Generally, veterinary practices may remain open, but there are national variations in what services should be offered and how, including the conditions under which remote prescribing can be used to help support a case.
Wales currently has the tightest ‘firebreak’ restrictions, meaning practices can only provide essential and urgent work until midnight on 8 November 2020, thereafter, returning to usual operations in line with Wales’ standard measures around workplace safety.
England and Northern Ireland are under national restrictions (4 Nov – 2 Dec, and 16 Oct – 12 Nov, respectively), meaning practices can provide treatment essential for maintaining animal health and welfare, along with non-urgent work providing that social distancing measures and safe working can be maintained.
Veterinary surgeons practising in these three countries may also choose to support a case remotely at an earlier stage, for example, through the remote prescribing of POM-Vs without first having conducted a physical examination.
Scotland remains the only country under regional tiered restrictions, meaning practices can continue to provide treatment whilst maintaining social distancing; however, before remote prescribing is offered, veterinary surgeons should first consider whether the animal can be brought under their care.
The full guidance and corresponding flowcharts should be consulted together and are available at www.rcvs.org.uk/covidfaq2and www.rcvs.org.uk/covidfaq4.
VetViewer is currently used by over 400 small animal, mixed and equine practices in the UK to track their metrics.
The tool also allows users to run simulations - so for instance if the practice has had to stop offering routine consults, or has a reduced number of vets or RVNS available, they can immediately see the impact on the practice top line.
VetViewer can be used by all practices, independent or corporate, or individual branches. It can track performance for the past 18 months, allowing comparisons to be made with before, during and after the COVID-19 outbreak.
VetViewer Director, Alex Arpino, says the service usually helps practices to thrive but right now offers potential to help them survive: "Many clinics are struggling to know what to do for the best and not knowing the magnitude of the economic impact of their decisions doesn't help.
"Everyone wants to protect their staff but also ensure they have jobs to return to. We can link data from nearly every PMS in the UK to VetViewer and the practice's management team is given access to a portal where they can see the data at a glance. Right now, being able to run simulations is central to current and future planning and could help alleviate stress for many practices managers and owners."
In normal circumstances, VetViewer allows practices to look at their performance over time and the effect of any changes they might make. The company says it can also help practices evaluate where they over and under-perform relative to their region and the UK as a whole.
The data available in VetViewer includes income from food, wormers and flea treatments and other provisions that many practices might find ways to sustain in the coming weeks.
Looking forward to a time when isolation and distancing can be lifted, the tool also shows where there is potential for practices to increase income - whether that's because they are under-charging for consults compared to the regional average, or performing fewer neutering procedures, or under-utilising potential diagnostic or imaging aids.
Such information is likely to be vital to recovery, providing a clear indication of the speed of recovery and the services that are making the biggest contribution to that recovery.
The VetViewer service can be demonstrated remotely by the company's dedicated team of Business Development Managers and the service can be activated at a distance, so practices can set up their account quickly and without any costs, either to set up or maintain.
For more information, visit: www.vetviewer.co.uk / www.veterinaryinsights.com or practice owners or managers can telephone 01403 800135 to make an appointment for an online meeting or to find out more.
The new platform offers video tutorials, podcasts, webinars, scientific studies, blogs and downloadable resources, all designed to ensure users understand how the HT Vista screening device can support their day-to-day work.
Users can also ask for a free one-on-one training call with HT Vista for personalised guidance.
HT Vista’s Managing Director, Liron Levy-Hirsch said: “We’re excited to introduce this new platform for veterinary professionals alongside our latest diagnostic update to the device.
"Our goal with HT Vista Academy is to support users in expanding their expertise, not just in operating the device but also in understanding the technology behind it and learning the best practice of dermal and subcutaneous mass management.
"By offering valuable educational resources and hands-on support, we hope to enhance the overall experience for veterinary teams and, ultimately, the care they provide to their patients.”
The company says the screening device is being widely used in nurse clinics around the world and its academy is suitable for both vets and veterinary nurses.
www.ht-vet.com/academy
The group, which opened in 2021, is also securing sites in Newcastle and Halesowen for a further two practices which are due to open in 2026.
Harrison Family Vets says at least £350,000 will be invested in each of the new practices which will be staffed by a team of six initially.
Operations director, Kristie Faulkner said: “In less than four years we’ve opened seven extremely successful practices and quickly established a reputation for being a great place to work.
"We’ve built a team where everyone’s individual strengths and personality traits contribute to what we do, in a family-orientated environment.
“We take pride in creating very modern and well-equipped surgeries that are designed around the pets we treat, and we push the boundaries of what’s possible when it comes to pet care.
"In addition, all our team members are also trained, or currently in training for, the Fear Free Accreditation, to significantly reduce fear, stress and anxiety for both pets and their owners, which means every pet’s visit to Harrison Family Vets is as positive as possible.
“Crucially, we also offer pet owners far more affordable pet care than the large corporate chains and our total wellness plan is one of the best value offerings on the market.
"When this is combined with our exceptional team and pioneering practices, it’s not unusual for us to have hundreds of pet owners registering with us in new locations before we even open.
“We’re now looking forward to embarking on our next phase of growth and making our unique offering available to even more veterinary professionals and pet owners throughout the country.
"We would urge anyone interested in joining us in Stoke, Sheffield or Darlington, as well as Newcastle or Halesowen, which will launch in the next phase of openings, to contact us now.”
https://www.harrisonfamilyvets.co.uk/
Probably the most noticeable part of the upgrade is the work we've done to make the site more mobile-phone friendly. But there are also a load of new features, including leaderboards so the most active contributors to the site can be rewarded, a group-based structure so that members can focus on their area of interest, more options for sharing content with colleagues and a brand new format designed especially for veterinary professionals, called the VetNurse Expert Help Forums. Mobile and desktop notifications of new content are also in the pipeline.
All of this builds on VetNurse.co.uk's existing strengths: providing the most popular job board for the veterinary nursing profession (made free of charge to support the profession during the pandemic) and the latest veterinary nursing news.
But it's the VetNurse Expert Help Forums we're most excited about, as they overcome the problems involved with discussing clinical issues on Facebook. The biggest of these is that Facebook gives everyone's opinion equivalence. In other words, it matters not whether you're the country's leading expert in something, or someone who really doesn't know what they are talking about, your post and your opinion is given the same level of prominence. That is fundamentally misleading.
Other problems inherent in Facebook are the fact that good quality replies get drowned in a sea of 'me too' responses, information is poorly curated, there is a lack of transparency because Facebook is not designed to highlight your professional qualifications, and experts get little or no recognition or reward for giving up their time and sharing their knowledge.
The VetNurse Expert Help Forums are designed to overcome all these issues. The concept is simple. Any veterinary nurse can come and ask a clinical question about any of thirteen nursing disciplines. But ONLY veterinary nurses and others who have advanced qualifications or experience can reply. When they do, you can verify their post as answering your question, which awards them points on a leaderboard and allows them to display a logo and contact details in their post (so they get recognition for their business or their employer).
What's more, both the person asking the question and the expert can claim the time spent towards their annual CPD requirement. Just press the 'Claim CPD' link at the top of the page and collect your certificate from the CPD section of your profile.
In due course, there will also be prizes for the most helpful experts and the best questions.
The system is already up and running on VetSurgeon.org, where it has proven very popular because it means members can ask questions without fear of having their question savaged, and know that the answers have come from people with advanced qualifications displayed in their profiles.
The VetNurse Expert Help Forums will be rolled out discipline-by-discipline in the coming weeks. We're currently looking for more nurses to become VetNurse Experts, so if you're interested, email: support@vetnurse.co.uk. The minimum requirements for being an expert are an advanced qualification and/or at least 10 years experience in a given field.
If you are a teacher at veterinary nursing college or a training practice, being VetNurse Expert is a great way to promote your courses or recruit new staff. Likewise if you are a nurse working in industry, it's a good way to highlight your employer's products or services. And finally, if you offer your own services, like referrals or locuming, it's a great way to promote those too.
Finally, we'll also be offering prizes for nurses who contribute to the normal discussion forums on VetNurse.co.uk. So come and get talking in the forums ... and get your name on the new leaderboard early!
Photo: VetNurse Publishing Editor Arlo Guthrie (Sorry, I couldn't think of anything else to illustrate the story with!)
The company says the Elekta Infinity linear accelerator is the only one of its kind for pets in England.
It features a multi-leaf collimator for very accurate shaping of the radiation beam and a six-degrees-of-freedom couch top designed so the patient can be positioned to reduce or eliminate radiation doses to critical organs.
CVS says the new machine will allow the centre to offer cutting edge treatments such as stereotactic radiation therapy, where high dose rates of focused beams are delivered with high precision over a shortened treatment course.
This, the company claims, will mean fewer, shorter sessions, fewer side effects and the best possible chance of improved outcomes for the animal.
Delphine Holopherne-Doran, Clinical Director at Bristol Vet Specialists, said: “Our new hospital will be at the forefront of cancer care in animals.
“The linear accelerator is state of the art, and allows us to offer advanced, image-guided radiation treatments - for example intensity-modulated or stereotactic radiation therapy.
"The advantage to these treatments is that they will allow a more “hard-hitting” treatment of the tumour, with greater safety for the patient’s healthy tissue.
"It will draw many tumours into the realm of treatability.”
Based at Central Park, Avonmouth, Bristol Vet Specialists referral hospital is due for completion this Autumn.
Annual renewal fees for veterinary nurses will remain at the same level as in 2021: £74.
The removal of the alternative fee payment arrangements means there will be no extension to the fee payment window for the 2022/23 fee year and the usual deadline of 31 December will apply.
RCVS Treasurer Niall Connell said: “We understand that many veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses will have been impacted financially over the last couple of years, and we appreciate that this has been a very difficult time for the professions.
"We are pleased that we are able to keep fees static for a second year running, whilst maintaining a strong programme of strategic projects that help to set, uphold and advance standards within the professions.”
The project looked first at how effective CVS small animal first opinion practices were at conducting echocardiography.
It found that a barrier to wider uptake was a lack of up-to-date equipment, along with a lack of current knowledge and training - both in using ultrasound and echocardiography equipment and in interpreting images.
CVS says that as a result, many colleagues were routinely referring suspected cardiac disease cases.
The project leaders then reviewed and recommended practice equipment, so that clinicians had the tools to perform echocardiograms in practice.
This included buying echocardiography tables - so that practitioners could scan an animal’s chest from underneath, more advanced cardiac ultrasound machines and electrocardiogram (ECG) machines.
The company then produced a range of resources for vets and nurses, to help them to improve echocardiography scan rates and nurse cardiology clinics, including clinical guidelines, machine guides and client resources.
It then held a number of training sessions for its vets and nurses, focusing on the latest advancements in heart disease diagnosis and treatment for vets, and training nurses how to conduct nurse cardiology clinics, how to perform and interpret electrocardiography, how to take blood pressure readings and thoracic point of care ultrasound (POCUS).
Lynsay Morgan, Regional Clinical Lead at CVS who is responsible for the cardiac ultrasound clinical improvement project, said: “We want to empower our first opinion small animal vets to perform more echo evaluations and to work up their cardiology cases to a high standard.
"We also want our nurses to be involved in patients’ life-long care, and provide ongoing support to owners of pets with heart disease.
“We hope this project will improve case identification, increase skills and confidence, and see optimum diagnosis and management of cardiac disease.”
Backed by RJD Partners, the directors bought the company back from Benchmark Plc for a reported £12.75M after it decided to divest itself of all non-aquaculture-related assets.
Improve says that under its new leadership, it plans to expand its e-learning portfolio significantly, harnessing technologies like video teaching and virtual/augmented reality to offer a richer learning experience.
In collaboration with its assessment partner, the International School of Veterinary Postgraduate Studies (ISVPS), Improve will be developing new distance-learning programmes for veterinary nurses, including Anaesthesia and Surgical Nursing early in 2021.
Improve also plans further geographical expansion, including running programmes in languages including French, Spanish, German and Chinese.
Dr Heber Alves (pictured right) is Improve’s new CEO. He is supported by a management team that includes Improve founder Dr David Babington, Business Development Director and Mr John Douglass, UK Managing Director.
Heber said: “Improve is fully owned by a team of experienced veterinary and business professionals with a unique understanding of the profession’s training needs at a global level. Even better, we are backed by a private equity partner with a strong track record in professional education and a commitment to supporting our growth, both organically and through acquisition.
The awards highlight the special bond between pets and their owners, and brave stories from animals across the UK.
This year, Vets Now has partnered with StreetVet for the awards, donating £1 to the charity for each entry received.
The winner will receive a £500 voucher to spend on a pet friendly getaway at PetsPyjamas, a bespoke ‘Pet of the Year’ trophy and a personalised bundle of vet-recommended pet treats.
Owners can nominate their own pets, or members of the veterinary profession can nominate pets they know or have treated.
The awards will be open for nominations until 6th May 2024.
https://www.vets-now.com/pet-of-the-year
The 'Tea-Time Training' webinar will be led by Animalcare’s Senior Veterinary Manager, Felicity Caddick.
Tea-Time Training was launched by Animalcare in April to support veterinary surgeons and nurses keep up their CPD. The webinars are short, free, refresher-style training sessions, designed to be enjoyed over a cup of tea.
Animalcare Product Manager James Beaumont said: “A missing microchipped pet is much more likely to be reunited with its owner than an animal which has not been microchipped. National Microchipping Month is a great opportunity for practices to remind clients of the benefits of microchipping and, in doing so, to strengthen their relationships with clients – relationships which are even more important given the difficult times we’re living through.”
To register for ‘4 Essentials for Successful Microchipping’, visit https://mailchi.mp/animalcare/tea-time-training.
Research published in EVE by Pearson in 2020 reported that 95% of equine vets work with “difficult” horses on at least a monthly basis, and that 81% of them had sustained at least one injury in the last 5 years.
The research also indicated that some vets overestimate their understanding of equine learning theory.
The BEVA says developing an extended understanding of how horses learn can make clinical care less stressful, and that reduced patient stress also improves workplace safety, which is important in a role that has been identified as one of the most dangerous civilian professions.
Gemma said: “Horses have limited cognitive skills and so we should try to better understand what motivates and reinforces unwanted behaviours rather than assuming the horse is being wilfully or maliciously disobedient.
“To do this we need to appreciate how horses learn.
"Better horse handling leads to happier horses, and this means happier vets and nurses and owners/clients with the ultimate knock on of better safety, better job satisfaction and better retention in the profession.”
The training sessions include:
Gemma added: “One of the biggest push backs I get from people that haven’t started to develop low stress vet care as a routine is that they haven’t got time. But those who do use it say that it saves them time and keeps them safer, this also brings obvious commercial benefit to the practice - so what’s not to like?”
https://www.beva.org.uk/elearning-redirect?redirect=/course/view.php?id=622
The BVNA Nursing stream is returning to BVA Live in 2024.
The Nursing Programme for BVA Live this year is:
British Veterinary Association President Anna Judson said: “This has been an incredibly challenging year for the profession, with the review by the Competitions and Marketing Authority (CMA) prompting increased scrutiny of the value of veterinary care.
"We know that all veterinary professionals strive to provide the best possible care for the animals they see and we hope our focus on contextualised care at BVA Live provides a timely opportunity to explore this concept in more depth and consider how it can be applied in practice to support both decision-making and communication with clients.”
https://bvalive.vetshow.com
Amongst the proposals agreed by Council was to move towards an independent appointment system for Council membership to replace the current election system.
In addition, Council voted:
Council was tied on whether to separate the position of RCVS President and the Chair of RCVS Council, meaning that this will come back for decision at a later date following the consultation.
RCVS President Sue Paterson said: “The unique way that RCVS Council is currently constituted with annual elections to Council is an old model of self-regulation which is no longer found in other professions including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, solicitors and social workers, among others.
“As a responsible regulator we have a duty to operate in a way that recognises modern principles of regulation, and best meets our objectives to enhance society through improved animal health and welfare by setting, upholding and advancing the educational, ethical and clinical standards for the veterinary professions.
"The College’s recommendations would see us retain self-regulation in the sense of independence from government, and maintain registrants within our governance framework, while better assuring the public that we are acting on their behalf.
“It is our firm belief that, among other things, moving to an all-appointed Council member system, whereby those who serve on Council are selected via an independent process based on their knowledge and experience to ensure input from all parts of the veterinary sector, will better serve our aims, as will having a better balance of professional and lay members.
"Of course, veterinary expertise, knowledge and experience will also remain a vital part of any future arrangements throughout our committee structure, so the veterinary voice will be as important as ever in our policy and decision-making processes.
rcvs.org.uk/who-we-are/rcvs-council/council-meetings/18-january-2024/
Further details about the consultation process will be published in due course.
The College says the online library, which is free to access, aims to encourage people to develop their leadership skills, regardless of what stage of their career they are at.
The Library has a range of materials that learners can work through at their own pace, including presentations, interviews, videos, blogs, articles and webinars on key leadership topics such as Delegation Skills, Difficult Conversations and Inclusive Leadership.
The RCVS Leadership Team will be adding more content to the library, and the profession will have opportunities to suggest topics that they would like to learn more about.
Gurpreet Gill, RCVS Leadership and Inclusion Manager, said: “In terms of veterinary CPD, importance often tends to be placed more on clinical and technical capabilities, but leadership skills are a critical aspect of every veterinary practice and organisation.
“It is also assumed that leadership is a condition of status or position, but this is not necessarily the case.
"Leadership is an everyday practice that is applicable to everyone, regardless of their role.
"The Leadership Library provides learning opportunities for anyone looking to develop and reflect on their leadership skills, which will also count towards the annual CPD requirement.”
The Leadership Library can be accessed now from https://www.rcvs.org.uk/lifelong-learning/rcvs-leadership-initiative/rcvs-leadership-library/
Designed to help veterinary practices save clients' time and improve compliance, VetsDeliver supplies Bravecto - the company's 12 week flea and tick treatment - with the wormer of the vet's choice, by post.
Before the pandemic, practices registered clients for the service online or during an appointment and clients would have to collect the first treatments from the practice.
In response to the pandemic, however, MSD has made now it possible for clients to register from home and get their first treatments sent by post.
Amanda Melvin, Marketing Manager for Companion Animals at MSD Animal Health said: "We are all in unchartered territory and we appreciate the pressure veterinary teams are under to continue to care for their clients and local pet community.
"Many businesses are having to add new services to support online facilities and home delivery, and for vets there is also now a need to reduce footfall into practice while still generating income. Making sure effective parasite control is available will help improve compliance as temperatures rise and the risks to the health of our pets increase. It's one less thing for you and your clients to worry about."
For further information, contact your MSD Animal Health account manager or go to www.msd-animal-health-hub.co.uk/vetsdeliver.
The leaflets are designed to be used as part of the veterinary consultation and provide information to help owners understand what is involved in the examination, including the reasons for the procedure, the preparation required, any associated risks, and what happens during and after the examination.
They are available in a PDF format which can be printed and stamped with the veterinary practice details or emailed to clients.
Philip Lhermette, Principal of Elands Veterinary Clinic, specialist in minimally invasive surgery and Past President of the BSAVA said: “Minimally invasive surgery is becoming commonplace in general veterinary practice and is much sought after by clients, especially for routine procedures such as bitch spays.
"It is important that clients are properly informed of all the risks and benefits of a minimally invasive procedure and these leaflets provide the first opinion practitioner with an ideal means of providing such information in a succinct and easily understood format."
The new leaflets are available via the BSAVA Library here: https://www.bsavalibrary.com/content/cilgroupprocedures.
Access to the entire range of client information leaflets (including canine and feline behaviour, exotic pets, and medicines) is available for an annual subscription of £40.
BSAVA members have access to these leaflets as part of their membership benefits.
If you have any suggestions for further client information leaflets, email: publications@bsava.com.
Pet&Vet has the support of the RCVS, BSAVA, BVNA and BVRA and each has a column aimed at giving pet owners their insights along with general veterinary advice.
The quarterly title will also run seasonal features and have sections about products and services, conservation, pet and owner well-being, treatments, pet owner profiles and celebrity interviews.
In issue one, due to arrive in early March, Ricky Gervais talks about his love for animals, and there are articles about spotting feline arthritis and how to look after older dogs at home.
The magazine will be distributed to veterinary practices free of charge, and the publishers hope you will put it in your reception area for pet owners to read while they wait.
Practices can order more copies, and the plan is to allow them to sell future issues and take a cut of each sale.
Pet owners can also subscribe to get their own copies.
Most of the content is written by veterinary professionals and the editor, Chris Ritchie, says he is keen to receive contributions for the print magazine and companion website, www.petandvetmag.com, which is due to launch alongside the magazine.
Editorial enquiries: editor@petandvetmag.comCommercial enquiries: davidk@petandvetmag.com.
The 1st Reproduction Control Guidelines of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) have just been accepted for publication and are expected to recommend a move away from a blanket neutering policy.
Dr Neil Mottram BSc (Hons) BVSc MRCVS Technical Manager at Virbac said: "This webinar will help clinicians understand and navigate the latest evidence-based medicine in regards to neutering.
"The panel of world-leading experts on reproduction will present their guidance on medical and surgical neutering and offer delegates the opportunity to interact with a live Q&A section at the end of the event.
https://app.livestorm.co/virbac-france/1st-reproduction-control-guidelines?type=detailed
The Diabetic Clinical Score is a quick, standardised scoring system to record the clinical signs of diabetes in a patient, which was designed by Royal Veterinary College Internal Medicine Specialist Dr. Stijn Niessen.
The scoring system has been turned into a pet diabetes app which allows clients to record and monitor the impact of treatment.
CVS' aim is to use the recently validated tool in over 80% of patient cases to improve the treatment and control of diabetes whilst supporting the practice team to develop their skills in managing the condition.
Participating practices will use the DCS, alongside blood glucose measurements, to diagnose and monitor patients.
Veterinary nurses will refer animals coming in for six-monthly Healthy Pet Club check-ups to a vet for a possible diabetes diagnosis, whilst vets diagnosing diabetes will introduce owners and patients to the DCS to record a diabetes log, to help manage the condition.
To upskill and develop colleagues in the use of the DCS, dedicated vet and nurse training sessions have been held by the clinical leadership team, including a kick-off ‘diabetes day’ which focussed on current thinking and introduced the DCS tool.
CVS teams have also grouped together to agree a coordinated approach to managing pets with diabetes in their practice.
Supporting diabetes resources have also been drafted for practices, including new clinical guidelines, supporting paperwork and CPD.
Lara Wilson, Regional Clinical Lead at CVS said: “Diabetes is notoriously difficult to diagnose and different vets can use different approaches to managing cases.
“The Diabetic Clinical Score will help the whole team around the patient – the owner, vet and veterinary nurse – to effectively and cohesively manage their care.
It will implement joined-up thinking and help to put a standardised disease management framework in place.
“It will be fantastic to see the benefits that the Diabetic Clinical Score will bring to our patients and practices.
"I am certain that this will help contribute towards them providing some of the best diabetes clinical diagnosis and care in our profession.”
CVS says the use of ear cytology in OE is beneficial, both as a diagnostic and to evaluate the response to therapy.
However, in 2019 the company looked at 26,269 of its patients and found that ear cytology was only being used in 19.2% of cases, in line with the rest of the profession.
Only 11% of cases were being provided with in-house point-of-care cytology, whilst 8.2% had it performed externally.
80.8% of patients with OE were being prescribed antibiotics without cytological support, with 5% of these the highest priority critically important antibiotics (HPCIAs).
This low level of cytology use in primary care was suspected to be a major contributory factor to the significant use of unnecessary antibiotics.
To support its practices, CVS first looked at the barriers to performing ear cytology interventions, which were identified as a lack of confidence in using the microscope (particularly focusing on x100 and identification of pathological events), a perceived lack of time, insufficient or poorly working equipment, a lack of access to equipment, and the perception that cytology does not change the treatment choice or outcome.
As a second step, a minimal list of cytology equipment was developed to ensure that all sites had the right kit.
New equipment was then supplied to a practice if it did not meet minimum standards.
The company then produced education and resource materials, including new guidelines, imagery and video guides, to upskill both its vets and nurses.
The training focused on: equipment maintenance, cleaning and troubleshooting, how to use the microscope – including x100 magnification and the slide oil immersion technique, how to identify pathological changes, and time management to get a consultation done – including swabbing, microscope analysis, diagnosis and client consultation.
Each site was then provided with its own data, so that it could monitor progress.
Elizabeth McLennan Green, CVS Clinical Director for the North, said: “One of our goals with this project was to minimise the number of antibiotics prescribed without associated diagnostics, and to use ear cytology to guide therapy and response to treatment for the benefit of our patients and clients.”
“We know that low ear cytology interventions are an issue across the profession. We wanted to do better. So ear cytology has been our first and longest running clinical improvement project.
"We’re thrilled with the brilliant results our colleagues are now achieving.”
There's a video presentation about the project here: https://vimeo.com/875515008/bdc3ee5920
Photo: Emily Spencer, Head Vet at Castle Vets
Mr Seymour-Hamilton made previous unsuccessful applications for restoration in 1995, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Mr Seymour-Hamilton was originally removed from the Register in 1994 following an inspection of his veterinary practice premises in Orpington, Kent, that found that the condition of the practice, including the equipment and facilities, were of such a risk to animal health and welfare that it brought the profession into disrepute.
In considering his current application, the Committee had to take several factors into account, including: whether Mr Seymour-Hamilton had accepted the findings of his original hearing; whether he demonstrated insight into his past conduct; protection of the public and the public interest; the future welfare of animals committed to his care should he be restored; length of time off the Register; his conduct since removal; and evidence that he’d kept up-to-date in terms of the knowledge and skills required of a practising veterinary surgeon.
Mr Seymour-Hamilton accepted the facts of the original charges but did not accept the conclusions of the two veterinary surgeons who inspected his practice, who, he claimed, had falsely accused him.
As a result, the Committee concluded that Mr Seymour-Hamilton did not accept the seriousness of the original findings against him, nor had he demonstrated any insight into either the original charges, nor what was required of him to enable a successful application for restoration.
Judith Webb, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee is driven to the conclusion that the applicant has displayed total disregard for rules and regulations. In his evidence he stated that he is professionally competent to spay a cat and he had done so in Calais. This was in recent years and whilst struck off by the RCVS, and after more than 25 years out of the profession. He was unable to see that he had done anything wrong in this.”
As to protection of the public and the future welfare of animals committed to his care, the Committee found that Mr Seymour-Hamilton continued to display a lack of understanding of the role and purpose of regulation. He had shown no insight into previous decisions or of what was required of him to enable a successful restoration, despite being given advice in that regard. He presented no compelling evidence to indicate that he would be safe to practise veterinary surgery were he to be restored to the Register.
Regarding Mr Seymour-Hamilton’s conduct since removal from the Register, the Committee found he did not demonstrate sufficient relevant conduct in relation to his fitness to practise. The Committee noted that, on previous occasions, he had indicated he had illegally practised veterinary surgery and admitted using his own animals to experimentally administer new and untested remedies.
The Committee found that, in relation to the 27 years since removal from the Register, Mr Seymour-Hamilton had not undertaken the prolonged, intensive and formal retraining needed to ensure he was now fit to practise. It also found that, since the last restoration hearing in 2020, Mr Seymour-Hamilton had undertaken very little continuing professional development, maintaining that he was too busy with his work relating to herbal remedies to attend formal veterinary training.
Judith Webb added: “He claimed that he does not find it difficult to keep up-to-date, because he is able to perform online searches if he is in need of information. He thinks that he is competent to operate even after 27 years out of the profession, and maintains that he could operate now. In the view of the Committee, the applicant is totally unaware of current veterinary principles such as it being an evidence-based profession, use of clinical audit and reflective learning. He does not appear to have accepted the purpose of the regulator in protecting public interest, including maintaining public confidence in the profession, nor its role in upholding professional standards and promoting animal welfare.
The Committee considers that where some 27 years have passed since the applicant has practised, there will inevitably be a serious risk to the welfare of animals if he is restored to the Register. In addition, the Committee is firmly of the opinion that it would not be in the public interest for the application for restoration to the RCVS Register to be granted in this case.”
The full documentation from the restoration hearing can be found at: www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary
As part of the campaign, vet nurses are invited to share their top tips for maintaining a calm workplace for staff and patients at: https://www.nvsweb.co.uk/products/big-chill.
Veterinary professionals are being asked to share their top tips in two areas.
Firstly, how they prioritise self-care for themselves and teammates, and secondly, how they best deal with nervous, stressed or anxious patients.
All respondents will be entered into a prize draw for a VetYogi practice subscription.
Gemma Vardy, Senior Category Specialist at NVS Group, said: “Mental health and wellbeing have never been more important within the veterinary industry which is why our dedicated Big Chill campaign supports the wellbeing and mental health of veterinary professionals while also shining a light on animal calming products, such as our select healthcare calming chews, which help support calm and enhance patient experiences.”
https://www.nvsweb.co.uk/products/big-chill
The Nutraotic range includes ear wipes and an ear cleaner, both formulated to provide anti-fungal and anti-bacterial support while moisturising, soothing, and hydrating the skin.
The products are scented with fresh cucumber and melon.
Chris Jones, Managing Director of Nutravet, said: "Our goal at Nutravet has always been to develop the best veterinary strength, healthcare products to aid and support a pet's wellbeing.
"Ear health in dogs and cats is a common concern for many pet owners, and these products give practices high-strength solutions to offer their clients."
www.nutravet.com
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.