Mr Cortes had pleaded guilty to the offences in January 2017 at Cardiff Crown Court. In February 2017, he was sentenced to six months imprisonment suspended for two years with a requirement to complete unpaid work and rehabilitation activity and a victim surcharge. Following Mr Cortes’ conviction the matters were referred to the RCVS and Mr Cortes was subsequently referred to the Disciplinary Committee.
Mr Cortes did not attend at the Disciplinary Committee hearing and was not represented. The Disciplinary Committee, being satisfied that Mr Cortes had been served with the Notice of Inquiry and having considered and taken into account a number of separate factors, decided that it would be in the interests of justice to proceed with the hearing in his absence.
The Committee considered whether Mr Cortes’ convictions rendered him unfit to practise as a veterinary surgeon. Chitra Karve, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "The Committee has reached the conclusion that the respondent’s possession of this material which has led to his convictions was so reprehensible as to merit the description disgraceful. It considers that by possessing this material, the respondent has brought disgrace on the profession and will have undermined confidence in it. It therefore finds that the convictions have rendered the respondent unfit to practise veterinary surgery."
In considering the sanction the Committee decided that removing Mr Cortes from the Register of Veterinary Surgeons was the only available option. Ms Karve added: "The Committee has determined that the respondent’s behaviour is fundamentally incompatible with being a member of the veterinary profession. It therefore directs the Registrar to remove the respondent’s name… from the Register of Veterinary Surgeons."
The RCVS Inspiration Award is for a veterinary surgeon or veterinary nurse who has demonstrated the ability to inspire and enthuse others consistently throughout his or her career.
The award is open to those who have inspired and motivated individuals or groups or who have worked at a profession-wide level. It will recognise those who have gone 'above and beyond' what may normally be expected from a professional colleague or tutor.
The RCVS Impact Award is for a veterinary surgeon or veterinary nurse who has made a considerable impact that has affected the profession, animal health or welfare, or public health. Such impact could have been made through any field of veterinary endeavour, including clinical practice, research, education or veterinary politics.
Chris Tufnell, Senior Vice-President of the RCVS, said: "I am very excited to be introducing these two new awards for those veterinary surgeons and nurses who go above-and-beyond the call of duty for the benefit of their profession, animals and society as a whole.
"I am keen to emphasise that these two new awards are relevant for veterinary professionals from all walks of life and any stage of their career – these are not life-time achievement awards but are for those making a tangible difference whether that’s in their practice, their region or across the country as a whole.
"If you know someone like this then I would strongly encourage you to find out more on our website and fill out a nomination form."
These two awards join four others made by the College:
Nominations for all six honours are now open. Nomination forms and guidance notes can be downloaded from www.rcvs.org.uk/honours and any questions can be directed to Peris Dean, Executive Secretary, on p.dean@rcvs.org.uk.
The deadline for making nominations is Friday 22 September 2017.
The traditional method for detecting equine lameness is subjective, using expert visual evaluation of gait to identify the presence or absence and degree of asymmetries. The lame horse is described as having a disorder, defect or loss of function and this clinical diagnosis has associated welfare implications if the horse is still asked to perform.
The article explains how advanced computer technology is starting to change all this. Optic motion capture or the use of inertial measurement units (IMUs) is now enabling the detailed study and quantification of the horse’s gait; objective assessment against preset thresholds. The paper points out that while these digital systems can overcome the temporal and spatial limitations of the human eye they simply rely on one or a number of set gait parameters to decide about lameness and this can present obstacles.
Thresholds are forcibly based on a limited reference population, which doesn’t adequately reflect the millions of horses in the world. The individual environmental and mental conditions for each horse and its day-to-day gait variations are also not accounted for. On this basis to use the term ‘lame’ because a horse demonstrates a subtle gait alteration, causing it to fall below the threshold, could be inappropriate, particularly as it may not affect the horse’s welfare in any way.
Professor Celia Marr, Editor of the Equine Veterinary Journal said: "An important first step is for researchers and clinicians to start to discriminate clearly between 'asymmetry' and 'lameness' and not to use these as interchangeable terms when interpreting gait analysis data. Asymmetry is often, but not always, a hallmark of lameness, but is not a clinical term, whereas lameness is."
The first part of the charge was that, between 3 November 2014 and 10 December 2016 he did not provide CPD records to the RCVS requested in four separate letters dated November 2014, September 2015, November 2015 and November 2016. The second part of the charge was that, between 11 December 2016 and 26 July 2017, he did not provide the RCVS with his CPD records despite requests.
Dr Zukauskas admitted to the charge against him at the outset of the hearing.
The Committee considered whether Mr Zukauskas’ failure to respond to requests for his CPD records constituted serious professional misconduct.
The Committee found that he had breached the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons by not responding to the repeated requests for information from the College, although the Committee noted that there had not been total silence. Mr Zukauskas had made email contact on at least two occasions in response to RCVS letters and gave evidence that he had attempted to phone the authors of the letters. The Committee also noted that in early February 2017 Mr Zukauskas had made repeated attempts to give the RCVS access to his online CPD account, which he had been updating to reflect CPD work that he had undertaken.
Mr Zukauskas’ explanation for his failure was that he had not fully appreciated the importance of the letters, that his English was poor, and that he failed to obtain appropriate advice about the content of the letters until recently. It was only in a witness statement dated 27 July 2017 that he finally disclosed his full CPD records.
The Committee noted Mr Zukauskas' admission in his evidence that his English was not good, particularly in light of the obligation, brought into the Code in February 2016, for veterinary surgeons to be able to communicate effectively in written and spoken English.
Chitra Karve, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "From that date, if not earlier, the respondent should have been concerned to understand English sufficiently well to address the correspondence from the College. Whilst the Committee did not consider that his conduct in this respect amounted to disrespect, it did consider that he had shown a disregard of his obligations.
"At all times he could and should have made appropriate efforts to respond to the correspondence from the College and obtain appropriate advice. In effect he put off dealing with these matters and put his head in the sand."
Regarding his failure to respond to requests between December 2016 and July 2017, Ms Karve added: "This caused the College a considerable amount of concern and extra work. Had he done so much earlier, much of this matter would have been avoided. The respondent was once again in breach of his obligations."
Having found Mr Zukauskas guilty of serious professional misconduct in relation to both parts of the charge the Committee then considered its sanction against Mr Zukauskas, taking into account the fact that the Veterinary Nurse Disciplinary Committee had recently suspended a veterinary nurse from the Register for a period of two months having found her guilty of similar charges.
In mitigation the Committee considered a number of testimonials from colleagues and clients, his hitherto long and unblemished career in the United Kingdom, and his open and frank admissions and subsequent efforts to avoid repetition of his behaviour. Language problems were also considered as an explanation for why the situation had occurred. However, it also considered the aggravating factor that the misconduct was sustained over a period of time and that there was unacceptable disregard for the obligations he had to the College as a veterinary surgeon.
In summing up Ms Karve said: "The Committee has determined to impose a reprimand. In doing so it acknowledged that the respondent has shown considerable insight into his behaviour. He had acknowledged that he has needed help in communicating with the College. It noted that he is a good and proficient veterinary surgeon in the work which he undertakes. He expressed remorse for his behaviour. He has carried out sufficient CPD and since December 2016 has been communicating with the College. The Committee considers it unlikely that he will transgress again.
"The Committee has decided that it is appropriate in this case to add a warning to the decision to impose a reprimand. It is mindful of the fact that other veterinary surgeons registered with the College have a duty to discharge their CPD obligations and they honour those obligations. Moreover, the conduct of the respondent has involved a considerable amount of work and expense for the College."
The warning was that in future Mr Zukauskas must respond in a timely and appropriate manner to any communications from the RCVS.
Part 1 of "Comparison of veterinary drugs and homeopathy", by Peter Lees, Professor Emeritis in Pharmacology at the RVC, Ludovic Pelligand, Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology and Anaesthesia at the RVC, Martin Whiting, Lecturer in Veterinary Ethics and Law at the RVC, Danny Chambers, an RCVS Councillor currently working at Langford Veterinary Services, University of Bristol, Pierre-Louis Toutain, a European Veterinary Specialist in Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Martin Whitehead Co- and Clinical Director at the Chipping Norton Veterinary Hospital, is published in last week's (August 12th) edition of the Veterinary Record.
The paper considers some of the reasons why medicinal products work and the errors in human thinking which make them seem to work when actually they don't. It also takes a look at the history of veterinary and homeopathic medicine, which helps explain how something as scientifically implausible as homeopathy ever gained traction in the first place.
VetSurgeon.org Editor Arlo Guthrie said: "As the parent of a child with a severe, chronic and highly variable disease, I’ve had prolonged first-hand experience of just how easy it is to fall prey to the sorts of errors in human thinking that can make you believe a treatment is working when in reality it is not. It’s something I continue to have to fight against, despite being well-educated about things like cognitive bias and regression to the mean.
"I believe all veterinary surgeons, and doctors for that matter should constantly remind themselves of these errors and importantly keep them front of mind when advising clients. Not just so they can explain cogently why quack medicine offers nothing more than false hope and a thinner wallet, and why randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials are so important, but also to improve their own assessment of a patient’s response to treatment."
The paper can also be downloaded here: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/181/7/170
Part 2 of the paper is due to be published in next week’s edition of the Veterinary Record.
STOP PRESS VetSurgeon.org has funded the Open Access publication of this paper, so both parts are now available for all to read here:Part 1: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/181/7/170Part 2: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/181/8/198
Photo: The father of homeopathy, Samuel Hahnemann, Wikipedia
Dr Westwood, who now lives in Australia, had been referred to the Committee in relation to a number of charges against him relating to the treatment of a cat at his former practice in Cardiff in October 2015.
He was not present at the inquiry and had requested that his solicitor, Tony Wilson, act on his behalf.
Mr Wilson made an application to the Committee that the hearing should be adjourned contingent on a form of undertakings being accepted. These undertakings were that Dr Westwood’s name be removed from the Register with immediate effect and that he never apply to be restored to the Register under any category.
The application was granted by the Committee, taking into account a number of factors. These included the fact that Dr Westwood has retired as a veterinary surgeon, that he has closed his practice and returned to his home in Australia with no intention of returning to the UK, and that animal welfare and the reputation of the profession have been protected as Dr Westwood will no longer be in practice.
The Committee noted that there were several precedents for concluding cases in such a manner, and that the application was not objected to by the complainant or opposed by the College.
Dr Westwood’s name was removed from the Register of Veterinary Surgeons with immediate effect as of Monday 14 August 2017.
The Brexit Barometer report draws on insights from 16 animal medicines companies and other stakeholders. 95% of those who contributed to the report, drawn up after NOAH’s Brexit event in May, said that they are optimistic about the future of animal health and welfare in the UK.
On the broader future of the industry, contributors to the report were more uncertain: 40% 'in the middle', 30% 'optimistic' and 25% 'pessimistic'. In contrast to animal welfare, contributors were most pessimistic about the future of trade and exports in relation to animal health.
While optimism about animal welfare remains high, NOAH says the animal medicines industry needs a continuation of its high standards of health and welfare to help tackle antibiotic resistance and to put the UK in a strong influencing position with our ability to trade. Six key measures in relation to health and welfare that Government needs to take to realise the opportunities were outlined in the report. They are:
• Maintaining the current Animal Welfare Acts and evolving them to secure the UK’s position from ‘Day 0’• Ensuring the industry is not disadvantaged by lack of veterinary medicines availability during the transition period and beyond, as new products come on the market• Ensuring that veterinary services are available in inner city and rural areas throughout the UK• Ensuring that a cross-border programme is in place to maintain cooperation between the UK and Europe• Recognising that animal diseases do not respect borders and to co-operate with our European neighbours to ensure that appropriate measures are in place to prevent and control disease outbreaks• Balancing first-class welfare standards with creating a level playing field for UK farmers and ensuring that British product does not become uncompetitive.
NOAH Chief Executive, Dawn Howard said: "While the Barometer showed that a large proportion of the industry was undecided when it comes to overall future of our sector, it tells us loudly and clearly that the sector sees a very clear opportunity for the UK to show leadership when it comes to animal health and welfare. What is vital now is that Government collaborates closely with industry and heeds its advice to realise this opportunity and leverage these high levels of optimism. We must not forget that veterinary medicines support the health and welfare of the UK’s livestock and pets and we stand ready to work with industry and Government to help make this happen."
BVA President Gudrun Ravetz said: "We have a unique selling point as 'UK PLC' around our high standards of animal welfare and food safety and these must be maintained in the wake of Brexit. This means tackling issues including veterinary involvement from farm to fork to underpin animal health, welfare and public health, through to guaranteeing working rights for vets and veterinary nurses. It is therefore vital that animal welfare is included in all trade negotiations."
The report can be read in full here: https://www.noah.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/NOAH-Brexit-Barometer-Summer-17-6pp-A4-vf.pdf
The recognition, management and treatment of pain in calves was identified by the BVA and the BCVA as a priority animal welfare problem following the launch of the BVA’s Animal welfare strategy last year, with the two organisations working closely together to progress an evidence-based best practice position and set of recommendations for the profession.
The new position statement specifically recommends the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in addition to local anaesthesia when conducting disbudding and castration in calves, as these are procedures that have been shown to cause acute pain at the time of the procedure and chronic pain afterwards. Analgesics have been shown to reduce the signs of pain in this post-operative period in a wide range of research studies.
The position also recommends the 'Three Rs' approach to castration and disbudding of calves, advocating that, where possible, these procedures are: Replaced by, for example, selecting polled sires to replace disbudding; Reduced by, for example, appropriate use of sexed semen to reduce the number of male calves requiring castration; or Refined, with the use of analgesics.
BVA President Gudrun Ravetz said: "BVA and BCVA’s joint position further reinforces the profession’s focus as animal welfare advocates, and conveys the need for adequate pain management that is reflective of current scientific understanding of pain recognition and treatment in cattle.
"Existing legislation requires a level of anaesthesia and we would encourage veterinary colleagues and stock-keepers to also discuss appropriate analgesic regimes used so that vets prescribe appropriately licensed NSAIDs and other analgesic medicines as required, as part of ensuring a good life for the animals we farm for food."
The recommendations support the University of Nottingham School of Veterinary Medicine and Science’s study, published yesterday in the Veterinary Record, which has found that calf husbandry procedures were significantly less likely to include the use of analgesics in addition to the local anaesthetic (that is routinely used) for other similarly painful procedures. While local anaesthesia can reduce or eliminate much of the acute pain, chronic pain may still remain once the relatively short duration of local anaesthetic action wanes.
John Remnant, a member of BCVA Board and Clinical Assistant Professor in Farm Animal Health and Production at the Nottingham Vet School, said: "It appears that veterinarians’ awareness of pain in cattle and willingness to use analgesics in general has increased over the last decade. However, whilst this should be commended, the apparent lack of use of appropriate analgesia specifically in calves undergoing routine husbandry procedures such as castration and disbudding requires urgent action. I am delighted that the findings of Nottingham University’s study support BVA/BCVA’s statement."
BVA and BCVA’s joint position paper on Analgesia in calves can be found at: https://www.bva.co.uk/uploadedFiles/Content/News,_campaigns_and_policies/Policies/Ethics_and_welfare/Analgesia%20in%20calves%20BVA%20branded.pdf
Photo: A calf in England, New Forest national park. Jim Champion. Wikipedia.
Matt Yarnall from Boehringer Ingelheim said: "This is fantastic news for Bovela which offers a truly unique and innovative way of controlling BVD in a herd, something that is now clearly being appreciated by farmers and vets alike."
The company says over 5 million doses of Bovela have now been sold across Europe2 showing how quickly farmers have understood the benefits of a single dose vaccine that provides a full 12 months of live vaccine protection.
Matt added: "Feedback we have from vets and farmers throughout Europe shows two main things. Firstly, for those who haven’t controlled BVD before, there is the realisation of how much better herd health can be and secondly, for those who have previously struggled with multiple primary course vaccines or those that should be boosted every six months, there is relief at Bovela’s easy-to-follow regime."
References
Adam, who is one of only 17 ECC Specialists in the UK, will be developing an ECC service at Lumbry Park.
Following graduation and an internship at the Royal Veterinary College, Adam worked in hospital and emergency general practice. He completed his residency in Emergency and Critical Care in 2013 becoming board certified the same year. He also completed a Master’s in Veterinary Medicine at the Royal Veterinary College.
Adam became an RCVS Recognised Specialist in Emergency and Critical Care in 2015. In his most recent role, he was Group Head of Emergency and Intensive Care for four RCVS-Recognised hospitals and branches and oversaw standards of out-of-hours provision to 50+ sites. He also led the development of the first specialist 24-hour veterinary intensive care unit in central London.
Ray Girotti, Hospital Director, said: "Adam will be working with our multi-disciplinary team to offer a dedicated point of contact for emergency referrals, a move which will enhance the provision of critical care for our sickest patients. We are delighted to welcome a Specialist of his calibre to Lumbry Park."
Adam said: "The leadership on all issues relating to patient care shown by CVS’ Clinical Advisory Committee was inspiring and, with its full support, I have been offered an unrivalled opportunity to develop a leading ECC service at Lumbry Park. I’m really looking forward to my new role and to participating on the Clinical Advisory Committee to enhance ECC services right across CVS."
Eilona's is one of 50 new jobs created by the company in the last 12 months alone, across a range of positions including veterinary surgeons, nurses and client care co-ordinators.
Eilona said: "White Cross Vets has an unrivalled reputation for offering exceptional pet care, as well as being recognised as a great place to work, which really appealed to me. To become the group’s 200th employee is fantastic and I’m really looking forward to the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead."
Tim Harrison, Managing Director of White Cross Vets, said: "Welcoming 50 new team members into the White Cross family in the last 12 months is a major coup and we’re delighted to have created a 200 strong team with Eilona’s appointment. We are already planning to expand our team further over the coming months, with three new practices due to open before the end of this year, which makes it a very exciting time for us."
Ben trained in medicine at Oxford and London before becoming a household name through his weekly Bad Science column published in the Guardian between 2003 and 2011.
Ben is the author of three books. His first, Bad Science, published in 2008, sold over half a million copies worldwide and is published in 31 languages. His second, Bad Pharma: How Drug Companies Mislead Doctors and Harm Patients was published in 2012 and his third, a volume of collected journalism entitled I think you’ll find it’s more complicated than that, in 2014. He currently works as an academic in epidemiology.
In his lecture, Ben will be talking about how quacks and charlatans misuse evidence, and the placebo effect, to bamboozle the public. It's an issue of particular interest for the veterinary profession, given the growing focus on evidence-based medicine.
The lecture is open to all London Vet Show attendees and will take place in the BVA Congress Theatre at London’s ExCeL between 12.30 – 1.30 on Friday 17 November.
BVA President Gudrun Ravetz said: "We know that many people’s first point of call is the media or Dr Google when trying to decide what pet to purchase or how to treat their animal’s - or their own - health! So, I’m sure veterinary colleagues from all areas of the profession will find Dr Goldacre’s insight both engaging and inspiring in their day-to-day and working lives."
Other BVA Congress sessions at London Vet Show 2017 include Nudge, nudge – how can we change owner behaviour for better welfare?; Veterinary workforce crisis: what’s really going on? and Veterinary Surgeons Act: an open and shut case?. BVA Congress sessions as well as associated BVA Farm Animal, BVA/BEVA Equine, and BVA Career Development Streams count towards CPD.
BVA members can get access to the full BVA offering, as well as the usual London Vet Show programme, for 15% less than the lowest advertised price. To book, enter your BVA membership number and the code BVA 8 to claim your discount when you book online at www.londonvetshow.co.uk
Photo: John King 2012
Matt, who contracted Lyme disease early last year, has been out giving interviews about how he was bitten by a tick, his experience with Lyme disease and why he is supporting the Big Tick Project. He said: "It was a really scary time for me and my family, and I was shocked to find out that a tick bite in Chiswick – such a tiny creature – caused me to end up needing heart surgery. Even though I am free from Lyme disease now it really has impacted me. I still have to take daily medication and I now adjust my lifestyle in a number of ways."
Amanda Melvin, Marketing Manager at MSD Animal Health said: "This recent campaign is part of a series of high profile media campaigns that we’ve organised to help pet owners understand the risks posed by ticks and the importance of seeking advice from vets. Vet are central to this campagn.
"During our attendance this summer at DogFest and Countryfile Live we asked pet owners about their awareness of the risks. While this was very rough data the message that came back consistently was that many pet owners didn’t realise that not all flea treatments could also provide protection against ticks.
"We are therefore urging them to talk to their vet and vet nurses to better understand the treatments they are paying for. The conversation is important as the risks can be high."
For further information, visit: www.bigtickproject.co.uk
There are three awards, two ruminant and one companion animal, of up to £4,000 each. Each project needs to be completed within 1-2 years and the veterinary practitioner proposals will be judged by university academics to ensure independent assessment.
Michelle Townley, Veterinary Advisor at MSD Animal Health (pictured right), herself a winner of an MSD bursary in 2001, said: "Our existing Research Bursaries are well-known amongst practitioners focusing on ruminants, having run for 6 years. For the first time, however, we are offering a broader level of support which includes both ruminant and companion animal practitioners. Our aim is to engage as many people as possible as we view our investment in research, and the pursuit of new knowledge, as the lifeblood of the veterinary industry."
The deadline for entries is 30th November 2017.
For further information, visit: www.msd-animal-health.co.uk/researchbursary.aspx.
Dr Sabela Atencia DVM MVM Dip-ECVIM CA MRCVS is an internal medicine specialist who holds the European Diploma in Small Animal Internal Medicine.
During her research for her Masters degree on muscular dystrophy in the Japanese Spitz breed, she contributed to knowledge of the underlying mutation of the disease, facilitating the development of a genetic test.
Sabela enjoys all aspects of canine and feline Internal Medicine, but is particularly interested in endoscopy, endocrinology and genetics.
Dr Owen Davies MA VetMB MVetMed MANZCVS(SAM) MRCVS, a veterinary medical oncology clinician, holds a Masters degree based on research into canine lymphoma.
Owen is interested in all aspects of medical oncology, especially haematopoietic malignancies, targeted therapy for cancer and paraneoplastic disease. He has recently completed a residency in veterinary oncology at the Royal Veterinary College and has just passed the DACVIM examinations in Oncology.
Dr Elisabetta Mancinelli DVM CertZooMed Dipl ECZM (Small Mammal) MRCVS is a European Veterinary Specialist in Zoological Medicine (Small Mammal Medicine and Surgery) and an RCVS Recognised Specialist in Zoo and Wildlife Medicine.
She was the first veterinary surgeon to undertake the European College of Zoological Medicine (ECZM) Residency in Small Mammal Medicine, which she completed at The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh.
Elisabetta will lead and further expand the established exotic pet service at the Hospital.
Acting Hospital Director, Professor Stuart Carmichael said: "As we continue to extend the range of services and expertise we offer to our clients, we are delighted to welcome these three distinguished professionals to the team here at Highcroft. They will make a great contribution and it’s great to have them aboard."
Highcroft Veterinary Referrals is based at 615 Wells Road, Whitchurch, Bristol and can be contacted on 01275 832410.
Photo: Left to right: Dr Elisabetta Mancinelli, Dr Owen Davies, Dr Sabela Atencia
The redesign includes an overhaul of the layout, structure and navigation of all the College’s websites: Professionals, Animal Owners, Find a Vet and RCVS Knowledge.
Some of the main changes are:
Ian Holloway, Head of Communications, said: "We’re delighted to be launching our new-look site today and hope all the improvements we’ve incorporated will make using the site a much better experience for veterinary professionals and animal owners alike.
"Working closely with our website provider, NetXtra, over the past nine months, we’ve been able to develop a new-look site with vastly improved design, structure and navigation, whilst avoiding the major expense of building a completely new website from scratch.
"We’re very grateful to them, and to all those vets, vet nurses and members of the public who have helped us with user-testing and content mapping to improve the site as much as possible for everyone who uses it."
Anyone with any comments or feedback about the new-look site is invited to send it to communications@rcvs.org.uk.
The program, which was set up in response to calls for more support and better teaching on the essential non-clinical skills veterinary graduates need for success in veterinary practice, begins in September and is open to any veterinary surgeons who are up to three years post graduation.
VetX features 12 months of intensive teaching, mentoring and peer support for up to fifty graduates and so far has vets from both the UK and USA signed up for places. The class of 2017 will be mentored directly by Program Director Dr. Dave Nicol, who bills himself as one of the most experienced vet coaches on the planet!
Dave said: "I've been running 'in practice' mentoring and training schemes for vets for almost a decade, VetX takes this experience and brings the content online so I can reach, support and help more graduates than ever before.
"Our young vets are crying out for better support and training in the non-clinical skills. They want to learn better communication skills. They want to know how to make dealing with clients and people easier and they want to know how to handle life as a vet so they enjoy it, not get burned out. VetX provides all of these things and more."
Dave says he has set up the scholarship as a way of giving something back to the profession, because he was lucky enough to have been given help from many amazing mentors who gave freely of their time and expertise: "Opening up two fully-funded places for vet graduates on the program is my way of saying thanks - of paying it forwards."
If you are a veterinary surgeon who has graduated in 2015 or later and are interested in applying for a fully funded scholarship in the VetX class of 2017, visit www.drdavenicol.com/vetxscholarship to learn more about the course and apply for a scholarship place. Demand is likely to be high so don’t delay.
Applications will close at midnight on September 7th 2017.
The VMD, which reclassified the product following a request from Zoetis, says that increasing the availability of this anthelmintic should help it to be incorporated into strategic worm control programmes on farms in line with best practice guidance on worm control. This could result in long term health benefits for sheep, for example by reducing the development and spread of anthelmintic resistance, thereby prolonging the effective use of anthelmintics.
However, both the British Veterinary Association and the Sheep Veterinary Society have expressed concerns over the move.
BVA Junior Vice President John Fishwick said: "We know that resistance to anthelmintics is increasing in grazing animals worldwide and needs to be addressed to avoid a potentially disastrous situation of being unable to tackle parasites. The reclassification of Startect Dual Active from POM-V to POM-VPS is in direct opposition to the trend in Europe, where we are seeing increased control over dispensing of anthelmintics in species where resistance is posing a serious threat to animal health, welfare and profitable production; we're extremely concerned that we might start seeing resistance develop in Group 4 as a result.
"BVA believes that the prescribing of anthelmintics requires a level of control best provided by a veterinary surgeon who has the animals under his/her care, and is based on a sound clinical diagnosis. The drugs are best used as part of a flock health plan drawn up by farmers in conjunction with their vet in order to protect animal health and welfare and safeguard the efficacy of these products for the future."
Sheep Veterinary Society President Kathryn Dun said: "Group 4 anthelmintics should be used only as part of a careful designed strategy for the individual farm and it is imperative that this strategy is worked out with a vet and is part of a flock health plan for that farm. The products need to be used, in the correct way, to help prolong the life of our other anthelmintics.
"We are unlikely to have any further new groups of anthelmintics in the foreseeable future, so education of those buying and selling these products is crucial to ensure the longevity of the effective action of them against sheep parasites."
Further information on BVA's policy on anthelmintics can be found here: www.bva.co.uk/news-campaigns-and-policy/policy/medicines/anthelmintics
The object of the exercise is simply to find out whether a significant number of veterinary professionals feel that they have been bullied, and look at the impact it has had on them.
If a significant number of people say they have, the hope is that the survey will trigger constructive discussion on the subject, both amongst key opinion leaders in the profession and in practice.
One of the biggest challenges in measuring the incidence of bullying in practice is the highly subjective definition of the word. For this reason, the survey asks whether you've been on the receiving end of very specific types of behaviour, ones which most people would agree are at best unconducive to a happy and effective working environment, and at worst, outright bullying.
VetSurgeon.org Editor Arlo Guthrie said: "Early responses to the survey have already shown, if we didn't know it already, that bullying is going on, and how bullies can make life utter hell at work. We just don't yet know the scale of the problem.
"Either way, there are two ways I think this survey could make a difference. Firstly, by discussing the subject openly, so it creates an environment in which bullying behaviour is less likely to happen. Secondly, I suspect that a significant amount of bullying may happen as a consequence of poor communication. For example, if one member of the team thinks another is underperforming but is uncomfortable having a candid but constructive discussion. If there is no other process in place to resolve the issue, they may resort to other types of behaviour which can have a profoundly negative effect on their colleague."
To take part in the survey, please visit: http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3783698/Behaviour-In-Practice
Produced by Knowledge’s Library and Information Service, inFOCUS watches all relevant veterinary journals and provides concise summaries of the most important, interesting or practice-critical primary and secondary material.
Subscribers to inFOCUS are sent a bi-monthly email containing the summaries – including the bottom line for implementation in practice – and the option to read the original articles.
The new service aims to remove the time constraints associated with identifying the most vital research.
A Clinical Review Team, made up of experts and specialists from across the veterinary community, assesses journals to find the best items based on relevance, quality and potential impact, and then reviews and summarises the literature for each edition of inFOCUS.
RCVS President Stephen May said: "inFOCUS is a crucial and long-awaited provision available to everyone involved in veterinary care.
"By removing the barriers to accessing and reflecting upon latest research and commentary, this innovative way of bringing you must-know updates further enforces the move towards evidence-based veterinary medicine, of which RCVS Knowledge is a champion.
"Whether you’re someone who regularly checks veterinary publications or you rarely get the chance to analyse the available material, make sure inFOCUS is on your reading list."
As well as the six-times-per-year email, inFOCUS will be viewable online, where editions from previous months will be housed and individual summaries categorised by animal type. Though initially focused on small animals, literature from across the broad spectrum of veterinary practice will be highlighted.
You can subscribe here to have the latest inFOCUS updates sent directly to your inbox.
Also, if you're interested in helping to ensure that the most important research reaches the veterinary community, you can apply to join the Clinical Review Team here.
Sean became interested in animal welfare science as an undergraduate veterinary student, when he was awarded a Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) Vacation Scholarship to investigate the welfare of caged zebra finches housed under typical pet shop conditions.
Six years later, having been instrumental in developing BVA policy in supporting a ban on the importation of wild-caught birds into the European Union to be kept as pets, Sean represented the position in Brussels and an EU-wide ban was introduced in 2007.
As BVA President in 2015/16, Sean initiated and led the production of BVA’s Animal welfare strategy. Developed through consultation with representatives from across the profession and other sector stakeholders, 'Vets speaking up for animal welfare' lays out a number of strategic actions based on the veterinary profession’s unique opportunity and responsibility to advocate animals' best interests at individual, community and political levels.
The strategy aims to further expand BVA’s animal welfare advocacy; provide tools and support to BVA members in areas such as veterinary ethics; and foster collaboration with other animal welfare-focused partners such as the recently launched BVA/British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA) position paper promoting analgesic use alongside local anaesthesia for routine surgical procedures on calves. To help build BVA’s international animal welfare agenda, Sean has recently been appointed as a member of the FVE Animal Welfare Working Group.
Another important project during Sean’s BVA Presidency was the jointly led BVA/RCVS Vet Futures project. He assisted in developing the Vet Futures report, which identifies veterinary leadership in animal health and welfare as one of the six key ambitions in its 2030 vision for the veterinary profession. While President he also produced an online video with the international animal welfare organisation World Animal Protection on the importance and relevance of animal sentience to the veterinary profession.
British Veterinary Association President Gudrun Ravetz, said: "Improving animal welfare has always been the focus of Sean’s veterinary career, through veterinary practice and policy and developing the profession’s role in advancing animal welfare. Since his undergraduate research and subsequent postgraduate studies in animal welfare, he has undertaken a wide range of overseas volunteer projects and continues to champion and promote understanding of animal welfare at individual, community, national and international levels on a daily basis.
"Sean also led on BVA’s landmark Animal welfare strategy, championing the role of vets as advocates of animals’ best interests and sending a clear signal that the veterinary profession will be a considerable force for good, for animals and for an increasingly compassionate society in the years ahead.
"Sean has made a difference to the lives of many animals with his dedication to animal welfare. I am delighted that Sean is being recognised on an international stage for his fantastic work in the field of animal welfare with this important award."
On receiving his award, Sean said: "It is excellent that WVA has further underpinned its commitment to animal welfare, in line with global society’s expectation of our profession as animal welfare leaders, through the establishment of the Global Animal Welfare Awards. It’s a great honour to be a recipient, which is tribute to my driven and forward-looking colleagues at BVA and PDSA. I thank them, as well as the many other organisations, institutions and individuals who have given me invaluable opportunities and encouragement during my career to date."
Having had a three-month sabbatical working at Fitzpatrick, Jonathan decided to relocate from New Zealand where most recently he'd been Head of the Companion Animal Group at Massey University.
Jonathan said: "My prime passion is working directly with animals and their families in a supportive and exceptional clinical setting. I enjoy pushing boundaries and not accepting the status quo. I want to identify better ways of improving outcomes for patients, and minimising the impact of the disease (or its treatment) on an animal’s quality of life. My sabbatical at Fitzpatrick Referrals exposed me to their tremendous energy and real passion for patient and client care. From the moment the clients walk in the door, I feel there is an embrace that lets people know we truly care and want to do the best for their animal friend. I am looking forward to discovering what we can achieve together. Cancer management is such an important opportunity, with the power to change both animal and human lives positively. The direction and focus of Fitzpatrick Referrals in this area is already incredibly exciting.”
Clinical Director of Oncology and Soft Tissue, Professor Nick Bacon said: "On Jon’s first day of his sabbatical, he jumped right into the team and made an immediate positive impact. He hasn’t looked back. He carries with him such a good energy, which we all absorb and hopefully reflect back. His knowledge of implant design for dealing with defects in the mandible and elsewhere is exceptional and I am looking forward to watching that develop. I am also very pleased that Jon’s wife Sharyn is able to join the team; she is very experienced in the field of advanced imaging in humans, including Fluoroscopy and PET-CT. This is already benefitting our patients as we improve our diagnostic and treatment abilities, and get ready for the future."
Jonathan has active research interests in several clinical areas including soft tissue sarcoma, injection-site sarcoma, endoprosthetics and haemangiosarcoma. He also supports the concept of One Medicine as his PhD research into soft tissue sarcoma, haemangiosarcoma and endoprosthetics has a potential relevance in improving the understanding of treatment paradigms for humans and animals.
The practice has assembled a team of post-graduate certificate holding veterinary surgeons, supporting specialists, nurses and front-of-house staff to offer a comprehensive range of services, including advanced orthopaedic and soft tissue surgery and outpatient diagnostic imaging.
In order to make its service more accessible, the practice has also developed a number of innovative aspects to its service, including a 'fixed price fix', a guaranteed 'same week solution' and an interest-free credit payment option.
Lead veterinary surgeon Ross Allan (pictured right) said: "We consider the launch of Roundhouse Referrals to be one of the most exciting developments in the provision of advanced veterinary services to clients in the West of Scotland for many years.
"While there are existing referral options, we want to remove some of the current challenges that prevent vets and pet owners from accessing these services.
"We all know how frustrating waiting lists can be for vets and their clients, and by creating the 'same week solution' we pledge to arrange an appointment and provide a referral consultation within one week, something we feel will be reassuring to referring vets and clients.
"In addition, we are delighted to improve provision for pet owners with financial restrictions such as low value or no insurance policies. Roundhouse Referrals has been established to address these concerns through the provision of a high quality, highly accessible service and 'same week solution' for referring veterinary practices, and through such services as our 'fixed price fix' and interest free credit.
"Similarly, we are committed to the principle of an easy-to-use service for referring vet and client: price certainty, the personal touch and great communication."
Roundhouse Referrals says it can undertake an extensive range of investigative and surgical orthopaedic procedures including: fracture repair; lameness investigation; growth deformities; arthrodesis; arthroscopic surgery and ligament or tendon injury. Its soft tissue services include: endocrine surgery; ENT; gastrointestinal; hernia surgery; oncological; thoracic; urogenital; vascular; wound management and reconstructive surgeries.
The practice also says it undertakes to work in partnership with referring veterinary practices to provide an easier referral system that will always return satisfied clients to the referring practice.
For further information, contact 0141 649 1316 or visit: www.rhr.vet
The College says that although professional bodies advise their members to value their own wellbeing and seek help if unwell, there has been an absence of senior professionals who have felt able to say 'been there myself'.
By asking senior medical professionals to share their stories of overcoming struggles with mental health, &me aims to encourage other medical professionals to seek help, in part by showing that such experiences do not exclude people from achieving leading roles in healthcare.
With the addition of Dr Cathy Wield in August, there are now seven ambassadors for the &me campaign, and all of their stories can be read at www.vetmindmatters.org/&me:
Lizzie Lockett, Director of the Mind Matters Initiative, said: "Over the past eight months we have seen an incredible level of support for our &me ambassadors. Our Facebook post about Rob Pettitt, for example, reached nearly 25,000 people, many of whom posted stories about Rob helping them navigate veterinary school and better understand their own mental health issues. These kind of role models really do help reduce stigma, and we thank every one of our ambassadors for having the courage to share their own experiences with mental health."
Louise Freeman, Vice-Chair of the Doctors’ Support Network, said: "The &me campaign has really shown how the medical professions can work together when it comes to mental health. Medical professionals face many of the same challenges, and we needn’t face them alone – instead we can work as one to tackle stigma and speak openly about mental health issues. And it’s not just in the UK that health professionals can feel as if they are ‘not allowed’ to experience mental health problems. As a direct result of the &me campaign, health professionals from around the world including Australia and the U.S. have been in contact with DSN to confirm that they have similar issues within their local health culture."
The campaign is still interested in hearing from not only doctors and veterinary surgeons but also nurses, veterinary nurses, dentists, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals who want to open up about their experiences of mental ill health. To participate in the campaign, please email Dr Louise Freeman on vicechair@dsn.org.uk.
On social media tweets about the campaign are sent from @vetmindmatters and @DocSupportNet twitter accounts using the hashtag #AndMe.
Andrew Montgomery, veterinary adviser for MSD Animal Health, says this is a very positive outcome for the industry: "It is estimated that 90% of UK herds have been exposed to bovine viral diarrhoea1 (BVD), costing the UK cattle industry up to £61 million each year2."
The new Summary of Product Characteristics for Bovilis BVD states that following primary immunisation, consisting of two vaccinations given 4 weeks apart to cattle over the age of 8 months, and a further vaccination 6 months after this, revaccinations can be given at up to 12 month intervals.
Andrew said: "The fundamental principle of control, is to identify and remove persistently infected (PI) animals from a herd, and stop PIs being created using a trusted and proven vaccine.
"Providing primary immunisation has been finalised 4 weeks before the start of gestation, Bovilis BVD is licensed to protect the foetus against transplacental infection, preventing the creation of a PI calf which is hugely significant for BVD control.
"The convenience of being able to vaccinate on a herd level without having to assess pregnant animals on a case-by-case basis provides the flexibility to tailor vaccination schedules to the farm system, which for many vets and farmers comes as a convenient solution."
MSD says Bovilis BVD also has the advantage of not interfering with antigen ELISA or PCR testing and can be jointly administered with other routine vaccines.
For example, Bovilis BVD can be mixed and administered with Bovilis® IBR Marker Live when given as a booster dose to cattle from 15 months of age, or can be administered on the same day as Leptavoid-H in cattle from 8 months of age.
For further information, refer to the product data sheets at www.noahcompendium.co.uk and SPCs and/or speak to your local MSD Animal Health area manager.