Every so often, an idea comes along that seems so simple and effective that it makes you wonder why it hasn’t been tried before. Well, this idea has been tried before, but in France, not the UK, and was kindly brought to our attention through the online pages of www.vetsurgeon.org by Basingstoke-based veterinary surgeon Jonathan Wray MRCVS.The RCVS says it has removed 450 veterinary nurses from the Register for non-payment of their annual renewal fee by 1st January 2019.

The annual renewal fee is due for payment on 1 November every year, although vet nurses have up to midnight on 31st December to pay before they are removed from the Register.

Of the 450 VNs who were removed for non-payment this year, some 150 have subsequently applied for restoration to the Register, paying a £123 fee to do so. The number of removals as a percentage of the whole VN profession stands at 2.7%, 0.8% higher than last year.

A list of those who have been removed from the Register on 1 January 2019, and who hadn’t restored prior to the 8 January, has been published to assist practices in making checks to ensure that all their veterinary nursing staff are still on the Register. This list can be found at: www.rcvs.org.uk/registration/check-the-register/about-the-vn-register/

If you have questions about how to restore yourself to the Register, you can contact the College’s Registration Department on 020 7202 0707 or registration@rcvs.org.uk.

For questions about paying the annual renewal fee or setting up a Direct Debit contact the RCVS Finance Department on 020 7202 0723 or finance@rcvs.org.uk

PS: Whilst you're here, take a moment to see our latest job opportunities for vet nurses.