The RCVS has announced that from next week, it will be trialling a confidential reporting telephone line and email address to allow veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and other members of the veterinary team to discuss concerns about colleagues on a confidential basis.

The trial starts on Monday 11 July and will continue for three months to allow the College to determine levels of demand for such a service and, therefore, whether it should be made permanent.

Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Acting Registrar, said: "This was a potential service identified in our Strategic Plan as a way of allowing veterinary professionals to have informal, confidential, discussions with members of the Professional Conduct Department about potential fitness to practise issues, short of formally raising a concern.

"Although any discussions via the new reporting line or email address will be confidential, if a veterinary surgeon or a veterinary nurse subsequently wishes to raise a formal concern about another veterinary professional, then they generally will need to identify both themselves and the individual in order to take it through our investigation process.

"We have developed a bespoke concerns form for members of the professions who do want to raise concerns about other professionals."

Veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses who wish to contact a member of the RCVS Professional Conduct Department in confidence can do so by calling 07599 958 294 between 9am and 5pm, or by emailing reporting@rcvs.org.uk.

The bespoke concerns from for members of the profession can be downloaded from www.rcvs.org.uk/concerns.

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