The Ralph Veterinary Referral Centre in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, has launched a new oncology referral service led by Stefano Zago DVM (Hons) MSc (Clin Onc) MRCVS.

Stefano qualified in Parma, Italy and has a Master’s in Clinical Oncology. He has worked in a number of referral practices, managing and treating small animal oncological cases. He also has an interesting history of working with animals across the globe: he has a Master’s in Tropical Veterinary Medicine and worked with the United Nations in Somalia, Malaysia and Guyana in wildlife management.

Founder, CEO and Clinical Director of The Ralph, Shailen Jasani said: "We had always planned to include an oncology service here at The Ralph though not quite this soon after opening. However, over the last eight months, this has been one area of veterinary medicine where we have not been able to serve our patients, their carers or our referral community. This did not sit well with us. Serendipity being what it is, our path crossed with Stefano's and we were able to extend our services."

For more information, visit www.theralph.vet 

Animalcare has launched Plaqtiv+, a range of dental care products for cats and dogs designed to reduce the formation of calculus. 

The range includes a water additive which received a Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) approval after being shown to deliver a reduction in calculus of at least 20% in two studies¹. 

The other products in the range are a gum spray and a malt flavoured toothpaste. 

Animalcare says each has been designed to support owner compliance through ease of use and accompanying educational materials.

The company has also launched a website for veterinary professionals and pet owners: https://dental.pet. 

For owners, the site has information on the importance of dental health in pets and advice on establishing a dental care regime.

For veterinary professionals, resources include 'talk tracks' to start discussions with clients about dental care and tools to help them recognise signs of dental pain.

Animalcare Product Manager Eleanor Workman Wright said: “Despite research showing that at least 80% of dogs and 70% of cats are likely to develop periodontal disease by the age of three², dental care is still often neglected.

"While tooth-brushing is cited as the gold standard, it has to be used daily to achieve a significant degree of efficacy.

"This is often just not possible in the ‘real world’ and a more flexible approach can be helpful, with products such as water additives and gum sprays offering a practical, less time-consuming solution in some circumstances."

“Products should be grounded in science which is why we are delighted that the Plaqtiv+ Water Additive has just become the first European product of its type to earn approval from the VOHC.”

References

1. Veterinary Oral Health Council. Protocols and Submissions. Available at: http://www.vohc.org/protocols_submissions.html [Accessed April 2022].
2. Royal Veterinary College. Available at: https://www.rvc.ac.uk/review/Dentistry/Shared_Media/pdfs/perio_print.pdf [Accessed April 2022].

York-based Dr Michael Richard Jones has been suspended by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee for two months, for making dishonest entries in horse passports and subsequently making dishonest entries in the same horses’ clinical records.

The Disciplinary Committee heard three charges against Dr Jones.

The first and second charges were that, in March 2018, Dr Jones made signed entries in the passports and made corresponding entries in clinical records of four horses indicating that he had administered an influenza vaccination booster to each horse on 15 March 2018 and in relation to another horse a tetanus booster, when in fact he had administered the vaccination boosters on 21 March 2018, and that his conduct was misleading, dishonest and undermined the integrity of a vaccination process designed to promote animal welfare.

The third charge was that, on or around 21 March 2018, Dr Jones failed to make any entries in the clinical records for a horse in relation to an examination on 21 March 2018.

At the outset of the hearing Dr Jones admitted the facts in the first and second charges, and accepted that his actions were misleading, dishonest and that they undermined the integrity of a vaccination process. However, he disputed certain aspects of the written statements of the College’s witnesses. In particular he wanted his conduct to be taken in the context of the pressures that he was working under on that day, primarily that he was in a stressed state having had to euthanase a valuable stallion at the conclusion of his previous client appointment.

Dr Jones did not admit the third charge, explaining that he did not remember examining the horse on 21 March 2018 as alleged.

Based on Dr Jones' own admissions, the Committee found the first and second charges proven. 

Regarding the third charge, the Committee heard evidence from the horse’s owner who said they were present during the examination taking place and the Committee was satisfied that the respondent did examine the horse on 21 March 2018 and that he had a duty to make a brief clinical note on the examination. As Dr Jones admitted that he made no such note, the Committee found the charge to have been proven to the requisite standard.

Having found the charges proven, the Committee then went on to consider whether or not Dr Jones’ proven conduct amounted to serious professional misconduct. The Committee, having considered the aggravating and mitigating factors, found that Dr Jones’ conduct as found proved in relation to both charges one and two, did constitute serious professional misconduct.

However, with regards to charge three, the Committee accepted that the respondent simply forgot that he had examined the horse and, therefore, the Committee was not satisfied that the failure to compile a record entry covering the horse’s examination constituted serious professional misconduct.

The Committee then considered what sanction to impose on Dr Jones in relation to the facts found proven in charges one and two. In doing so it took into account the 78 written testimonials and 4 character witnesses called on behalf of Dr Jones.

Ian Green, who chaired the Committee and spoke on its behalf, said: "The Committee’s decision on sanction has been based on an acceptance that the respondent’s conduct on this occasion was out-of-character, as the evidence of his character witnesses and the contents of the letters submitted in his support by his clients and other veterinary colleagues assert. The Committee also accepts that the respondent self-reported himself to his employer and to the College and has made a full and frank admission of his wrongdoing.

"Consideration was given to whether the sanction of a reprimand and/or warning as to future conduct would adequately reflect the gravity of the misconduct, however, after careful reflection it was concluded that such a sanction could not be justified. The reason is that acts of falsification involve acts of dishonesty by a professional person acting in a professional capacity, and the gravity of the matter arises not simply from the dishonesty but also from the possible consequences of the false certification. It should be clearly understood by members of the veterinary profession that, in appropriate false certification cases, the sanction of removal from the Register is one which may well be imposed."

The Committee therefore decided that suspending Dr Jones from the Register for two months would be the most appropriate sanction.

VetYogi, a yoga company run by Chloe Hannigan MRCVS, has launched a subscription service for veterinary practices and individuals.

VetYogi’s new ‘VetYogi Collective’ offers an on-demand online hub of yoga, mental health and wellbeing sessions designed to meet the individual needs of RVNs, vets, practice managers, receptionists, students and paraprofessionals. 

Subscription includes a monthly live yoga session and access to a library of content which includes yoga sessions lasting from minutes to over an hour.

There are also videos, and advice on guided meditation to help support wellbeing and manage stress.

Chloe says: “It’s important that everyone who has a need, has access to the type of wellbeing tools that they respond best to, so we have developed self-care sessions for all roles in the profession.

"If you have had a hard day or a stiff neck from working in theatre for hours, or are just feeling tense and unable to switch off, you need help there and then.

"The VetYogi Collective provides that support around the clock which we simply couldn’t deliver any other way.”

Individual subscriptions cost £12 per month.

Practices signing up their team are offered preferential rates and can use the VetYogi Collective badge on their materials to signal their commitment to supporting wellbeing.

collective.vetyogi.com 

Humane Society International, an animal charity, has launched Vets for Ukrainian Pets, through which refugees can have access to free veterinary treatment in the UK and 38 European countries. 

Vets for Ukrainian Pets will cover the treatment costs of up to five dogs, cats, horses or other pet animals, up to 250 Euros per animal, for acute care and medication, rabies and other vaccinations as well as microchipping and medical examination required for safe passage through the EU.

The initiative is being funded by HSI, with support from Mars.

It is being run collaboration with Federation of Veterinarians in Europe and the Federation of European Companion Animal Veterinary Associations. 

Reimbursements for participating veterinary surgeons will be available wherever the FECAVA has members, including in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Romania and Poland, as well as Ukraine.

Ruud Tombrock, executive director of HSI/Europe, said: “In Europe’s biggest refugee crisis since WWII, millions of Ukrainians have had to take the decision to leave their country and flee the war.

"Along with a few possessions, many are also taking their pet animals, who they cherish as family members.

"The trauma of war as well as the stress of the evacuation journey, can make animals vulnerable to a variety of illnesses and so HSI’s Vets for Ukrainian Pets program aims to eliminate barriers to accessing veterinary care for the pets of refugees.

"It will provide a much-needed safety net for those families fleeing with their beloved pets so that at no point they feel compelled to leave their pets behind due to concerns about being able to care for them.”

Vets for Ukrainian Pets will run until 21st May 2022 and is open for all licensed veterinary clinics to apply throughout Europe, whether owned privately or as part of a corporate group.

Veterinary surgeons who want to join the program should visit apply.vetsforukraine.com.

Vets4Pets has appointed ex BVA and SPVS President Gudrun Ravetz as Head of Workplace Engagement.

In addition to working as a clinician in private practice and for charity, Gudrun has worked in several veterinary-related roles in industry, both in management and as a consultant, as well as being the Chair for the British Veterinary Association’s Good Veterinary Workplace Working Group.

In the new role, Gudrun will work support the implementation of the British Veterinary Association’s Good Veterinary Workplaces Code across the business.

Gudrun said: “Having been heavily involved in the work leading up to the Good Veterinary Workplaces Code during my time at the British Veterinary Association, I can fully relate to the many pressures that veterinary workplaces are currently under.

"Through supportive action and using evidence-based tools, I believe we can make a positive and lasting difference.

“It’s an honour to join Vets4Pets as we begin to implement its many commitments to improving the industry.

"I am excited to work towards a positive future for veterinary workplaces and being able to work with Vets4Pets to build a well-resourced and accessible tool for practices to implement good veterinary workplaces will help our practices to attract and retain the best clinical talent.”

Claudia Elena Surdila has been warned and reprimanded by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee following a conviction in Romania of unlawfully obtaining funds from the EU for a bee-keeping enterprise.

The Disciplinary Committee heard that the offence took place in 2013, when Dr Surdila was not a registered veterinary surgeon.

However she pleaded guilty to the charge in 2019, by which time she was. 

Dr Surdila testified that in 2010, she and her family owned a few beehives and applied for EU funding to help expand their operation into a business. 

A requirement of the funding was that Dr Surdila and her sister belong to a licensed bee-keeping co-operative. 

They joined their local co-operative, and paid a consultant to manage their funding application.

Three years later, their consultant switched Dr Surdila and her sister to a different cooperative, for reasons they did not understand. 

After another three years or so, Dr Surdila's family decided to close the business because she was at university and the others had other commitments.

Dr Surdila later moved to the UK and joined a practice in Motherwell, Scotland.

Then, in 2019, when Dr Surdila had been in the UK for four years, it transpired that the second co-operative they had joined was unlicensed and they had therefore not been entitled to received funds from the EU, and would be prosecuted by the National Department of Anti-Corruption.

Meanwhile, the consultant they had paid to manage their funding application had died. 

Dr Surdila stated that everything she had signed for the unlicensed co-op had been signed in good faith, but she was advised by her lawyer that as she had signed legally binding documents for the funding, and because the consultant had died, her only option was to plead guilty.

She was sentenced to two years imprisonment, suspended for two years, 60 days of community service and was required to pay 19,544.7 Romanian Lei (approximately £3,300) in damages.

Her lawyer advised her to appeal her sentence which was harsh considering the circumstances.

However, the appeal was postponed several times because of Covid-19 and was ultimately unsuccessful.

In concluding whether the conviction rendered Dr Surdila unfit to practise, Mrs Judith Way, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “Dr Surdila’s conviction was of a nature and seriousness that required a finding that she was unfit to practise as a veterinary surgeon on public interest grounds”.

The Committee then turned to sanction and in reaching its decision, Mrs Way said: “This was a serious conviction with a significant sentence, involving an element of bad faith.

"The Committee considered it important to mark this behaviour in some way because Dr Surdila should have been more cognisant of what she was signing.

“The Committee noted that her offending behaviour took place a significantly long time ago, when Dr Surdila was young and inexperienced and before she had qualified as a veterinary surgeon.

"There had never been a risk to animals or the public, she had demonstrated significant insight into her failures and exhibited genuine remorse.

"The Committee was satisfied that it was highly unlikely she would ever commit such an offence again.

 “In light of the lack of aggravating factors and the extensive mitigation in this case, the Committee concluded that it was appropriate and proportionate to reprimand Dr Surdila and to warn her of the need to ensure she reads and understands all documents that require her signature.”

The Committee’s full findings can be viewed at www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary

Liz Leece, a European and RCVS Specialist in veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia at Paragon Veterinary Referrals in Yorkshire, is championing a new approach to post-operative pain management.

The traditional approach is to use anatomical knowledge to inject pain relief in the area of the nerves to be blocked.

Liz is leading a move away from this approach to a more precise method which uses ultrasound guidance to visualise the nerves, allowing the local anaesthetic to be placed directly around the nerve itself.

For some nerve blocks, it is possible to block just the sensory branches of nerves, which means pets can walk better immediately after surgery while not feeling any pain.

Liz, a past president of the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists, said: “Local analgesia is now at the forefront of our post-operative care and reliably improves the quality of a pet’s recovery and reduces the need for opioid pain relief, which can cause side effects.

“We’re using the latest techniques to deliver the nerve-blocking anaesthetics to exactly where they’re needed.

“For many of the nerve blocks, the use of ultrasound guidance allows more precise delivery and a complete blockade of the sensory nerves, which is why, here at Paragon, we’ve invested in state-of-the art ultrasound machine designed specifically for superficial and deep nerve blocks.

“This means we can provide more effective immediate post-operative analgesia for our patients and minimise the need for further pain killers.

“The nerves can be directly visualised and local anaesthetic directly placed around the nerve bundles.”

Liz is keen to highlight the advantages of the increased use of local anaesthesia in the treatment of animals. She added: “We’re hoping we’ll soon be able to publish some clinical research on the use of some of the blocking techniques used to demonstrate our clinical impression of their effectiveness in patient management.”

Virbac has launched Canigen Bb, an injectable Bordetella bronchiseptica vaccine for dogs to reduce clinical signs of upper respiratory tract disease and reduce bacterial shedding post-infection.

Bordetella bronchiseptica is a clinically significant pathogen for canine infectious respiratory disease (CIRD), otherwise known as kennel cough, with 78.7% of dogs with acute respiratory signs testing positive for the bacteria¹.

In the same study, 45.6% of clinically healthy dogs also tested positive for Bordetella bronchiseptica, illustrating that clinically healthy dogs can carry respiratory pathogens and could act as sources of infection for susceptible dogs¹.

Administered via subcutaneous injection, Canigen Bb is an inactivated subunit vaccine which offers vets a new option when intra-nasal vaccination with a live aerosolised vaccine is not possible or preferred, for example when the dog is in contact with known immunocompromised individuals.

Licensed for use in dogs from 6 weeks of age, Canigen Bb extends protection against Bordetella bronchiseptica in dogs vaccinated with Canigen KC in the last 12 months for a further year with a single dose.

Canigen Bb is presented as a ready-to-use formula in a 10ml multi-dose bottle and can be stored at room temperature (2°C - 25°C) for up to 4 weeks once broached.

It can be administered concurrently (at the same time but separate injections) with Canigen DHP, Canigen DHPPi, Canigen Pi & Canigen Lepto 4.

Andrew Connolly, Marketing Director at Virbac, said: ‘It is our hope that Canigen Bb will increase the overall uptake of Bordetella bronchiseptica vaccination to provide increased protection against this widely prevalent and clinically significant disease’.

Reference

1. Schulz BS, Kurz S, Weber K, Balzer HJ, Hartmann K. Detection of respiratory viruses and Bordetella bronchiseptica in dogs with acute respiratory tract infections. Vet J. 2014 Sep;201(3):365-9. doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2014.04.019. Epub 2014 May 6. PMID: 24980809; PMCID: PMC7110455.

MSD Animal Health has announced that Bravecto Plus has been given a new licence to treat Otodectes Cynotis (ear mites) in cats.

The company points to a study which showed that cats treated Bravecto Plus showed no visible signs of mites at 14 days and 100% efficacy was confirmed at 28 days¹. This, says the company, means that Bravecto Plus now gives 12 week control of fleas and ticks, eight week prevention of heartworm disease, treatment of roundworm and hookworm, and treatment of ear mites.

Hannah Newbury, Companion Animal Technical Lead at MSD Animal Health said:  "With 1 in 4 cats in the Big Flea Project study having fleas², we can conclude that pet owner compliance to parasite prevention is currently poor. 

"This new licence is an important development for vets and cat owners, offering greater convenience, while helping improve flea and tick compliance. Bravecto Plus builds on the qualities of Bravecto and offers vets and cat owners another tool in the fight against an even broader range of potentially harmful parasites. 

"Research by MSD Animal Health shows that 82% of cat owners believe that the ideal flea and tick treatment lasts longer than 2 months³ and vets can offer their cat owners this and more with BRAVECTO PLUS due to its 12 week duration of activity⁴.  

For further information contact your MSD Animal Health Account Manager.

References

1. Taenzler et al. Parasites & Vectors 2018;  Efficacy of fluralaner plus moxidectin (Bravecto Plus spot-on solution for cats) against Otodectes cynotis infestations in cats. 11:595.
2. Abdullah et al.  Parasites & Vectors 2019; Pathogens in fleas collected from cats and dogs:  distribution and prevalence in the UK.
3. Transdermal Bravecto Market Assessment Study, July 2015.
4. Bravecto Plus summary of product characteristics (SPC).

The BSAVA has shared 18 ways veterinary professionals can manage time more effectively.

The tips, put together by Tessa Plagis (communication advisor at St. Anna Advies), Alan Robinson (director of VetDynamics) and Rebecca Robinson (coach at VetDynamics and senior clinician in veterinary anaesthesia at the AHT), are being shared to set the scene for Congress 2023, where international experts will be exploring how time management at organisational, systems, teams and an individual levels can lead to drastic improvements in performance, job satisfaction and wellbeing.

The Association points to the demands on the profession caused by the fact that veterinary professionals have been saying 'yes' to everything for years: yes to more clients, more patients and more overtime.

This, says BSAVA, is taking its toll: experienced practitioners and recent graduates are leaving the profession, and many more are suffering mental and physical health issues associated with sustained high stress.

Tessa Plagis, communication advisor at St. Anna Advies, said: “We are at a tipping point and can’t keep doing what we’ve always done. If we want sustainable veterinary businesses going forward we need to change the structure of how we work.”

Tessa says the issues are both organisational and individual: “Many veterinary professionals struggle to give boundaries.

"We are people pleasers and tend to say ‘yes’, even if that means compromising other important aspects of lives, such as family.

"This set against a background of too few vets, which means that there’s nobody to help us out when there’s too much to-do.”

To find out more about time management, book your ticket for BSAVA Congress at: https://www.bsavaevents.com/bsavacongress2023/en/page/home, and in the meantime, here are Tessa, Alan and Rebecca's time management tips. 

Tessa's tips

• Measure what’s happening now. Double appointments, vets running over, late closing time; pinpoint the problem and get insight into its scale by analysing the current situation.
• Measure how long it takes to do routine procedures from start to finish. Is everyone sticking to their roles and fulling utilising their expertise?
• Keep to time in consults by prioritising and not always doing those extras. When a client comes in for a vaccine but also wants you clip claws, empty anal glands and look at a lump, assess which is urgent and what needs to be dealt with in a second appointment. This does need to be a team-wide approach, otherwise you tend to hear ‘but the other vet will do it.’
• Cluster appointments.  For example, have a morning of cat spays rather than bouncing from a dental to a castration to a spay.  It’s more efficient and has the advantage of giving you, and the nursing team, comparable outcomes to monitor, making anomalies easier to spot.
• Learn to say ‘no’. Focus on what is possible, rather than what’s not.  Instead of ‘we’re fully booked today, the next appointment is tomorrow,’ try ‘the next available appointment is tomorrow.’ Don’t rearrange your schedule to fit theirs.  It’s doesn’t work in the long term.
• Introduce firebreaks. A good technique that stems from human medicine accounts for emergencies. Another tip, which requires a team-wide approach.
• Make clients aware of the length of appointments. ‘We’ve booked you in for a 15min appointment at 4pm on Thursday,’ for example.  It sets expectations at the start.

Alan's tips

• Simplify the jobs and their outcomes. In consults, outsource non-clinical elements, to other internal teams. Vets are compassionate and will take on the responsibility for the management of emotions when they don’t have too and without due regard for their own needs.  Compliance is another area which doesn’t necessarily need to fall to the vet.  Multi-functional teams can support and assist, offering an ‘ecosystem of care’.  The financial side of consults can be moved outside of the clinical sphere through pet clubs, insurance and full subscription models.
• Develop efficient systems. Draw from other businesses, lean, six sigma and business design reengineering processes are efficient and proven.  Do things you have to do well, delegate, outsource or automate other elements. Simply stop doing those things you don’t need to do.
• Consider reducing the number of active clients per vet.  We’ve found the optimum is between 500-700.  It means more time with fewer people. While it is hard to say no to the ever-increasing demand, there are ways to develop a strong client base. Healthy pet clubs ensures you’ve clients who are engaged in preventative care and are committed to the well-being of their animals, for example.
  “There’s a lot of work happening in the realm of mental health at the moment,” notes Alan. “But we’re treating stress as an individual problem not an organisational or system one.”

Rebecca's tips

• Set long-term goals for you and your business. One important aspect of effective time management is knowing that you’re achieving the right things.
• Invest in your team. By building a team and using it in a constructive way, I’ve found it’s helped my own time management.  I’ve gone from trying to organise me and my time to realising that by helping others, I can improve my own work life.
• Prioritise your own tasks. By prioritising what I need to do, I can help my team feel more valued and motivated to prioritise what they need to do.  It means we end up with a more productive team.
• Try not to get embroiled into the other’s to-dos. While they might be both important and urgent, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to action them. Helping them to do it themselves has made a massive difference to them and me.
• Set SMART goals and boundaries for achieving them. Make sure everybody knows the outcome that you are working towards.  It prevents people from going off in a completely different direction to the one you’re expecting.
• Don’t rely on your head to remember everything. It’s too busy, so write it down. Likewise, draft your case notes at the time of the consultation.
• If it takes less than 2 minutes, just do it. Don’t try and remember the to-do all day, it requires a lot of energy and means you’ll be actioning it when you’re already feeling exhausted.  
• Take time for a little self-care. Rather than trying to keep going until you grind to a halt, make a little time for yourself.  You’ll be more productive overall.

Boehringer Ingelheim has launched Aservo EquiHaler (ciclesonide inhalation solution), the first inhaled treatment for equine asthma.

The company says the new product has been 10 years in development and uses 'Soft Mist' technology - developed originally for human use by its pharma business - to deliver medication deep into the horse's lungs.

The active ingredient in the Aservo EquiHaler is ciclesonide, a corticosteroid that is activated directly in the lung, reducing the lower airway inflammation associated with severe equine asthma and reducing the risks commonly associated with systemic corticosteroids.

The Aservo EquiHaler does not use a propellant, so it does not contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Boehringer also highlights that it is made from up to 50% recycled materials. In April, the product was awarded a Red Dot Design Award.

Dr Marc Laemmer, Head of Equine in UK & Ireland said: "It's another industry first and is a strong indicator of the commitment that Boehringer Ingelheim has to the health and welfare of horses, and to the investment that we make into continuing to advance therapies through collaboration and innovation.

"We understand that a product launch in this challenging time for the veterinary profession may seem surprising, but we have had such strong demand from equine vets for the product that we have committed to making Aservo EquiHaler available. Out team of territory managers and vet advisers will conduct remote meetings with customers to make sure that they have the information and support they require."

The RCVS has opened nominations for its Honours & Awards 2022.

The award categories that someone can be nominated for are:

• The Queen’s Medal – an award for a veterinary surgeon with a lifetime of outstanding contributions to the profession.
• The Veterinary Nursing Golden Jubilee Award - awarded to a veterinary nurse who has had a sustained and distinguished career, who can demonstrate a leadership role within the profession and who can act as an ambassador for the value of veterinary nurses and their work.
• The RCVS International Award - awarded to veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses or laypeople who have made an outstanding contribution on issues that are in line with the RCVS mission.
• The RCVS Impact Award - awarded to veterinary surgeons or veterinary nurses who have recently, or are currently, undertaking a project, initiative or similar that has a significant impact on the profession at large, animal health or welfare, or public health.
• The RCVS Inspiration Award - awarded to veterinary surgeons or veterinary nurses at any stage of their career who have demonstrated the ability to inspire and enthuse others consistently throughout.
• Honorary Associateship - awarded to laypeople (i.e. those who are neither MRCVS nor RVNs) who have made a special contribution to the veterinary sphere and could include, for example, scientists, lecturers, journalists, charity-workers, farriers, farmers and those involved in the commercial field.
• The RCVS Compassion Award - awarded to a veterinary surgeon or veterinary nurse at any stage of their career who has demonstrated compassion towards fellow professionals and/or members of the animal-owning public.
• The RCVS Student Community Award – awarded to a veterinary or veterinary nursing student who has made a real effort to support their fellow students and the wider veterinary/veterinary nursing school community.

The closing date for the awards is Friday, 7 January 2022.

For more information, visit www.rcvs.org.uk/awards.