The RCVS has issued a statement to reassure veterinary surgeons that problems arising from the shortage of isoflurane are very unlikely to be considered as a professional misconduct issue, provided that clinical decisions are justifiable, that detailed…

The RCVS and the BVA have called on the government to add veterinary surgeons to the Shortage Occupation List as part of the UK’s preparations for leaving the European Union.

The organisations made a joint submission to the Migration Advisory Committee…

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…

The RCVS Council has approved a pathway for veterinary and animal health paraprofessionals to become associates of, or accredited by the College and thereby fall within its regulatory remit.

At the June 2017 meeting of RCVS Council, members decided to…

The BVA has joined forces with the RSPCA in calling on the Government to repeal a legal exemption that permits animals to be slaughtered without pre-stunning, causing unnecessary pain and suffering.

The latest figures from 2017/18 reveal that over 120…

The RCVS has announced that it is cracking down on veterinary nurses who don't comply with their CPD requirements.

Veterinary nurses are required to carry out at least 45 hours of CPD over a rolling three year period.

The results of an audit to…

The RCVS has announced that there will be no election for the Veterinary Nurses Council this year, because only two candidates stood for the available two places.

The two candidates were VN Council Vice-Chair Liz Cox and newcomer Jane Davidson.

Both…

The RCVS has confirmed that surgical insemination in dogs is prohibited by animal welfare laws and amended Section 27 of the supporting guidance to the Code of Professional Conduct so that it now sits alongside tail docking, dew claw removal, prosthetic…

The National Office of Animal Health and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate have issued a joint statement concerning the supply of veterinary medicines when the UK leaves the EU, deal or no deal.

"The majority of veterinary medicines used in the UK…

The Government has announced that veterinary medicines have been put on a list of 'critical goods' to be shipped into the country using government-secured freight capacity in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

The Government says that contracts have…

This morning, VetNurse.co.uk published an April Fools fake news story, to the effect that the RCVS planned to increase retention fees by 150%.

I had hoped that the increasing absurdity of the reasons given for the rise might have tipped everyone off to…

The RCVS has today announced that retention fees paid by veterinary nurses are set to rise by 150%, from £123 to £307.50 per annum.

According to the College, the increase in fees is needed primarily to develop its regulatory capacity for…

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has announced that RCVS President-elect Niall Connell, Linda Belton and Jo Dyer have been re-elected to Council after what is believed to have been a record turn out this century.

A total of 8,234 votes were cast…

The RCVS has announced that over the next few years, it is planning to roll out a new outcomes-based model of continuing professional development (CPD), whereby veterinary nurses will be obliged to reflect upon what they learned and to record their reflections…

The BVA has published a new policy statement outlining its 'hub and spoke' vision for the future of patient care, whereby veterinary surgeons are at hub of treatment, directing patients to and coordinating treatment by allied professionals.

As part of its recent policy statement in which the BVA outlined its vision for veterinary surgeons to lead the care provided by a variety of allied professionals, the association has made a series of recommendations for expanding the role of Registered…

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has published its full review of the Shortage Occupation List and recommended that veterinary surgeons are added to it (page 82).

The Committee's decision to recommend the addition of vets to the list is seen as…

Shams Mir MRCVS, Chair of the BVU, has launched a petition to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons which asks that they do not allow remote prescription of POM-V medicines without a physical examination, as was proposed and discussed at the Council…

The RCVS Council has today announced a 'wide-ranging' review of a number of key provisions of the supporting guidance to the Code of Professional Conduct, following ongoing discussions around trialling the development of telemedicine services, including…

The RCVS has announced far-reaching changes to the CPD requirements for veterinary surgeons, agreed by Council at its June meeting.

The proposals put to Council by the Education Committee included six key recommendations for changes to CPD policy: 

The British College of Veterinary Specialists (BCVSp) has approached the RCVS Practice Standards Group (PSG) to look at the feasibility of a new Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) accreditation strand: Veterinary Specialist Hospital (Multidisciplinary),…

People who abuse animals could face up to five years in prison after the Environment Secretary Michael Gove introduced a new Bill to Parliament yesterday which increases the maximum sentence from the current 6 months.

This, says the government, would…

The RCVS has published its Annual Report and Financial Statements for 2018, in which it highlights what it considers to be its major achievements over the year.

They include the successful completion of its governance review, the launch of the Graduate…

The Government has announced that it has accepted the recommendation of the Migration Advisory Committee that veterinary surgeons should be added to the Shortage Occupation List.

The announcement came in the form of a written statement by the then Home…

The RCVS has published details about its plans for a comprehensive review of its guidance to the veterinary profession on ‘under care’ and out-of-hours emergency cover, including a broad timetable for evidence gathering, policy drafting, and public consultation…