Dr Ranjit 'Ranj' Singh has been confirmed as a keynote speaker for BSAVA Virtual Congress, 25-27 March 2021.  

The NHS doctor, television presenter, author and columnist will be sharing his insights on the mental health challenges of working within a caring profession under the constraints of the pandemic.

Dr Ranj is the second keynote speaker to be confirmed, the first being Jenny Campbell and the third to be revealed next month. They will be joining a line-up of more than 100 UK and International contributors during the three days of the event.

Dr Ranj is familiar with the intense pressure that many veterinary professionals are facing when juggling working in a sometimes emotionally stressful environment with that of home life. When the pandemic started Dr Ranj took a step back from media work to focus on supporting the NHS in his role as a paediatric emergency medicine specialist. He said: "Maintaining wellbeing is all about doing the basics right.

“We are in a pandemic and people are under intense pressure - from work, from home life, from a health perspective and so much more. So, despite everything going on around you, make sure you have a routine every day.

"Get out and about safely.  Build some physical activity into your schedule. Nourish your body with everything it needs, and make sure you allow yourself some treats too! Take a moment for yourself every day to do something that makes you feel good.

"Take time to connect with others safely and check in on the vulnerable too. Celebrate the little victories and achievements that you have. And at the end of the day, make sure you look after your sleep because that's when your brain and body recover from the stresses of everyday. Everything else we do is a bonus on top of those basics. And if you are struggling, make sure you reach out for help and speak to someone."

BSAVA President Ian Ramsey said: "We are delighted to welcome Dr Ranj as one of our three keynote speakers this year. One of the many advantages of Congress evolving into a virtual event for 2021 is that we can be more flexible and creative with our sessions and how we fulfil the needs and expectations of every member of the practice, from clinical, interactive, wellbeing and social perspectives. Our three keynote presentations are eagerly anticipated.”

Prices for BSAVA Virtual Congress start at £99 +VAT for members. To register visit https://www.bsavaevents.com/bsavacongress2021/en/page/home

At BSAVA’s Congress 2023 (Manchester Central on 23rd-25th March 2023), Andy Green, People Director at Pennard Vets in Kent, and Helen Silver-MacMahon RVN, VN Research and Development Director at VetLed will be presenting a talk about leadership and time management, in particular how nurses may hold the key to a harmonious practice.

Andy said: “High functioning practices, revolve around the nurses. Naturally, they are a communication hub.

"It makes sense to recognise the essential role they play and develop a nurse-centric structure.”

“Start by making sure you’ve enough nurses and look at how the rota is set up.

"Ensure everyone understands the practice’s vision and mission, as well as the shared values and the behaviours which demonstrate those values.

“When there’s alignment between individual and organisational goals and values, you all naturally pull in the same direction.

“Then it’s about how the day is set up and who runs each part.

"In our practice, the nurse is responsible for the running order, for allocating who’s doing what and making sure everyone understands their roles, and liaising with the vets.

"It’s about ‘working in flow’.”

Helen (pictured right) says empowering nurses is as much about how the team interacts, as its structure: “Like anyone else, nurses need to be acknowledged and have a psychologically safe space to discuss ideas and challenges.

“We can all build trust by being curious and asking lots of different questions.

"Experienced team members need to be fallible and humble, setting the scene so that everyone in the team has voice.

"Ideas should be expected, and welcomed – after all, the outcome of a patient is rarely due to just one person’s expertise.”

She added: “Where nurses’ contribution and potential are recognised, and the hierarchy is shallowed, they make incredible leaders."

“At BSAVA Congress 2023, I’ll be speaking about delegation.

"As leaders we feel we have to ‘own’ tasks and that inevitably means doing it ourselves.

"But that’s not always the best option.

"It can leave leaders feeling overwhelmed, whereas delegating tasks can empower others, build resilience within the team and help with retention.

“Small practices often have that traditional command and control structure – it’s the classic triangle, where the owner sits at the top with others underneath.

"Broadening that hierarchy is both possible and practical.

"Leverage the talent on the team, grow it, develop it and you’ll be nurturing next level of the leaders.”

Andy says he has sometimes found it a challenge to let go: “Like many vets, I used to be a bit of a control freak and had to consciously learn to delegate.

"It’s accepting that others may do it differently, and at first, not as well or as quickly as you.

"The temptation is do it yourself but it immediately blocks others from learning the skill and hampers growth within the team.”

Helen says that when considering promoting anyone into a leadership position, it is important to remember that it isn’t always an innate skill. 

“Often, nurses become experts clinically, and then get asked to become leaders in that area.

"This is difficult for some people.

"They feel they should be able to do it, but have had very little training on the subject, don’t have the knowledge or skills and therefore feel unsupported in their role.”

"As the pressure mounts, stress levels rise and it starts to impact on their wellbeing, potentially great leaders step down.

“When this happens everyone loses, and is why I’m so passionate about leadership training.”

www.bsavaevents.com/bsavacongress2023.

Ceva Animal Health and International Cat Care have released a second season of their free online training videos for vet nurses which demonstrate gentle cat handling techniques to reduce fear and stress.

Season 2 has been launched after a staggering 50,000 people completed the first series, which was launched in 2018.

Ceva says the benefits of completing the course, beyond it counting towards your annual CPD requirement, include: 

• Easier, safer handling: Less anxious cats mean fewer reactive behaviours, making every interaction more predictable and safe.
• Smoother appointments: When cats feel secure, procedures can be performed more efficiently and with greater cooperation.
• Enhanced feline wellbeing: The programme reinforces gentle, cat-centric handling, helping cats build trust and confidence over time.
• A better experience for owners: Lower stress levels lead to more positive visits and increased owner satisfaction.

Season 2 is available on demand at: https://gbr.ceva.vet/index

The Veterinary Management Group (VMG) has announced a series of regional workshops for those interested in achieving the Certificate of Veterinary Practice Management (CVPM) next year.

The CVPM is the industry-recognised professional examination for veterinary managers. Covering six main areas – strategy, finance, marketing, personnel, communications and general management - it is available to VMG members who want to consolidate their knowledge and experience with a recognised qualification. Candidates must be employed in the veterinary sector in a management role.

The regional workshops are free to attend but registration in advance is required.

Saturday 7 March 2020, 10.30 am – 1.00 pm
Workshop 1: Coverdale House, Aviator Court, York YO30 4GZ. 
Workshop 2: Clue House, Petherton Road, Bristol, BS14 9BZ. 

Saturday 21 March Workshop 2020
Workshop 1: Goddard Veterinary Group Wanstead Veterinary Hospital, 84 New Wanstead, Wanstead, London E11 2SY.
Workshop 2, Manchester: This workshop takes place at the Vets Now Hospital, 98 Bury Old Rd, Whitefield, Manchester M45 6TQ.

Those attending VMG-SPVS Congress 2020 at Celtic Manor Resort, Newport, are also strongly advised to attend the Management Mastery Stream, on Friday 24 January 2020.

VMG Director Ms Georgina Hills (pictured right) said: "Those involved in practice management require expertise in all the key aspects of running a successful business, as well as a deep understanding of the veterinary sector. The CVPM is a testing qualification and is increasingly recognised as a benchmark for excellence. Our regional workshops are ideal preparation for those preparing to submit their applications in August and to undertake the examination in November 2020 so we look forward to meeting potential candidates around the country during 2020."

Miss Emma Hollingworth from the Park Vet Group in Cardiff, who achieved the qualification in 2018, said: "Coming from a nursing background where much of my knowledge was gained through experience, the CVPM required me to research and develop skills which are not taught to all veterinary nurses and I feel it has given me a strong platform from which to develop my career.  The VMG provides excellent preparation days and I highly recommend attending one to those sitting the exam."

The CVPM examination consists of a written 3,000-word report and the examination itself which consists of a ten-minute presentation on a subject supplied by the examining board; a 15-minute discussion of the submitted report and two further 30-minute oral exams on related topics.

Further information is available at https://vetmg.com/cvpm-vpac/

The BSAVA and the Small Animal Medicine Society (SAMSoc) have released an updated PROTECT ME poster with more antibiotic use recommendations.

The poster was put together by a team of 55 specialists and general practitioners led by Fergus Allerton.

It includes an outline of the new European Medicines Agency advice on categorising antibiotics, a new section on wounds and surgical site infections, updated advice on life-threatening infections and identifying/treating sepsis, and more advice for owners.

Fergus said: “The latest iteration of the PROTECT ME poster incorporates updated information and offers recommendations to support vets to optimise their antibiotic use.

"I hope this will be a valuable resource for vets in practice.”

The new posters will be distributed with Companion in December.

Free printable posters are available from: www.bsavalibrary.com/protectme

Printed copies can be purchased from the BSAVA store: www.bsava.com/store.

BSAVA members are also able to request free printed copies.

Cardiff-based Nicola Jade Burrows MRCVS has been restored to the Register by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee, following her removal in May 2021 for dishonesty over insurance claims.

At the hearing, the Disciplinary Committee considered whether she had accepted the findings of the Committee at the original inquiry hearing, the seriousness of those findings, whether she had demonstrated insight into her past conduct, and the protection of the public and the public interest.

In her restoration application, Dr Burrows included continuing professional development (CPD) certificates for the courses she had completed since her removal from the Register, letters/informal witness statements from the veterinary surgeons and nurses she had worked who had expressed a willingness to employ her again, together with character references and reflection statements.

She also made a detailed opening statement in support of her application, in which she said that the period since her name was removed from the Register was extremely difficult and also that she now unconditionally accepted all the Committee’s original findings in May 2021, some of which she had previously denied and had failed to acknowledge.

Dr Burrows went on to state that she only had herself to blame for her actions and that she now understood and accepted that the original sanction of removal from the register had needed to be severe given the serious breach of trust to the public, to the veterinary profession and the insurance industry that was a direct consequence of her dishonest actions.

Since removal from the Register, Dr Burrows had taken on the role of receptionist in a Vets4Pets practice in Cardiff, which required her to deal directly with the public and their insurance requests and entitlements.

She stated that as a result of her involvement over the past 18 months in processing insurance claims, she acknowledges the “delicate” relationship between veterinary surgeons, clients and insurers.

Additionally, working as a receptionist, had allowed her to recognise the need for contemporaneous and clear clinical notes.

She also highlighted her CPD, which was relevant to insurance, as well as the fact she’d undertaken a professional ethics course to assist her rehabilitation, reflection, and insight.

In support of Dr Burrows’ restoration to the Register, the Committee took into account three witness accounts from people who work at the Vets4Pets branch where Dr Burrows works as a receptionist.

All witnesses gave positive reflections on Dr Burrows’ character and assured the Committee that they would provide the correct level of support to allow her to return to work safely and that they would have all the necessary safeguarding measures in place to ensure that the public’s and the profession’s interest is always at the forefront.

Judith Way, chairing the Disciplinary Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee was impressed by the fact that busy professionals chose to give up their time to provide witness statements and give evidence in support of Dr Burrows’ application.

"All witnesses were clearly supportive of Dr Burrows’ request for restoration to the Register.

“The Committee found Dr Burrows to show remorse and she does now accept the findings of dishonesty that were made against her in the original enquiry hearing and stated that her conduct was dishonest.

"In the Committee’s view, the evidence given by Dr Burrows on affirmation was very believable and she now accepts her dishonesty together with the gravity of her dishonesty.

“The Committee also formed the view that the steps she has taken to address her dishonesty serve to confirm that she is passionate about the prospect that she be allowed to return to practise.

"The Committee was impressed by Dr Burrows and the evidence given and is now satisfied that she will ensure the highest standards of probity and honesty in the future.

“Having taken all evidence into account, the Committee is satisfied that the future welfare of animals under Dr Burrows’ responsibility will be properly protected, and that her future dealings with insurers will be honest in all respects and that the interests of the public will be met.”

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

Sylwia Kalisz MRCVS has been reprimanded by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee for lapses in clinical judgement in relation to the treatment of a cocker spaniel.

Dr Kalisz faced a total of nine charges (including 41 sub-charges).

The first was that in July 2020, she failed to carry out a clinical examination of the dog, failed to adequately interpret test results, failed to ask for help interpreting the results, and undertook an emergency Caesarean section without sufficient need to do so.

The other charges related to undertaking a colotomy without sufficient justification and without exercising sufficient clinical judgment throughout the procedure.

For both the Caesarean section and the colotomy, Dr Kalisz faced charges that she failed to obtain informed consent from the owners and failed to inform them that the colotomy had been carried out, or of the potential risks of the procedure, and also failed to provide enough information about aftercare.

It was also alleged that Dr Kalisz had demonstrated continual lapses in professional judgement, including failing to appropriately manage the spaniel’s worsening condition when it was presented to the practice again later, and that the clinical records in relation to the surgery were dishonest and/or misleading.

Dr Kalisz admitted serious professional misconduct, admitting to 29 of the sub-charges, while the remaining 12 sub-charges were denied.

The Committee found 30 of the sub-charges proven, with the remaining 11 not proven.

The Committee the considered aggravating factors, including the fact that Dr Kalisz's conduct led to the spaniel’s death, the colotomy was reckless and Dr Kalisz did not take steps to inform anybody or make a clinical record for the colotomy.

In mitigation, the Committee considered the fact that it was single and isolated incident (albeit one that spanned a number of days), that no other members of the clinical team involved raised concerns during the procedure, and the effect Covid had upon the veterinary profession.

The Committee found that of those charges proven, the ones relating to performing the colotomy, failing to manage the spaniel’s subsequent care and failing to mention the colotomy amounted to serious professional misconduct.

On deciding the sanction, the Committee took into account the mitigation submitted on behalf of Dr Kalisz and the written testimonials produced including the fact that she was young and inexperienced, had admitted her failings at an early stage, had made subsequent efforts to avoid a repetition of such behaviour and that a significant amount of time had passed since the incident.

The Committee also considered that Dr Kalisz had shown an exemplary level of insight, showing remorse for her actions, undertaking substantial continuing professional development, and finding appropriate ongoing professional mentorship.

The Committee was impressed by the character testimonials from veterinary co-workers, both current and at the time of these events, as well as from clients.

It was, the Committee said, apparent from those testimonials that Dr Kalisz had been open and honest with them about the charges and was considered to be an excellent, committed veterinary surgeon.

Paul Morris, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf said: “The Committee found that this was a single isolated incident, which involved serious lapses of clinical judgement.

"It was therefore concluded that, despite Dr Kalisz’s actions being reckless, the extensive mitigation and the high level of insight, coupled with steps taken to avoid repetition, meant that there was negligible future risk to animal welfare.

“The Committee did not consider it necessary to issue a warning to Dr Kalisz about her future conduct, on the basis that the Committee has concluded that there is little risk of repetition, so considered that a reprimand would be an appropriate sanction in this case.”

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

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has refused an application by Warwick Seymour-Hamilton to be restored to the Register of Veterinary Surgeons.

Mr Seymour-Hamilton was originally removed from the Register in June 1994 for failing to maintain his practice’s equipment and facilities in working order and for a total disregard of basic hygiene and care for animals, thereby bringing the profession into disrepute.

The restoration hearing on 20th May was Mr Seymour-Hamilton’s seventh application for restoration. Previous applications had been heard but refused in July 1995, June 2010, February 2015, March 2016, May 2017 and April 2018. However, as the Committee makes its decision on the merits of the case before it, those previous applications were not considered as relevant to its current decision.

The Committee heard oral evidence from Mr Seymour-Hamilton and were shown clear bottles with liquid, a container with tablets and petri dishes with grown cultures as detailed documentary evidence. In respect of any concerns regarding keeping his veterinary practice up-to-date, Mr Seymour-Hamilton said that “you never lose that skill” and explained that he kept up-to-date through extensive reading and conversations with veterinary surgeons in Europe. 

However, the Committee had significant concerns as to his fitness to practise safely as a veterinary surgeon for a number of reasons, including that nearly 25 years had passed since he was last in practice and that there was little, if any, evidence of him keeping up-to-date with the knowledge and skills required to practise as a veterinary surgeon.

Ian Green, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "The applicant worryingly did not accept that he was in any way deskilled by the passage of time. The evidence that the applicant has provided showed limited interaction with other veterinary surgeons and there is no documented evidence of the discussions or structure of the meetings he had with veterinary surgeons in Europe.

"There is no evidence of a prolonged and intense period of re-training by way of relevant study to demonstrate that a sufficient level of competence to return to practise has been achieved. In the absence of such evidence the Committee was of the view that there would be a serious risk to the welfare of animals if the applicant was restored to the Register.

"Further, it was a grave concern to this Committee that the applicant demonstrated worrying attitudinal issues towards individuals of a different religion and his attitude to employing a minor when he knew it to be against the law. Such attitudes are incompatible with professional standards the public would expect of a veterinary surgeon."

Finally, with no evidence of public support for the applicant, the Committee concluded that the application for restoration should be refused.

Dechra has launched Equisolon Jar, a new presentation of its oral prednisone powder for the treatment of severe equine asthma.

Dechra says Equisolon is the only registered oral prednisolone powder that alleviates the inflammation and clinical parameters associated with severe equine asthma, previously known as recurrent airway obstruction (RAO).

Equisolon Jar contains 180g of powder and comes with a measuring spoon.

One scoop is enough to treat 150kg bodyweight at a dose of 1mg/kg and therefore one jar can treat a 600kg horse for 10 days.

Equisolon was previously available as a box of 10 x 9g pre-measured sachets with one sachet sufficient to treat a 300kg horse and a box contained enough sachets to treat a 600g horse for five days.

Alana McGlade, national sales manager at Dechra said: “The addition of Equisolon Jar to the Equisolon range provides vets with the flexibility to choose between a jar featuring a convenient measuring spoon and a box of easy to dose pre-measured sachets

www.dechra.co.uk/products/horse/prescription

Bayer Animal Health has launched Neptra, its new single-dose, vet-applied treatment for canine otitis externa (OE).

Neptra contains florfenicol, an antibiotic which Bayer says is ideal for dealing with the Staphylococcus pseudintermedius found in the majority of otitis externa cases, together with terbinafine hydrochloride, which is effective against Malassezia pachydermatis, and mometasone furoate, a corticosteroid that provides anti-inflammatory activity to improve patient comfort. 

A single, 1ml dose in each affected ear treats dogs of all breeds and in trials, continuous clinical improvement was seen until day 28.

Neptra was approved for use in the USA back in 2015, where it has apparently gone down a bit of a storm, becoming the number one product for otitis externa in the country, with over 4.7 million doses prescribed since 2017.

Dr Ken Kwochka, DVM, DACVD, President of the World Association for Veterinary Dermatology (pictured right) said: "This solution is trusted by thousands of vets across the USA, it’s now time for UK vets to benefit from the convenience and confidence Neptra offers. Neptra is the ideal and easier way to treat the majority of otitis externa cases you see and can (and should) be used first-line."

Donna Tomlinson, Senior Brand Manager at Bayer said: "It’s not every day that you’re able to launch a solution that has the potential of Neptra to change treatment practices for the better and improve outcomes for dogs. Across the UK and Europe, our brilliant team at Bayer have put months of effort into this launch and developed an exciting marketing support package. Our veterinary business managers are already out on the road, ready to talk to you all about it."

Neptra is available now to order as one SKU via your regular wholesaler or speak to your Bayer veterinary business manager. 

Practice support materials are also available via www.vetcentre.bayer.co.uk.

Vets Now has announced the dates for its 2020 UK tour, during which it'll be delivering Specialist-led emergency and critical care CPD for veterinary surgeons and nurses.

The programme, which offers six hours of CPD, will cover topics such as damage control resuscitation, the trauma patient and the OOH GDV.

Dan Lewis, Vets Now’s National Clinical ECC Lead (pictured right), who devised this year’s veterinary programme alongside Arlene Connor, Vets Now’s Head of Clinical Operations (Hospitals) and Racheal Marshall, Head of Clinical Nursing said: “At Vets Now, we have the largest emergency caseload in Europe therefore we’re well placed to share best practice with the profession to enable vets and vet nurses to feel confident when dealing with emergency cases. With that in mind, we are committed to bringing relevant and up-to-date CPD and training to veterinary professionals throughout the UK.

“In addition to our internationally-renowned annual ECC UK Congress, which will be held in November 2020, it’s important to be able to make additional CPD available at easily accessible regional locations throughout the UK.”

The 2020 dates and venues are:

• Sheffield: 11th March
• Maidstone: 25th March
• Bristol: 22nd April
• Milton Keynes: 13th May
• Basingstoke: 20th May
• Dundee: 10th June
• Belfast: 24th June
• Liverpool: 23rd September
• Durham: 7th October

The events cost £75+VAT per person if you work for a Vets Now partner practice and £150+VAT if not. Places can be booked at the Vets Now website.

Duncan Phillips, CEO of IVC Evidensia UK and Ireland has called on the Government to overhaul veterinary regulation. 

Duncan makes three requests of the UK Government:

The first is to make changes to encourage more overseas vets, and specifically the return of EU vets. 

The second is to increase funding for UK universities to provide veterinary courses.

The final request is to update the regulatory framework to enable veterinary nurses to expand their role. 

Full article: https://ivcevidensia.co.uk/News/duncan-phillips-time-to-overhaul-vet-support