The trial is the result of a six-week consultation held by the College in June 2016, asking for the profession’s views on a proposed new system of CPD - one that concentrates less on hours logged and more on interactive, reflective learning and measuring the impact that CPD has on the individual’s practice and patient health outcomes.
The College says that while an overall majority of the 3,357 people who responded to the College’s consultation agreed with the proposed changes to the CPD requirement, certain elements received less support than others. The lowest amount of support was received for the ‘reflection’ component with 35% of respondents disagreeing with it.
The RCVS Education Committee and VN Council therefore agreed that a pilot of a new outcomes-based approach should be held during 2017 before making a recommendation to RCVS Council. The RCVS Council approved this proposal at its meeting on 10 November 2016, after which 117 volunteers were recruited, 60 of whom were able to attend the training days.
A veterinary surgeon who signed up for the pilot and works in veterinary industry, Gina Dungworth, said: "I really appreciate the acknowledgement of non-clinical CPD practices, and while I was originally sceptical of the proposed system the pilot day has so far been clear and helpful."
A veterinary nurse volunteer, Lindsey Raven Emrich, said: "CPD is such a varied part of a veterinary professional’s career, and it very much depends on the person how easy it is to do. I find myself doing a lot of reflection as a natural part of reading articles, and I’m hoping this new system will expand that way of thinking into other areas of CPD."
The volunteers will now pilot the new proposed system and report to Education Committee, VN Council and RCVS Council.
Last year's event generated an impressive amount of media coverage about ticks on Radio Four's Today programme, BBC Radio 1, 2 and 5, BBC TV Breakfast, BBC TV News, Good Morning Britain, ITV News and Channel 5 news, amongst others, providing an opportunity for practices to convert heightened public awareness into more protected pets.
Amanda Melvin, Small Animal Marketing Manager at MSD Animal Health said: "Last year’s Tick Awareness Month was a great success thanks to the high involvement of veterinary practices. We would like to give as many practices as possible the chance to get involved this year so are urging surgeries to get in touch early and we will ensure you get a pack of support resources for this nationwide event."
For further information, contact your MSD Animal Health representative or visit: www.bigtickproject.co.uk.
The company says the new diets are based on a formulation high in protein and low in carbohydrate, of which 90% of the protein is of animal origin, providing clinical nutrition closest to the needs of dogs and cats as carnivores.
Virbac adds that the compact range allows veterinary practices to meet the main nutritional needs encountered in practice with just 15 products, making it easier for practice teams to navigate, whilst also reducing stock holding requirements.
Andrew Connolly, Pet Food Manager at Virbac, said: "We’re really excited to introduce our new clinical diets to the profession as a genuine advancement in clinical nutrition."
He added: "We regularly hear from practices who are frustrated with working hard to promote diets only to lose the sale to alternative channels. This doesn’t have to be the case and I would encourage any practices in a similar situation to speak to their Virbac Territory Manager to see how we can help."
Over 500 practices took part in the 2016 initiative, and Avacta is hoping even more will get involved this year, helping to raise awareness of allergies in cats and dogs.
Marketing Manager Gary Skipper said: "This year’s PAW campaign will focus on the clinical signs associated with allergies in cats and dogs as well as what is involved in the diagnosis and treatment process."
To help raise the PAW profile, Avacta has created a series of cartoon characters, such as the one pictured right, to help engage pet owners with the initiative and demonstrate the clinical signs associated with allergies in pets. There'll be a competition to name the cartoon characters at Avacta's stand (808) at BSAVA Congress this year, for the chance to win a personal pet portrait.
Gary said: "There are a wealth of reasons to get the practice involved in the initiative. PAW aims to help boost awareness among clients of the common clinical signals associated with allergies in cats and dogs; we will be offering heavily discounted canine and feline allergy tests throughout June to help reduce costs, and the campaign also helps to encourage team work by getting everyone at the practice involved in the competition for the best PAW waiting room display using the pack materials – the winning practice will receive a luxury hamper!"
To register your practice for the 2017 Pet Allergy Week, complete the online registration form at www.avactaanimalhealth.com/PAW. Alternatively speak to your local Territory Manager or contact the Avacta Customer Services Team on 0800 3 047 047 or email customer.services@avacta.com.
The registration deadline to receive a pack is Friday 5th May.
The company said:"The RSA Referral Vet Network has been established to give customers access to a trusted network of vets that provide a high standard of service and value for money. However we do understand that in some cases where the primary vet recommends a referral practice and circumstances dictate that our nearest Network partner is not suitable, we will allow our customers to make a choice without being penalised.
If the treatment in question is covered under the policy, there will be no additional fee charged whether or not they choose to use a Network practice."
Vets For Choice, a group of referral practices campaigning against RSA's Preferred Referral Network, welcomed the news.
However other brands, such as MoreThan, Tesco and Argos, have proceeded with the penalty.
Clive Elwood, one of the referral practitioners behind Vets For Choice, said: "The big question to ask now is if John Lewis can opt out of the fines why can’t Tesco and Argos?
"John Lewis clearly does not agree with springing extra charges on their customers at the point of need and this seems to be in line with their reputation for better customer service.
"MoreThan, Tesco and Argos customers should rightly ask why they are being treated differently to John Lewis customers."
In a press release, Vets For Choice highlighted RSA's July announcement that it was extending its then 29-practice strong referral network by 24, noting that only weeks later it announced its group operating profit was up 20% to £312 million.
In a robust response, an RSA spokesperson said: "The handful of vets behind Vets for Choice have point blank refused to discuss the real issue with non-emergency referrals - the huge variation in costs being charged to pet owners by some vets and paid for by insurers. Vets for Choice has refused to address this issue with us either directly or indirectly, and their desire remains to have a complete lack of transparency about their costs and charges. We are no longer prepared to duck the issue of cost and the lack of transparency in vets’ charges. This impacts on pet owners and means their cover limits do not go as far as they should.
"Our network partners recognise that for pet insurance to remain affordable, the veterinary and insurance industry needs to work more closely together on behalf of customers. Vets for Choice are happy to discuss any issue but the real one and they continue to knowingly distort the facts. The reality is that we have now had 12,700 referral claims from our Network partners, with only 79 customers choosing to pay the £200 charge to use a non-Network partner – well under one percent of all customers. The reality is there is no huge public outcry. The reality is that we have not seen any rise in complaints. The reality is that is our customers are more than happy to have our Network partners treat their pets, knowing that their cover limits are going further.
"Vets for Choice also mentioned our 20% rise in Group Operating Profit. The key word here is Group – the fact is the majority of our profit was made from our international markets. Group operating profit bears no relation to how our UK pet insurance business performed and it is disingenuous to link the two. It is also disingenuous to imply that all brands should act in the same way as their business models differ according to the customer segment they wish to attract. As ever, the choice remains with the customer."
Nursing care plans provide nurses with an opportunity to develop their unique role in veterinary practice. This new book covers the theory and practice of nursing care planning, examining and critiquing the topic in depth.
It also provides basic definitions and explanations for those unfamiliar with nursing care plans and draws comparisons and contrasts between the veterinary and human nursing roles and contexts.
The author says she hopes that vet nurses will borrow tools from the pages of the book or use it as a resource for designing their unique care plans.
Sam Morgan (Cert Ed DipAVN(Medical & Surgical) RVN, BVNA President 2015/17) said: "Helen manages to take the important points for care plans and put them into a useable format that any veterinary nurse or student can learn from and develop their knowledge. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who wants to enhance their nursing skills and documentation with patients."
<p">You can have a sneak peak at Chapter 5 of the book here: https://www.book2look.com/book/RvuJYQeqsl
If you like what you see, you can buy the book here in paperback for £20.79 https://www.crcpress.com/Veterinary-Nursing-Care-Plans-Theory-and-Practice/Ballantyne/p/book/9781498778664. I see it's nearly two quid more expensive as an ebook, which is weird. Either way, there's 20% off if you use the code SO59.
DVS highlights that the phenomenon of large group veterinary businesses is on the rise: big corporations such as Pets at Home Vet Group have recently bought stakes in several of the UK’s biggest referral practices and CVS Group, for example, now owns more than 360 of the UK’s veterinary surgeries, including referral practices.
By contrast, Davies Veterinary Specialists has now reduced the shareholdings of its founder (Jerry Davies), financial director (Mike Thomas) and managing director (Clive Elwood), in order to increase the holdings of Ian Battersby (internal medicine), Ronan Doyle (soft tissue surgery), David Gould (ophthalmology) and Nat Whitley (internal medicine) and create 8 new shareholders: Louise Clark (anaesthesia), Nuria Corzo-Menendez (diagnostic imaging), Mike Farrell (orthopaedic surgery), Laurent Garosi (neurology), Mark Goodfellow (oncology), Patricia Ibarrola (internal medicine), Pedro Oliveira (cardiology), Peter Smith (neurology).
The company says that its increasing number of shareholders will build a more effective business democracy, and in turn help uphold its core values of integrity, professionalism, compassion and respect.
Clive Elwood said: "Maintaining our independence is important to us as a business because it ensures we retain the culture and ethos that provides leading multi-specialist care to all of our patients and exceptional service to our customers and referring colleagues.
"I am delighted we have managed to achieve this transaction, which represents the next stage in the development of our amazing practice. Retaining ownership means we can demonstrate that there remain alternative business models and career paths outside corporate practice. It is a pleasure to welcome such a fantastic group of new shareholders who will, I am certain, contribute greatly to our future success."
DVS says it will continue to evolve the management and governance structure of the practice as it grows. In the future DVS shareholders will set overall strategy and direction for the business and ensure effective governance by the Board of Directors. As well as clinical skills, the development of management and leadership skills will be encouraged across the practice. A strong commitment to learning, research, innovation and teaching will support the delivery of exemplary patient care.
Dechra Veterinary Products has launched a new online fluid therapy distance-learning course for vets and nurses, to help maximise the potential of its Vetivex® fluids range.
The Fluids Knowledge Programme has been created to provide comprehensive and flexible online CPD for companion animal and equine practitioners. The coursework, which counts for six to eight hours of CPD learning, includes the latest thinking from fluid therapy specialists Dr Ava Firth, Karen Humm and Kevin Corley.
Dechra says the course combines theoretical and practical advice on fluid therapy for both small animals and horses, and can be used for training, as a refresher, and to develop thinking on fluid therapy. Self-assessment questions included within the course allow progress to be monitored throughout.
Gwenda Bason, marketing director for Dechra Veterinary Products, said: "We've spent months of research and development producing this online learning portal for professionals. It will enable vets and nurses to improve their knowledge, understanding and patient care. Being online, users can dip in and out of it as and when their schedules allow and additional costs often associated with CPD learning, such as travel or accommodation costs, are eliminated.
"When practices choose Vetivex, they're not just buying bags of fluid, they're benefitting from our investment in practice education which will improve their understanding of the role and management of fluids."
Dechra estimates the programme is worth around £400 per person, and therefore offers savings of over £3000 in CPD costs for an 8 member practice.
To find out more about the Fluids Knowledge Programme visit www.fluidtherapy.co.uk, or contact Liz Rawlings at Dechra on 01743 441 632.
The ceremonies, which took place on Tuesday, saw newly-qualified veterinary nurses being formally welcomed to the profession and taken through their professional declarations by Racheal Marshall, Chair of the RCVS Veterinary Nurses Council.
Six veterinary nurses who had achieved the Diploma in Advanced Veterinary Nursing (DipAVN) also had their achievement marked on the day.
Racheal said: "It is very apt that this ceremony is taking place during BVNA’s VN Awareness Month, where veterinary practices are encouraged to talk to their clients and the wider public about who veterinary nurses are, what they do and why, as a caring profession, they are so important to animal health and welfare."
"With VNs like you joining our profession or continuing to excel in your careers and helping to raise awareness of veterinary nursing amongst the general public, I am positive that we will continue to progress."
Racheal also gave three pieces of advice to the new registrants: accept that there will be change in your career and life, look after your own physical and mental wellbeing, and use your voice as a veterinary nurse by voicing your opinions and ideas, voting in VN Council elections – or even standing as a member – and contributing to the VN Futures project.
One particularly special element of the day was the recognition of Surrey-based veterinary nurse Sandra Robson for her long service with a veterinary nursing career spanning over 40 years. Sandra, who now works part-time at Brelades Vets in Dorking, began her training in 1968 and qualified as a Registered Animal Nursing Assistant (or RANA) in August 1970. She has worked as a head nurse and practice manager at equine and small animal practices and has also been keen to pass on her experience to her peers being active in teaching and training many student veterinary nurses over the years.
Sandra said: "The people here should be proud of their profession because they have taken a long time to achieve their qualifications and they should be making everyone aware that it is an important achievement. There has been many general developments over the years with the introduction of the Register, the importance on veterinary nurses being professionally responsible for their own actions and Schedule 3."
Also attending the day was RCVS President Amanda Boag who presented each of the new veterinary nurses with a scroll containing the professional declaration made by all veterinary nurses on admission to the Register of Veterinary Nurses and formally welcoming them to the VN profession as an associate of the RCVS.
Amanda said: "As a veterinary surgeon, I am incredibly proud to work alongside your profession. I have been very lucky within my career to work with some amazing nurses, and I have learnt so much from being part of the wider veterinary team.
"As a young vet working in busy emergency clinics, it was very often the fantastic nurses I worked with who saved the day and were responsible for helping me save patients’ lives. I couldn’t have done it without them.
"Being a vet nurse is a wonderful vocation with great and increasing career opportunities and you are such an important part of the veterinary team."
The next VN Day ceremony takes place on Thursday 17 October 2019.
The app, which has been accredited by the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists, contains information about 36 different drug molecules in 10 different drug classes, including analgesics (NSAIDs, opioids and local anaesthetics), sedatives (acepromazine, alpha-2 agonists and benzodiazepines), induction agents, volatile agents, neuromuscular blocking agents, anti-cholinergics, sympathomimetics and antagonists where applicable.
It also offers 24 different dog and 15 cat anaesthetic protocols for procedures carried out in general practice. Each contains information on specific anaesthetic considerations for that condition or patient, any preoperative stabilisation required, premedication, perioperative analgesia, induction, maintenance and recovery.
Additional features include a dose calculator, summary sheets that can be saved or emailed to be attached to the patient’s clinical notes, and the option to save favourite protocols for repeated use.
The app was developed with the advice of two diplomat anaesthetists, Matthew Gurney BVSc CertVA PgCertVBM DipECVAA MRCVS and Joost Uilenreef DVM MVR DipECVAA, together with Elizabeth Barker BVetMed(Hons) Cert AVP(VA) PgCert MRCVS at Dechra.
Dechra Brand Manager Claire Morgan said: "We are passionate about anaesthesia and the provision of excellent support for vets, nurses and students. The app can be used to build confidence and knowledge in less familiar procedures or to update protocols to ensure best anaesthetic practice for the more common routine procedures.
"All of the protocols and information particularly emphasise considerations around anaesthesia, patient monitoring and perioperative analgesia, including local and regional techniques."
She added: "We hope the app will help practitioners to move away from a ‘one protocol fits all’ approach and give them the confidence to tailor the protocols and medications chosen to the specific patient and condition they are treating and to generally improve the standard of anaesthesia and analgesia in small animal practice."
The Dechra Dog and Cat Anaesthesia App is available to download for iOS and Android devices. For more information, visit www.dechra.com/dcaa
The research found that 93% of practices have a washing machine on site, but two thirds of those use a domestic machine rather than a commercial one. 69% of staff also take their uniform home to wash in a domestic machine.
Only commercial machines conform to the WRAS regulations, with thermal disinfection capabilities to minimise the risk of cross infection.
The survey also provided an argument for using a robust commercial machine able to cope with high levels of usage and the variety of materials needing to be cleaned: 83% of practices said they use their machines more than once a day and listed bedding, drapes and gowns as the most common materials that need to be cleaned regularly.
Les Marshall, Sales & Marketing Director at Miele Professional, said: "Our research shows that veterinary staff realise the importance of hygiene when cleaning their laundry. At Miele Professional we understand that preventing infection is key. When caring for animals who need medical care, reliable and effective equipment that can wash items ranging from bedding to gowns to reusable bandages is essential.
"As a leading supplier to the care and hospital sectors, all our machines are tested and approved to Water Regulatory Advisory Scheme (WRAS) category 5 for mains connection in any high-risk establishment."
The company says that in addition to meeting WRAS category 5 requirements, it's machines:
Miele Professional is exhibiting at the London Vet Show and will be holding a seminar on 'Controlling the risk of infection with a commercial laundry system' in the Business Theatre on 18 November, 12-12.50pm.
The seminar will explore the benefits of using a commercial laundry over a domestic machine, best practice around thermal disinfection and why it’s vital for veterinary practices to meet WRAS category 5 requirements.
For more information visit www.miele.co.uk.
Reference
95 respondents were surveyed online in June 2016
Hosted by Jo Hinde RVN (pictured right) and Ivan Crotaz MRCVS, the discussion makes use of the 'Claim CPD' feature on VetNurse.co.uk, through which you can claim time spent participating in or reading qualifying forum discussions on the site towards your annual CPD requirement.
Any forum discussion from which you learn something relevant to your job can be logged on the system, regardless of whether you contribute to the discussion or not, though obviously you can claim more time and have a better record if you join in. Just press the 'Claim CPD' button at the top right of the forum discussion thread. And if you come back to the same discussion and spend more time on it later, you can add more time to the record.
VetNurse Editor Arlo Guthrie said: "I hope you'll all get stuck in and make the most of this opportunity to throw your questions at Jo. She's been teaching rabbit husbandry and nursing to owners and nurses directly and also via the Rabbit Welfare Association since 2012, so she's a mine of information!"
Join the discussion, and claim your CPD here.
The survey, believed to be the first of its type, is being conducted by MRes student Mark Turner MRCVS (pictured above right), under the direction of Martin Whiting and Elizabeth Armitage-Chan. It's based on a tool used in the human health care sector to monitor care quality in hospitals and G.P surgeries.
All veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and practice managers in small animal practice are invited to complete the survey, which is confidential and has received research ethics approval from the RVC.
Mark said: "We believe this survey could represent a significant milestone in the profession's understanding of patient safety. This topic is still in its infancy in our industry, but there is already evidence to suggest we lag some way behind the NHS in our application of important safety principles such as openness and 'learning'.
Without this sort of safety culture, the profession risks missing important opportunities to improve quality and safety for the animals in it's care. One of the questions we would like to answer is: 'When mistakes occur in practice, are lessons routinely being learnt to prevent the same thing from happening again?'
He added: "In the NHS this subject has received a lot of media coverage after stories like the Bristol heart scandal and the enquiry into Mid Staffs Hospital. And our health system now understands that patient safety relies on a whole organisation effort to maintain standards. What we don't know however is how well we are doing in this regard."
Please do take take some time to complete the survey, and SHARE this story with your colleagues (buttons below). It's an important piece of work that should really benefit the profession. You can also discuss the project with Mark here.
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/VetPatientSafety
Having listened to the recording, it strikes me that the Veterinary Record has misinterpreted Mr Innes, and the danger is that his perfectly valid point will now get drowned in a sea of outrage.
What Mr Innes actually said was: "I think it is time to start creating a more fulfilling, more rewarding career for our nurses, and I think that the Americans are showing us the way. They have vet techs and I think that we can do that; I think that isn't the, necessarily the answer, but one it will create a much more rewarding career for veterinary nurses and also some of the reason that vets leave is because they don't like the mundane stuff, so let's give the mundane stuff to nurses.
Considering the overall context of what he said, it is glaringly obvious Mr Innes champions the idea of giving nurses a more rewarding role. So the idea that he was saying: 'Let's give the shit jobs to nurses' is frankly ludicrous.
It is obvious that what he actually meant was 'Let's give some of the stuff that vets find mundane to nurses.' He just didn't express it as well as he might have done.
Mundanity is subjective. What is mundane for a vet is not necessarily mundane for a veterinary nurse, particularly one who has been relegated to sweeping floors for any length of time.
Mr Innes has come in for quite a lot of flack for some of his comments recently. I'm not sure about the other stuff, but on this, he is clearly not guilty.
You can agree or disagree with his view that nurses could be given greater responsibility and vets could delegate some of the tasks they find mundane.
But it would be a great shame if his point got drowned in a sea of outrage over semantics.
What do you think? Come and discuss the issue in the VetNurse Forums ...
The Smart Home Monitoring Kit for pets includes an indoor camera which comes with an in-built temperature sensor and night vision, a door sensor and a Smart Plug which can be remotely activated to turn on a radio, lamp, portable heater or fan to help keep animals content.
Although designed primarily for pet owners, Petplan says the kit is also being used by some veterinary practices to help provide additional security and monitoring capabilities within the practice.
The kit also contains an SD card allowing clients to share footage of their pet in the home with their veterinary surgeon when explaining behavioural symptoms. Likewise the practice will be able to record and share footage with their staff or clients.
Isabella Von Mesterhazy, Head of Marketing at Petplan, said: "For Petplan, keeping pets healthy always has been and always will be our priority. Spending time away from your pet can be hard, so the new pet Monitoring Kit addresses this problem by providing welcome peace of mind that they are safe and well. We are delighted to be able to offer Petplan veterinary practices and their staff the chance to get their hands on a Monitoring Kit at an exclusive price."
To find out more about the exclusive offer available for Petplan veterinary practices and staff until 9th December, visit petplanvet.co.uk.
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.
For the research, 326 recruited veterinary practices examined 812 cats and 662 dogs using a standardised flea inspection protocol in April and June 2018.
Fleas were collected, the species identified, and pooled flea samples from each host were analysed for the presence of pathogens using PCR and sequence analysis.
Overall, fleas were found on 28.1% of cats and 14.4% of dogs.
Unsurprisingly, over 90% of the fleas on both cats and dogs were our dear old friends, Ctenocephalides felis.
The PCR results found that at least 14% of the samples were positive for at least one pathogen, and 11.3% were positive for Bartonella spp (35 from cats, 4 from dogs), a pathogen which was identified as a risk to veterinary professionals and others with direct animal contact in a 2010 research paper2.
Entomologist Professor Richard Wall from the University of Bristol said: "Fleas are the most clinically important ectoparasites of dogs and cats worldwide.
"Rising levels of pet ownership, climate change and globalisation are increasing the importance of a detailed understanding of the endemicity and prevalence of flea-borne pathogens. This requires continued surveillance to detect change.
"The results have shown the high numbers of cats and dogs that still carry fleas and the relatively high prevalence of Bartonella spp found in the samples provided, which is of significant concern for the health of the pet, pet owner and veterinary practice staff."
Nicola Barclay, Senior Product Manager at MSD Animal Health said: "The Big Flea Project results demonstrate the ongoing need for pet owners to understand the importance of flea prevention, particularly with the implications of infestation for human and animal health.
"It’s particularly important at this time of the year as the weather is getting warmer and infestation is more likely to occur.
"Our national launch today has been designed to raise awareness amongst pet owners and encourage them to seek advice from the veterinary practice.
"Building awareness of the risks of fleas to practices and pet owners is also at the forefront of our ongoing campaign."
References
Mr Meacock faced six charges relating to his website - naturalhealingsolutions.co.uk - which has claimed, amongst many other things, that:
VetNurse.co.uk understands this is the first time that claims made on a practitioner's website have been the subject of a disciplinary hearing. However, before the case could be heard and the claims tested, counsel for the College and the defendant met in private, whereupon Mr Meacock voluntarily entered into undertakings with the RCVS to amend his website in order to make it compliant with his professional responsibilities.
As a result, the College applied to adjourn the hearing generally (ie indefinitely). This application was not opposed by Mr Meacock and was granted by the Committee.
Judith Webb, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, explained that the adjourned charges would be kept open indefinitely but the Committee encouraged the College not to extend the period beyond two years. However, if at any time in the future Mr Meacock failed to keep up his undertakings or made further claims which the College found unacceptable, then a fresh case could be brought.
Because Mr Meacock's undertakings were agreed in private, it is not yet known whether he has agreed to remove all of the content on his website alleged by the College to bring the profession into disrepute, although presumably time will tell.
In addition, it is not clear whether Mr Meacock also undertook not to practice those treatments which the College claimed bring the profession into disrepute (as opposed to just advertising them on his website).
Either way, the implications of the case could stretch beyond Marine Plasma, Russian Healing Blankets and Bio-Resonance Technology. In particular, it raises a serious question over the unsupported claims being made by other practitioners of alternative and complementary therapies, such as the claim by the British Association of Homeopathic Veterinary Surgeons that homeopathy is effective in resolving cancer: http://www.bahvs.com/cured-cases/.
The Committee's full findings and decision are available here.
Available for download now, the MobiVet Veterinary Formulary App is designed to make drug calculations and prescribing faster, easier and safer. It contains dose rate and interval data for over 250 drugs commonly used in small animal practice.
Searchable by drug name or trade names, with species-specific dosing information, the app calculates doses based on the patient type, weight, or body surface area as appropriate. MobiVet also provides a checklist of known relevant drug interactions for each medication, to prevent prescribing errors.
Stuart says an iOS version is in production.
To download the Android version, visit: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.project.user.drug_formulary&hl=en
The RCVS has published its 2014 Survey of the Veterinary and Veterinary Nursing Professions, a snapshot of the demographics of the profession, and the educational and work status of its members.
The results, which gauge individual views on the current state of the profession, are used to inform the College's future policy and activities.
6,988 veterinary surgeons (27% of the profession), 3,612 registered/listed veterinary nurses (31% of the profession) and 1,792 student veterinary nurses took part in the surveys, which are conducted once every four years by the Institute for Employment Studies.
This year's surveys included a set of questions about 24-hour emergency cover, which contributed to the recent review of the College's guidance in this area, and, for the first time, questions from the government-backed Social Mobility Toolkit, which aim to assess the social background of members of the profession.
Highlights from the survey of veterinary surgeons included:
Highlights from the survey of veterinary nurses included:
Both the Survey of the Veterinary Profession and the Survey of the Veterinary Nursing Profession, together with a report that brings together common themes, can be downloaded from the RCVS publications page.
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.").
Burgess Pet Care, which organises the event, is encouraging vets and nurses to watch the webinars to ensure they’re aware of the key information concerning this year’s Rabbit Awareness Week, Protect and Prevent campaign, taking place from the 1st to the 9th June.
The webinars are hosted by Dr Richard Saunders BSc (Hons) BVSc FRSB CBiol DZooMed (Mammalian) DipECZM(ZHM) MRCVS, veterinary adviser to the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund (RWAF).
Richard said: "These webinars provide information across all of the key areas relating to preventative healthcare in rabbits. There is a large number of health issues facing rabbits but thankfully many of these can be prevented. Vets play an incredibly important role in ensuring rabbit owners have all the information they need to correctly care for their pets but unfortunately there is still a lack of awareness and understanding around many basic needs such as diet, husbandry and the importance of vaccinations to protect against dangerous diseases.
"The webinars have been designed to be accessible and engaging to all vets and nurses, regardless of their experience level. We’re urging vets and nurses to watch all three seminars so they’re able to provide the best possible advice to rabbit owners seeking advice on their pets in advance of Rabbit Awareness Week."
To watch the webinars and learn more about this year’s Rabbit Awareness Week campaign, visit: www.rabbitawarenessweek.co.uk, where you can also request a free vet pack to help promote any activity you're planning for RAW.
This is Vita's first foray into the companion animal sector after more than 20 years developing health solutions for honey bees.
The new range includes six products supporting a range of common health conditions; Omnicondro for joint health, Omnicardio for cardiovascular function, Omniomega containing essential fatty acids, Omnicutis skin support, Omnimatrix to aid skin healing and Omniotic ear cleaner. They are approved for use in different species according to product, including dogs, cats, rabbits and horses.
The new products are available direct from the company's Sales Manager, Tara Evans RVN. She said: "I am delighted to introduce practices to this cutting-edge range of supplements. At Vita Animal Health we recognise the vital role of the veterinary team in supporting pet health and offering clients choice. The range of Vita products offers new and innovative solutions in some important areas."
The product launch includes promotional offers for veterinary practices and there is a loyalty card scheme for owners.
For more information, visit www.vitaanimalhealth.com, email info@vitaanimalhealth.com, or telephone 01256 591032.
The College points out that there is a new voting platform this year, designed to make it easier to vote online.
The new system includes regular personalised email reminders from Electoral Reform Services which include a link to the voting platform and the ability to log in securely straight away, without having to refer to the ballot paper in order to find the security codes. Using the email address provided the College, veterinary nurses can also ask ERS to reissue the security codes if needs be.
Voting for both of this year’s elections opened on Friday 24 March with an email sent to all those eligible to vote for whom the College holds an email address. Ballot papers have also been despatched to all eligible voters along with booklets containing the candidates’ biographies, contact details and manifestos. Instructions on how to vote online and by post are included with the ballot papers.
Four veterinary nurses are contesting two places in this year’s VN Council elections. Two of these are existing VN Council members eligible for re-election while two candidates are not currently on VN Council. They are:
All votes must be cast, either online or by post, by 5pm on Friday 28 April 2017.
Once again this year the College invited members of both professions to ‘Quiz the candidates’ by putting their questions directly to all those standing for election. Some of the key themes this year included Brexit, complementary/ alternative therapies, the structure of the veterinary industry, out-of-hours work and veterinary nurse remuneration among others.
Each candidate was invited to choose two questions to answer from all those received and produce a video recording of their answers.
These videos, along with biographies and statements for each candidate, are available to view on the RCVS website at www.rcvs.org.uk/vnvote17.
The Essity Veterinary Academy covers four topics of education: Anatomy and Physiology of Wound Healing, Infection Management, Exudate Management and a Wound Assessment Workshop.
Richard Barker, Account Sales Executive said: "Essity Veterinary Academy events allow us to educate veterinary professionals with a full, comprehensive day of wound management.
"We have run our Academy events for the last two years and the feedback we have had has always been positive, therefore the decision to run four events again this year was an easy one.
"The events offer a great opportunity to share best practice with other veterinary professionals, and to obtain invaluable information from our Medical Education Manager, who has vast experience in dealing with all areas of wound management. We are very lucky to be able to offer these events free of charge and we can’t wait for the first event to begin on 18th June."
Essity is hosting these events across four venues, with the days running from 09:00 – 16:00, refreshments and lunch provided. The venues available this year are:
18th June, Huntingdon Racecourse
9th July, West Midlands Safari Park
17th September, Durham Cricket Club (Emirates Stadium)
24th September, Edinburgh Zoo
To book your place, email animalhealthcare@essity.com, giving your name, job title, practice details, telephone number and any dietary requirements.
Alternatively, if you would like further information please dial 01482 670124.