The long-awaited Panorama programme about the veterinary profession will air on Thursday 22 July at 9pm on BBC One.
Rumour has it that the programme will cover a range of issues, including the role of unqualified nursing staff in the practice, support for new graduates, over-charging in relation to insurance and regulation of corporate practices.
The RCVS says it expects increased public interest in the regulation of the profession following the programme and is gearing itself up to address any concerns it raises. A statement will be posted on www.rcvs.org.uk immediately following the programme, and the RCVS has said that it will work with the British Veterinary Association and other organisations to ensure that the robust nature of the regulatory system is communicated to the public, from undergraduate degrees through the Professional Development Phase and the Guide to Professional Conduct, to mandatory continuing professional development and the voluntary Practice Standards Scheme and Register for Veterinary Nurses.
In a statement issued today, the RCVS said: "We currently receive around 700 complaints a year - about one every 15 years of a member's practising life. It's a record to be proud of. However, if the programme raises areas of genuine concern, we will do all we can to act on them and we have already made it clear to the BBC that we would expect their support in this."
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Is this one of the corporates that has upset the BBC or is it a whole lot of seperate issues? - not easy to deal with in a half hour broadcast!!!
I heard from a collegue that it's about Medivet (I don't know if this is just a part of the program or the whole thing or even true!) but even if it's one corporate under attack it tends to smear the profession as a whole.
I had heard that it was delayed because Medivet were trying to get a court order to prevent its broadcast.
I think that the corporate practices are much to blame for the recent woes and slide in public approval of our profession. They have played on the esteem and public's goodwill which was built up over generations and are, I feel, responsible for the change in attitude towards us all.