession who is interested in the history of veterinary medicine will enjoy reading how much things have changed in the last 50 years.
"It also has something for anyone interested in practice management, business and finance, not to mention sport.
"I hope it might also help everyone think about their work life balance and mental well being.
"Or you might just enjoy the funny and sometimes tear-jerking anecdotes."
Autobiology of a Vet is priced at £15.99 (hardback) / £8.99 (paperback) / £6.99 (ebook).
For more information, visit: https://www.gbpublishing.co.uk/autobiology-of-a-vet
Carbodote Prime is the first activated charcoal product for cats and dogs to contain a cathartic, which speeds up intestinal transit time so that bound toxins are expelled more quickly.
Carbodote Repeat is for those situations where repeated administration of plain activated charcoal is needed due to the type of the toxin involved.
Carbodote Repeat can be administered to the patient every 4-6 hours over 24-48 hours.
Both products are presented as a ready-mixed, easy to swallow gel formulation, for less mess and reduced risk of aspiration.
TVM says the 60ml ‘dial and dispense’ syringes make administration easy for both veterinary staff and pet owners.
For more information, visit www.tvm-uk.com/carbodote or contact your Territory Manager.
The researchers hope that the study will help to increase a veterinary surgeon’s index of suspicion of a particular liver disease, particularly if a biopsy-confirmed diagnosis is not possible.
In the study titled “Histopathological frequency of canine hepatobiliary disease in the United Kingdom”, histopathology reports from canine liver tissues submitted to a commercial veterinary laboratory by UK first and second opinion practices were retrospectively reviewed.
Data collected included breed, age, sex, gross and histological descriptions, diagnosis and additional comments.
Data were then grouped into 23 categories according to WSAVA histological criteria for canine hepatobiliary diseases using the four main morphological groups of vascular, biliary, parenchymal and neoplastic disorders. Breed analysis was then performed on the top five ranking breeds within each individual category.
A total of 4584 histopathology reports of canine liver tissue were included in the analysis.
The most common histopathological diagnoses were reactive hepatitis (16.8%), chronic hepatitis (16.0%) and reversible hepatocellular injury (RHI) (12.9%).
Labrador retrievers were found to have increased odds for reactive hepatitis (OR 1.57, 95%CI 1.23-1.99), whilst crossbreeds demonstrated reduced odds (OR 0.65, 95%CI 0.54-0.79).
Breeds with increased odds of chronic hepatitis included the Labrador retriever (OR 4.14, 95%CI 3.47-4.93), springer spaniel (OR 6.30, 95%CI 5.10-7.79), cocker spaniel (OR 2.78 95%CI 2.20-3.53) and West Highland White Terrier (OR 3.23, 95%CI 2.24-4.65).
Within the RHI group, the schnauzer (OR 8.06, 95%CI 5.77-11.26) and Bichon Frise (OR 5.19, 95%CI 3.63-7.42) had increased odds of disease.
Dr Yuvani Bandara, corresponding author for the paper, said: “This is the first study to report the histopathological frequency of hepatobiliary diseases and to identify possible breed predispositions in a large cohort of dogs in the UK.
“Despite multivariable analysis not being performed to account for confounding factors, we hope that this information informs and supports future investigations for hepatic disease in particular breeds and potential predispositions.”
The full article can be found in the September issue of the Journal of Small Animal Practice and can be read online here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsap.13354.
The meeting follows growing concerns expressed both within the profession and in the national media about the shortage of veterinary surgeons in the UK.
Lizzie Lockett, RCVS CEO (pictured right), said: “Workforce shortages within the veterinary sector has been a concern for some time, however, in the past few months there has been a ‘perfect storm’ of circumstances, which have come together to exacerbate the problem. The issues include the ongoing impact of the pandemic, burnout and fatigue within the profession; the UK’s exit from the European Union, which has seen a significant reduction in the number of EU vets joining the Register as well as an associated increase in the need for veterinary certification; and an increase in pet ownership, and therefore demand for veterinary services, over the course of the pandemic."
In advance of the meeting, which is due to be help in November, the College will be conducting research to better gauge the extent of the problem both nationally and regionally.
The meeting will then consider how recruitment, retention and return to work might address the problem.
Lizzie added: “While there has already been a lot of focus and discussions around recruitment and retention, something less spoken about is return, and the summit will consider the reasons why members of the profession may move away from clinical practice, and if there’s more scope for different ways of working that could bring people back into clinical practice.
“Ahead of the summit we will be reviewing all the latest data that we and other organisations have shared to better understand the gap between capacity and demand, the push and pull factors on decisions to either join or leave clinical practice and build a more evidence-based picture of veterinary workforce trends.”
The summit itself, the date of which is yet to be confirmed, will involve key veterinary stakeholders including the veterinary schools, veterinary employers and representative bodies, coming together to ensure that there will be a joined-up approach in finding solutions to the issues confronting the profession.
Lizzie said: “It may not necessarily be easy to identify all the solutions in one day, and they won’t all come from the RCVS, but opening up the conversation and getting the professions focused on taking appropriate action is an important first step.”
Meanwhile, RCVS President Kate Richards this week wrote to all vets and nurses to reassure them them that the RCVS was aware of the problem and the additional pressures they are under as a result.
In the letter she wrote: “In the face of current shortages, I would like to stress that we support practice teams in prioritising cases strictly according to the health and welfare needs of their patients, and in informing their clients of the need to do so.
“We would also urge veterinary surgeons to share their caseload as much as possible, delegating permitted procedures to their veterinary nurse colleagues wherever appropriate to do so.
"And, we would like to remind veterinary surgeons that their current 24/7 emergency cover obligations, as set out in the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct, are limited only to taking steps to provide 24-hour emergency first-aid and pain relief to animals according to their skills and the specific situation."
She also added that, while members of the profession may be anxious about a potential increase in the number of concerns being raised by clients because they are not able to offer the level of service they would ideally like to, the RCVS would always take into account the entire circumstances surrounding a complaint as part of its investigation process.
She also said that the College would also continue to raise awareness amongst animal owners of the acute challenges currently facing veterinary teams around the country, and to request their ongoing patience and understanding.
To assist the profession, a series of FAQs have been produced to help with different situations that vets may encounter at the moment, particularly around the provision of 24/7 emergency cover, and to provide further guidance on delegating procedures to veterinary nurses. These can be found at: www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/news/
Each 'Facing Up To Finances' discussion will include tips from a financial professional and live Q&A from the community.
Hosted by a member of VetYou, the panel will include a financial professional, a guest sharing their experience, and a member of the Veterinary Woman team.
Registrants can pre-submit questions or ask them live, including anonymously.
Editor of Veterinary Woman, Jenny Langridge, said: “Readers of Veterinary Woman ranked ‘finances’ as the top subject they needed to know more about to make the most of future opportunities.
"It’s vital that women in the veterinary professions are able to access trusted resources such as the Facing Up To Finances discussions to help achieve their financial goals.”
Further sessions in October 2024 and January and May 2025 will cover subjects including preparing for the unexpected, financial planning and negotiation around life moves such as family, moves and career shifts, and financial strategies for wellness and insurance.
https://www.subscribepage.com/veterinary_woman_finance_series
Linda gave her address at the Royal Institute of British Architects, venue for the RCVS Annual General Meeting last Friday.
Linda, an equine vet and director of the Wiltshire-based George Veterinary Group, said: “A Royal College and a regulator – it’s a challenge but this combined role is also an opportunity for us.
“In the time I’ve served the RCVS, I’ve definitely learnt some of what it takes to fulfil these roles under the remit of both the Veterinary Surgeons Act and our Royal Charter; to think not just from personal perspective and experience, and also to try to look beyond the needs of the profession today and consider what tomorrow might bring.
“Vets are not just one thing.
"The roles we fill in our working lives are many and varied, and I would argue that the MRCVS is the best placed arbiter of animal health and welfare.
"As such, keeping the MRCVS at the heart of decision-making around how veterinary care and services are provided is essential both to safeguard animal health and welfare and also to retain public trust in our work.
“Cultivating trust is a big part of what many of us do, day in and day out – trust in us from within our teams, from our clients and perhaps even from our patients.
“The RCVS with its two hats does a tough job for both the professions and the public.
"In many cases, the interests of the professions and the public align and there is no conflict.
"Of course, as a regulator where the interests don’t align, the RCVS regulates in the wider public interest and this, too, is a positive for us as a profession.
“Working in a regulated environment is a strength for us.
"The landscape in which we work has changed and the regulatory environment needs to change too. Now we are the other side of the general election, work can continue on legislative reform seeking parliamentary time for a new Veterinary Surgeons Act.”
As the 13th female President of the RCVS, Linda will lead an Officer Team comprising the now Senior Vice-President Dr Sue Paterson FRCVS, Junior Vice-President Professor Tim Parkin FRCVS and Treasurer Dr Tshidi Gardiner MRCVS as well as VN Council Chair Belinda Andrews-Jones RVN, who attends Officer Team meetings as an observer.
The project is being led by Dr Faye Didymus (pictured) and Dr Jackie Hargreaves from Leeds Beckett University and will culminate in a set of evidence-based recommendations for how mental health education for veterinary students could be enhanced.
Jackie said: “As part of our project we have already explored the curriculum of accredited veterinary nursing courses for mental health content, but we would love to know more about current VN experiences of mental health in the workforce, and how mental health could be integrated into the curriculum of degrees and diplomas.
"This will include an interview, lasting approximately 60 minutes, about confidence in their practical skills, coping with work stress, and discussion about how to prepare students for the workplace.
“We are seeking VNs who are currently working in practice who have thoughts and ideas about how to further integrate mental health into the veterinary nursing curriculum.
"If you fit into this category, we would be very grateful if you could take the time to participate in our study.
"There is currently little research in this area, and we hope that the outcomes of our project will make a real tangible difference to the mental health and wellbeing of veterinary nurses both throughout their studies and in the long term when they enter the workforce.
“Faye and I would like to extend our thanks to everyone who has already supported our research project, and we look forward to hearing about the ideas and experiences of current practising veterinary nurses.”
For further information about the interview, please contact either Dr Hargreaves at j.hargreaves@leedsbeckett.ac.uk, or research assistant Jen Rawson at jennifer.rawson@leedsbeckett.ac.uk.
Recruitment for interviews will close on Saturday 7 September.
The new presentation is honey-flavoured and is available in 30ml or 100ml bottles with a syringe for precise dosing.
It has a two-year shelf life and a broached shelf life of six months.
Dechra companion animal brand manager, Thomas Johnson, said: “The addition of Felimazole Oral to our product range will provide vets with the flexibility to prescribe Felimazole as either a tablet or oral solution to accommodate the preferences of both the cat and its owner.
"This, combined with our extensive endocrinology resources, will ensure that vets have all the necessary tools to support their feline hyperthyroid cases.”
https://www.dechra.co.uk/cushings-connect
https://www.dechra.co.uk/addisons-connect
https://www.dechra.co.uk/search?q=felimazole#/search=Felimazole
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/dechra-endocrinology-app/id1660737534