RCVS Council has approved a trial protocol which will allow the College to launch private prosecutions against unqualified individuals breaching the Veterinary Surgeons Act from April 2023.

Under the protocol trial, the RCVS can launch private prosecutions…

The RCVS has announced the results of this year's VN Council elections. 

1,927 veterinary nurses voted, representing an 8.8% turnout. 

Whilst marginally better than 2022's turnout of 8.4%, it's still less than half that seen in 2020. 

Matthew Rendle…

The RCVS) is calling on veterinary nurses to help it recruit around 30 animal owners and keepers for a new Public Advisory Group to help guide the College's policies.

The group is being set up to ensure that the College meets its objective of working in…

The RCVS has launched its new Charter Case Committee (CCC), which aims to provide an alternative, compassionate and streamlined way of dealing with less serious cases of professional misconduct.

The Committee has been named after the Supplementary Royal…

The Competition and Markets Authority has opened a review of the veterinary sector after concerns that pet owners are paying too much or not being given enough information to make an informed decision. 

Asked why the CMA had decided to launch the review…

RCVS Council has decided to delay the implementation of new 'under care' guidance covering the prescription of POM-V parasiticides until 12th January 2024.

The decision was made after Council heard increasing reports that practices have not been…

The BVA has submitted a detailed response to the Competition and Market's review of veterinary services, which highlights four main reasons for above-inflation increases in the cost of veterinary care.

The reasons are: above average increases in veterinary…

The RCVS has established a new working group to develop proposals for how it will regulate veterinary practices on a statutory basis in the future.

The mandatory regulation of veterinary practices, including statutory powers of entry and inspection, is…

The BVA, SPVS and BVNA are calling on the Government to restrict the movement of dogs from countries with high levels of diseases like Brucella canis, which are currently not widely present in the UK, and introduce mandatory pre-import testing.

In the last…

At its January meeting today, RCVS Council agreed a series of proposals for the future reform of the College's governance structure which will now go to consultation with the profession and the public before being integrated into the overall recommendations…

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…

The RCVS has announced that the annual renewal fee for veterinary nurses will increase by 6% in the autumn, subject to government approval. 

RCVS Council recommended the increase due to inflationary pressures and increased business costs.

Dr Tshidi Gardiner…

The RCVS is once again asking veterinary nurses to submit questions to the candidates for this year's VN Council elections, in order to better understand their views on subjects important to the profession.

Each candidate will produce a written reply…

The RCVS has launched a consultation on its standards framework for veterinary nurse training. 

The Standards Framework for Veterinary Nurse Education and Training sets out the professional values, skills and behaviours required of approved educational…

The Competition and Markets Authority has completed its review of the veterinary sector, concluding that there are five main areas of concern and proposing a formal Market Investigation, subject to a 4 week consultation. 

The CMA review generated 11,000…

Voting has now opened for the 2024 VN Council elections, which are being held online. 

All RVNs were set an email with a voting link and a unique voter code.

The College says it will be writing to the few veterinary nurses for whom it has no unique email…

The BVA has submitted a joint response with the BSAVA, SPVS, BVNA and VMG to the Competition and Markets Authority consultation on a proposed market investigation. 

The response offers further evidence concerning the CMA’s potential concerns, and says that…

Kirsty Young and Susan Howarth have been elected to VN Council, after a voter turnout of 7.4%, the lowest in the history of the RCVS VN Council elections.

Kirsty and Susan scored 995 and 923 votes respectively.

The unsuccessful candidate, Stuart Miller…

His Majesty King Charles III has been confirmed as the Royal Patron for the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and the British Veterinary Association, roles previously held by his mother.

The roles were confirmed by Buckingham Palace this month as part…

The Competition and Markets Authority has confirmed that it will now launch a full market investigation into the veterinary sector, following its initial review in September 2023.

The CMA says its main concerns remain the same as it outlined in March,…

RCVS CEO Lizzie Lockett has outlined the College's likely approach to regulating artificial intelligence (AI) in the veterinary sector at a roundtable event it hosted last week.

At the roundtable, Liz Barton MRCVS, Head of Communications at Vet.CT…

The RCVS has launched a consultation about how the profession should, in the future, be governed.

The consultation is open to veterinary surgeons, nurses, students, and the public.

One of the main - and most controversial - proposals in the consultation…

In her inaugural address as RCVS President for 2024-25, Linda Belton said she wants to focus on the core remit of the RCVS as a regulator, and the importance of good regulation for public trust and keeping pace in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI…

The RCVS has tightened up the Code of Professional Conduct concerning how general practitioners refer cases and how veterinary professionals talk about referral surgeons.

The first change has been made to paragraph 1.6 which now advises general practitioners…

The RCVS has released its updated standards framework for veterinary nurse training.

The framework sets out the professional values, skills and behaviours required of the approved education institutions, delivery sites and training practices responsible…