Two candidates for the 2017 RCVS Council elections have had their challenge of the results dismissed by a committee tasked with assessing their claims.

John Davies and Tom Lonsdale MsRCVS both objected to edits made by the College to their candidate statements.

Mr Davies explained in his statement how he'd been subject to "bewildering, unfounded and damaging allegations" from two veterinary nurses, one of which he says resulted in his dismissal from a practice at which he was a partner. He went on to explain how, in addition to taking the dismissal case to an employment tribunal and winning, he had also raised concerns with the College about the nurses who'd made the allegations against him. Mr Davies outlined the way he felt that the RCVS mismanaged his case and how that had driven him to stand for Council to try and address the grave concerns he now had about the governance of the profession. However, the Returning Officer redacted the details on the grounds that they were considered to be defamatory and/or factually misleading.

The main grounds for Mr Lonsdale’s challenge was that the election had been furthered by corrupt practices, namely undue influence (all in terms of the Misrepresentation of the People Act 1983). In addition, the Returning Officer edited Mr Lonsdale’s candidate statement before circulation to the electorate, refusing to include hypertext links and removing references that the Returning Officer believed to be defamatory. The Returning Officer also declined to publish his ‘Quiz the candidates’ video on the RCVS website and/or YouTube channel when requests to make minor amendments considered defamatory were refused.

Both challenges were lodged with the RCVS last July, after which the College set up a Challenge Committee in accordance with the election challenge procedure, approved by Privy Council. It comprised  three members of Council nominated by RCVS President Stephen May.

Sitting with one of the RCVS Legal Assessors – Mr Richard Price OBE QC – the Challenge Committee was required to decide whether to declare the election void, based on whether the alleged irregularity in question rendered the election substantially not in accordance with the RCVS Council Election Scheme, or that the irregularity concerned significantly affected the result of the election (in which Mr Lonsdale and Mr Davies came 15^th and 16^th respectively out of 16 candidates).

Following written submissions from both the RCVS and Mr Davies, the Challenge Committee dismissed Mr Davies’s challenge, stating that there was no irregularity in the conduct of the election on the part of the Returning Officer, and that there was no valid basis for challenging the validity of the election.

The Challenge Committee (comprising the same members as for Mr Davies’s challenge) also dismissed Mr Lonsdale’s challenge, stating that it considered it to be 'totally devoid of merit'.

Prior to reaching this decisions, however, two preliminary challenges made by Mr Lonsdale were also considered and dismissed.

The first related to the members of the Challenge Committee, whom Mr Lonsdale argued should stand down on the basis of actual or apparent bias based on his allegations of connections with the pet food industry.

The Committee considered that a fair-minded and informed observer, having understood the facts, would conclude that the connection of committee members to the pet food industry were '….remote, indirect and, in the case of one panel member, virtually non-existent'.

Each committee member was satisfied that there was '…no real possibility of their judgement being distorted or influenced by any interest in, or links with, the pet food industry.'

The second challenge was to The Legal Assessor, who had been appointed to advise the Committee. Mr Lonsdale had alleged that Mr Price had displayed bias in the way that he had given advice to the Committee in relation to the challenge to the Committee membership. This was also dismissed.

The veterinary dermatologist Sue Paterson has launched Virtual Vet Derms, an online advice service which aims to give general practitioners the advice they need to manage cases within their own practice, without the need for referral.

Virtual Vet Derms has been set up to be able to give advice to veterinary surgeons on any aspect of skin or ear disease whether it is allergy, otitis media, cutaneous neoplasia or endocrine-based in any species, including dogs, cats, small furries, exotic pets including raptors, birds and reptiles, horses, camelids, zoo and farm animals. 

Sue, herself an RCVS Recognised Specialist in Veterinary Dermatology, is supported by a team of veterinary dermatology colleagues as well as veterinary specialists in exotic medicine, internal medicine (including endocrinology) and consultants with expertise in oncology. 

Sue said: "We recognise that not every veterinarian has got access to a local dermatology specialist and that not all clients can or want to travel to a referral centre. The aim of the service is to formalise the advice that dermatology clinicians give to veterinary surgeons to allow them to get detailed help to manage difficult or challenging dermatology cases within their own practice."

The service has been set up under the RCVS Vivet initiative, is approved by all of the major insurance companies and supported with Veterinary Defence Society Insurance cover. 

Virtual Vet Derms offers support in a range of ways. 

• Quick questions
  Short questions that veterinary surgeons can submit via the online form on the Virtual Vet Derms website that just require a brief reply. This may be a dose of a drug, a parasite you want identifying, or the interpretation of a blood sample such as an ACTH stimulation test.

• Veterinary reports
  Veterinary surgeons can use online request forms on the Virtual Vet Derms web site to submit a brief history of the animal and the problem and some good quality photos of the skin condition. There is also the ability to upload histopathology reports, blood samples and any other pertinent information. A detailed written report is sent back to the vet within 48 hours which will describe clinical signs, differential diagnoses, recommended diagnostic tests and treatment option where appropriate. Where possible, Virtual Vet Derms aims to pass the advice request to the nearest dermatologist but vets can ask for advice from any of its specialists. 

• Telemedicine consultations
  For new cases or for cases where initial advice has been sought, in the client's own primary care veterinary practice via the internet. The Virtual Vets Derms specialist can consult with the owner to provide even more specific advice and support. After each teleconsultation the Virtual Vet Derms specialist will produce a report in the same format as the veterinary report to allow the primary care veterinary surgeon to continue to manage the case more effectively. 

• Face to face consultations
  Can also be arranged via the owner’s vet at the specialist's own practice if there is the need for more specialist investigation that may not be available in the primary care veterinary surgery. In these cases, the specialist will take on the direct care of the case and work with the owner and vet on the best course of action.

• General advice 
  Also possible if the vet wishes to direct an owner straight to Virtual Vet Derms. 

For more information, visit: https://virtualvetderms.com

MSD Animal Health has announced the launch of Bravecto Plus, a topical endo- and ectoparasiticide for cats.

Bravecto Plus contains fluralaner (280 mg/ml), an ectoparasiticide which provides systemic activity against ticks (lxodes ricinus) and fleas (Ctenocephalides felis), and moxidectin (14 mg/ml), an endoparasiticide which provides systemic activity against a range of internal worms, including heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis), intestinal roundworm and hookworm.

Bravecto Plus is applied topically using the "Twist'n'Use" pipette. Once applied, the product kills ticks and fleas for 12 weeks, while also treating intestinal roundworm and hookworm and preventing heartworm disease for eight weeks.

Bravecto Plus can also be used as part of a treatment strategy for flea allergy dermatitis.

Bravecto was first launched in 2014 as a chewable tablet for dogs. In 2016 Bravecto spot-on was launched as a topical solution for dogs and cats. More than 80 million doses of Bravecto have been sold in 72 countries since 2014.

Amanda Melvin, marketing manager, at MSD Animal Health, said: "We are pleased to introduce the latest innovation in feline parasite protection to the Bravecto family."

For more information, refer to the summary of product characteristics or contact your MSD account manager.

Sky News reports that IVC, the Bath-headquartered corporate veterinary group, is putting itself up for sale for a cool £1.5 billion.

IVC was formed in 2011, the result of a merger of several independent veterinary hospitals. Under the leadership of David Hillier, and with backing from Summit Partners in 2014, it grew to over 300 practices before being acquired by the Swedish EQT Partners in January 2017.

In August last year the company merged with Evidensia Group, another veterinary corporate group with practices around Europe, bringing the total to more than 850 clinics and hospitals in eight countries. 

EQT has reportedly now instructed Jefferies Investment Bank to auction the business in the first week of November. 

No word yet on where the auction will take place. If you go, be careful not to scratch your nose at the wrong moment ("1.7 billion from the gentleman at the back. Yes, that's YOU, Sir."). 

Zoetis has acquired Virtual Recall, a software business that helps veterinary practices improve their service offering and communication with pet owners.

Virtual Recall's products include vaccination, neutering, appointment and healthcheck reminders, customer feedback, telemedicine and post operation surveys, and healthcare advice communications. 

Jamie Brannan, Senior Vice President UK, Ireland and Nordics said: "This is an exciting opportunity for Zoetis to add a new solution for veterinarians with an innovative service that will support clinics in increasing their level of compliance, education and engagement at the pet owner level.

"As we expand our comprehensive offering across the continuum of care for veterinary clinics, Virtual Recall will enhance the level of pet owner services that can be offered to their pet owner customers in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

“Our studies have shown that veterinary customers are keen to reduce administrative workload and find new ways to engage with pet owners. We believe that Virtual Recall will achieve that, helping to educate and improve pet owner compliance and adding financial benefits to the veterinary practice.”

Jamie Crittall, Co-founder, Virtual Recall said: “As a company we’ve always been restless – constantly looking at new ways and developing new technologies in which we can drive animal healthcare compliance. Zoetis’ thoroughly well-earned reputation for always putting their customers first – wanting them to thrive and be successful – combined with a commitment to enhance the lives of people and animals, is infectious. It is a very exciting new chapter for Virtual Recall and fellow co-founder Charlie Barton and I are thrilled to continue at the helm."

AMufacture has launched The Ear Protector, designed to make face masks more comfortable for people working in public-facing businesses. 

The Ear Protector sits on the back of the head and hooks onto face mask strings, pulling them backwards and away from the ears, thereby relieving pressure and stopping chafing. 

The product was designed by AMufacture's Chief Operating Officer, William Howden, a former Olympic sailor who competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He said: "Early in the pandemic, it became apparent to us that there was a serious need to address an unresolved problem with face masks – people were really beginning to suffer and were getting distracted from their work."

The Ear Protector is sterilisable in a dishwasher. It is also recyclable when it reaches the end of its life.

For more information, visit: http://www.theearprotector.com 

Dechra Veterinary Products has added Lax-a-Past – a complementary feed designed to help eliminate the problem of hairballs in cats – to its portfolio. 

Lax-a-Past is a palatable paste that can be administered orally to kittens and cats aged over 6 months.

It can be used weekly to help stop hairballs from forming or in higher doses over a consecutive three-day period to help eliminate them. 

Carol Morgan, Brand Manager from Dechra Veterinary Products (pictured right) said: “Hairballs are a well-known issue for cats. Lax-a-Past is a complementary feed that offers a simple, easy-to-administer solution to help relieve the digestion problems caused by hairballs.  

“It is very easy for owners to administer as the required dosage can be squeezed out and spread on a front paw or given directly into the mouth."

Lax-a-Past is available in a 70g tube.

For more information visit www.dechra.co.uk.

The RCVS has confirmed that it commissioned an independent investigation earlier this year which has failed to discover who leaked information contained in confidential Council papers. 

The College first became aware that confidential information had been leaked earlier this year after the Veterinary Record made the decision to publish details. 

The College says it then provided a number of informal opportunities for the person leaking the information to come forward and discuss the reasons for their actions, but nobody stepped forward.

A Council member then made a formal complaint about the leak, which triggered the complaints policy set out in the College’s Code of Conduct for Council Members and instigated the investigation.

The investigation was run independently of the RCVS by an external specialist consultancy, and coordinated by a legal assessor.

Initially, the investigators were asked to focus on a single leak, but following a number of further leaks over ensuing months, it became necessary to widen the scope and depth of the investigation.

The investigators’ report concluded that there had been several separate and deliberate leaks of confidential information by a current or former Council member over an extended period.

However, they were not able to identify who specifically was responsible for the leaks, and because nobody admitted it, no further action under the complaints policy of the Code of Conduct for Council Members was appropriate.

The investigators concluded that the leaks were not the result of poor understanding of College or Council processes, but a deliberate decision to provide confidential information to third parties.

Council members have therefore agreed to review existing training requirements and mechanisms for handling confidential information and to explore in more detail the potential motivation of the person or people who leaked the information, together with the underlying culture of Council that might have influenced their behaviour.

RCVS President Mandisa Greene, said: “There is no denying this is a sad day for the College, and for RCVS Council in particular. As Council members of our professions’ regulatory body, we must maintain the very highest standards of probity and integrity if we are to maintain the trust and confidence of our professional colleagues. In the same way, we must subject ourselves to the same level of scrutiny and investigation if these values and behaviours are ever called into question.

“That someone chose to breach the trust placed in them by their peers is extremely disappointing, especially when they were given every opportunity to come forward to discuss their concerns, and avoid the College having to launch a formal investigation.

"Our default position during Council meetings is to hold as many discussions as possible in public session to ensure Council’s decisions are as open and transparent as possible – something that we will continue to increase as much as possible. Like any organisation, however, there may be a small number of issues that need to be discussed in closed session – for example, those still at concept stage prior to any decision being made public or put out for consultation, or those containing personal or commercially sensitive data.

"I sincerely hope that all of us on Council can learn from this unfortunate and unnecessary episode. We must rebuild and maintain sufficient confidence in each other, and in our processes, that, even if we disagree on certain matters, it is always best to do so in a direct, upfront and honest manner."

Ceva Animal Health has launched Feliway Optimum, a new pheromone product for stressed cats. 

Ceva says the new product is the fruit of research into the composition of the main feline pheromones which pass through the incisive ducts to the Vomeronasal Organ (VNO), which in turn led to the discovery of a new pheromone complex which 'provides an enhanced message of social confidence and safety in the cat’s environment by conveying more impactful messages to it'. 

According to the company, Feliway Optimum helps cats with more signs of stress, in more situations and calms cats better than ever. The product is proven to help with more stress-related signs faster than existing pheromones, with all signs of stress showing continuous improvement until day 28 of use and are visible from day 7¹. These include scratching, urine spraying, multi-cat tensions and conflicts and changes and fears. 

Feliway Optimum is available as a plug-in diffuser with 30-day refills. 

Abigail King, senior behaviour product manager at Ceva Animal Health said: "We have led the way with research for over 20 years with Feliway Classic and Feliway Friends, but it is now time to go that step further. 

"Feliway Optimum is an extremely exciting addition to the range which will help solve all common signs of stress to provide enhanced serenity in a household. 

"Nearly 60 per cent of cats show visible signs of stress² and Feliway Optimum will really help combat this with an over 70% reduction”.

There is a webinar about the new product, presented by Professor Patrick Pageat and Dr Andy Sparkes, which is available by emailing Ceva. 

For more information, visit www.feliway.com/uk, call Ceva on 01494 781510 or email cevauk@ceva.com.

References

• Field efficacy study results 2019. 145 cats recruited with at least one sign of stress
• Ceva Animal Health internal report 2020

Animalcare has produced a social media toolkit to help practices remind owners to comply with the new law on microchipping horses, ahead of the 1st October deadline.

James Beaumont, Product Manager at Animalcare, said: “Microchipping is an essential but simple way to safeguard the welfare of the UK’s horses.  Animalcare was the first company to offer a microchipping service with its identichip microchips, so we know from first-hand experience that microchipping is the most important step owners can take to ensure that lost, abandoned or stolen animals are quickly identified. 

“Ensuring the welfare of their patients is a guiding principle for equine vets and we know that they are working very hard to remind owners of the need to ensure that their animals are microchipped and to then keep their contact details up to date.  We hope that they will find our social media toolkit useful and that, between us, we can ensure that as many horses as possible are microchipped in time for the new law coming into force.”

To request your social media toolkit, contact your Animalcare Territory Manager or ring 01904 487687.

Mary Fraser MRCVS from Girling and Fraser has launched 'Could, Would, Should' a new initiative to support vet nurses in developing their decision-making skills. 

Mary (or, to give her her full title, Dr Mary Fraser BVMS PhD CertVD PGCHE FHEA MAcadMEd CBiol FRSB FRSPH FRCVS) focussed on decision-making in practice while studying for her MRes in Clinical Veterinary Research, looking at how vets and owners influence the decision making process. This led her to consider how decision making is taught to students.

As part of the initiative, Mary has launched a new website: www.clinicaldecisions.org, which, together with a supporting blog, is designed to help nurses, students and recent graduates examine their decision making in practice, consider how owners influence it, and take forward shared decision making for the benefit of all.

Mary said: "As a student decision making can seem difficult. Working with owners, all of whom have different expectations, can add to those challenges.

"I hope that by bringing that discussion to the fore we can support each other and allow future vets and veterinary nurses to identify their own strengths in supporting owners to make the best decisions for their animals."

Find out more and contribute to the discussion at www.clinicaldecisions.org

Liz Law-Bartle MRCVS has written a new guide for veterinary nurses: How to survive an RCVS hearing. 

In writing the guide, Liz has drawn upon her own experience of the disciplinary process to offer practical advice to others who find themselves in the same situation. 

Liz found herself on the receiving end of a complaint by a pet owner after an elderly dog she had operated on died that night at her practice. It took two years for the complaint to progress to a DC hearing. They were two years which she described as absolute hell. Not just because of the threat of losing her livelihood, but also because of the vilification on social media. 

Her booklet explains the whole process, from the first notice from the College to moving on after the hearing, with practical advice as to how you can make the experience, well, if not a positive one, at least not quite as hellish as it might otherwise be. 

You can download the booklet from Liz’s website, here: https://howtosurviveanrcvshearing.wordpress.com/

The veterinary nursing profession has taken another step forward with the announcement that the BSAVA has appointed Emma Gerrard RVN as a Committee Chair and Council Representative. 

Emma will take over from Kate O’Sullivan MRCVS as the chair of Cymru/Wales region committee in April 2021.

Emma is the first veterinary nurse to be appointed to these positions since the BSAVA gave nurses full voting rights last November, a change which means they can hold any position within the Association, including the presidency!

Emma, who works at Hafren Veterinary Group, an independent mixed practice in Powys, has been a member of the Committee since 2013 and worked alongside Kate and other committee members to launch and host the new event Vets Cymru in 2019. She has also served on the BSAVA Membership Development Committee and has recently become the new Editor of the Pocketbook for Vet Nurses.

As Council Representative Emma will interact with Trustees and members of the Management Team at Woodrow House and will seek members’ views within Cymru/Wales region and make sure they are reflected in discussions at Council meetings. 

She said: “Being appointed the first VN Council Representative and Regional Chair is a massive achievement for myself and my nursing colleagues. It hasn’t been possible for a VN to fill a Regional Officer role until now. I know how long and hard colleagues have worked in order to make this happen and, for that, I am grateful. As the Committee Chair, I would really like to fly the flag for nurses I hope to inspire and empower nurses to join the Association and illustrate what opportunities are available.”

BSAVA President, Professor Ian Ramsey said: “I am so pleased that BSAVA Cymru region has elected a nurse as their Regional Chair and Council Representative.

"Nurses have already served the Association with distinction in many of our Committees for several years and this is another step towards recognising the importance of nurses within the veterinary team and therefore within the Association. I look forward to seeing more nurses coming forward to help shape the Association in the future."

Ian added: "The RCVS Council has, for a few years now, allowed nurses to be full members and so we are not the first veterinary organisation to break this particular glass ceiling but we are proud to have added to the sound of smashing glass!"

To find out how you can become a volunteer with your regional group visit https://regions.bsava.com/t/volunteering-opportunities-with-bsava/95