The BSAVA has announced that Congress 2023 (23rd – 25th March at Manchester Central) will include a programme of three days worth of wellbeing presentations and discussions.

The Wellbeing Programme, which has been put together in collaboration with British Veterinary Chronic Illness Support, the British Veterinary Ethnicity and Diversity Society, British Veterinary Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender+, the RCVS Mind Matters Initiative, Vetlife, the BVA and others, aims to help people create workplaces and teams where everyone can feel they belong and problems are dealt with before they become catastrophes. 

Several of the sessions will allow participants to practice skills, which the Association hopes will be transformative experiences.

Alison Speakman, BSAVA President said: “This year has continued to provide increasing challenges both within the veterinary workforce and in the world at large.

"This has challenged our physical, mental and financial wellbeing which are inextricably linked.

"Therefore, we will be covering aspects of all three with a wide range of presenters included in these conversations, from both within and outwith the veterinary arena.”

New for this year are four separate sessions looking at our understanding of hormonal health and some of the difficulties hormone variations might cause, including menstrual issues, polycystic ovary syndrome, fertility, menopause, understanding and support for gender transition and non-binary people, and male aging.

There will also be wellbeing sessions looking at self-compassion as an antidote to perfectionism and self-criticism, learning to work with grief, flexible working, and developing human-savvy teamwork.

Alison continued: “Whether you wish to expand your knowledge to improve personal understanding and support of your own wellbeing, that of a colleague or friend, or to improve workplace practices and culture, there really is something for everyone to learn.

"Please come along to our safe and supportive space at Congress to improve the wellbeing of our veterinary profession.”

BSAVA has also created a free collection on mental health and wellbeing, looking at resources on both an individual basis and as a team perspective: https://www.bsavalibrary.com/content/mental-health-and-well-being.

To see the full Wellbeing Programme: https://www.bsavaevents.com/bsavacongress2023/en/page/wellbeing?&view-type~0=date.

BSAVA Congress tickets: https://www.bsavaevents.com/bsavacongress2023/en/page/registration-pricing.

Veterinary Evidence, RCVS Knowledge’s peer-reviewed, open access journal, has launched its new website.

The journal provides free access to critical summaries of the best available evidence, called Knowledge Summaries, to help practitioners make informed evidence-based decisions in practice.

The new website has several new features, such as author and reviewer hubs, which contain information to guide contributors through the process of writing or reviewing papers for the journal.

A new ‘answer me’ button allows potential authors to pick a clinical query they are interested in answering and email it straight to the Editor, streamlining the process.

The new site also includes a new submission system, Editorial Manager, which streamlines the editorial process, communications with authors and reviewers, and the management of articles.

Kit Sturgess, Editor-in-Chief of Veterinary Evidence, says: “I am really excited by the new website; its look and functionality will significantly improve rapid access to information and further boost the engagement of the veterinary team with EBVM.

"After an impressive year for Veterinary Evidence, we have also moved to a new submission system, Editorial Manager, aimed at making the experience of submitting and reviewing papers easier and more efficient.

"Through the new website and publishing platform, the journal can get better metrics of how well we are supporting our readers, authors, and reviewers so we can use evidence to drive Quality Improvement.” 

veterinaryevidence.org

The British Equine Veterinary Association is encouraging veterinary practices to recognise and reward their nurses.

The initiative comes after BEVA's new nurse committee ran a survey which found a poor understanding within the profession and amongst clients of what equine nurses can do.

Nurses said they believed they could be given more responsibility and do more within their roles and that there was a lack of opportunity for progression.

BEVA President David Rendle, who is championing this initiative, said: “RVNs are a significant an asset to any equine practice.

“They have invested a lot of time and effort to become highly skilled but in some instances their significant attributes are not being utilised to the full.

“Allowing RVNs to perform the clinical tasks that they are qualified to carry out under Schedule 3 of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, will provide better job fulfilment and career development as well as free up veterinary surgeons to carry out other tasks, all increasing the efficiency of the veterinary team.

“I feel, and the RVN survey results would seem to confirm, that veterinary surgeons and practice managers do not appreciate how much veterinary nurses are allowed to do in equine practice.

"We all know veterinary nurses have the ability; look at what they do in small animal and human nursing, but we have felt unnecessarily constrained by Schedule 3 of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 and the associated RCVS guidelines.

"If you actually look at Schedule 3 it is clear that we can and should be letting our qualified equine nurses do far more. 

“There are so many things in equine practice that nurses do better than vets.

"In addition to performing clinical tasks they can add wider value; they are generally (or are perceived by clients to be!) more patient, empathetic and caring so we should utilise these skills and get nurses to take on some of the roles that take more time and require longer client interactions – discussing parasite control programmes,  running weight loss clinics, reviewing healthcare plans, making follow-up phone calls and visits to name just a few.

"Nurses can take a lot of pressure off vets and can add a significant revenue stream for the practice.” 

On the 9th February, the BEVA will be hosting an online discussion forum for all members of the practice team to discuss the role of nurses and how their skills, experience and knowledge can be better-used. 

It's free for BEVA members: https://www.beva.org.uk/Home/Events/BEVA-Events/Event-Details.aspx?eventDateId=1716 

Marie Rippingale Chair of the BEVA Nurse Committee said: “Last year’s recruitment and retention survey revealed that 50% of nurse respondents were earning less than £25,000 per annum and 48% of nurses said they were likely to look for a new job in the next two years.

"When asked their top reasons for leaving, salary was the biggest reason, and common themes on what would help the retention of nurses included salary, work-life balance and career progression.

“The review of Schedule 3 is important so we can encourage delegation of tasks to RVNs.

"This will allow RVNs to demonstrate their value and worth, earning money for the practice and achieving job satisfaction at the same time. This will contribute positively towards the current retention crisis.”

To find out more about what equine veterinary nurses can do in practice visit https://www.beva.org.uk/nurses 

Photo:  Liphook Equine Hospital.

Researchers at the RVC are calling on veterinary organisations which fund or co-fund research to take part in a study which seeks to inform future funding strategies.

The first phase of research is being conducted this January and February 2023 and will analyse the amount and distribution of UK canine health research funding over the past decade.

Veterinary associations, societies and charities which support canine health research tend to identify funding priorities aligned with their own strategy and scope, taking account of independent peer review from experts in the field of research.

However, the RVC says that as there are many research funders working independently, some important research topics may be overlooked and separately funded projects can inadvertently overlap in their work.  

This study endeavours to investigate these issues and consider how resources are prioritised across different areas of canine research.

Participating stakeholders will be asked their opinions on future research funding and this information will contribute to developing a long-term strategy for not-for-profit UK canine health research.

Thereafter, the aim is to create a pilot consultation process for developing a central prioritisation platform for future collaborative canine research.

The RVC’s says it has already got data and support from several major funders but is keen to maximise the scope of this research, so it is now looking for participation from specialist veterinary societies that fund research, and non-university organisations, such as charities, corporates or independent referral practices which conduct their own in-house canine research. 

Dr Alison Skipper, Postdoctoral Researcher into Canine Research Funding within VetCompass at the RVC said: “We are really keen to hear from as many non-profit organisations involved with canine health research funding as possible. The breadth and depth of this data is vital to ensure that our findings accurately reflect this sector."

For more information about how to get involved, please visit https://rvc.uk.com/canine-research-funding-analysis.

Great Western Exotics is hosting a free webinar about how practices can recognise and manage avian flu at 7:00pm on 24th January.

The one-hour CPD session is being given by Tom Dutton (pictured right), an EBVS specialist in avian medicine and surgery.

Tom said: “We are currently suffering from the biggest avian flu outbreak in UK history.

“As well as the widely reported effect on the UK commercial poultry industry, there have also been a number of cases in captive birds.

“Bird owners are naturally worried about their pets becoming infected and practice vets are also having to field requests from members of the public who are concerned about wild birds.

“This session will help vets to manage enquiries and handle any potential clinical situations with confidence.”

To register for the webinar, email Jess at: GWEReferrals@vets-now.com before 23rd January

The RCVS has announced dates for a range of new mental health and wellbeing training opportunities for veterinary professionals this year.

Expanding on the training available in autumn 2022, which was launched based on the results of an extensive training pilot, MMI is offering a total of 14 sessions taking place both online and in person over the next few months. Sessions will be running from January to April 2023. The courses will cover areas that have been identified as priority topics from previous MMI surveys, feedback from the professions, and evaluation of the training pilots.

Mind Matters Initiative Manager, Lisa Quigley, said: “Mental health and wellbeing are impacted by a whole host of structural and societal factors and maintaining a healthy workforce goes far beyond supporting people on an individual level.

"Whilst it is undoubtedly important to provide people with the skills they need to look after themselves, we are aiming to expand on this by providing individuals with the skills and knowledge needed to recognise and address wider collective issues. For example, the importance of creating and maintaining a positive workplace culture.

Session dates and specific topics are as follows:

Mental Health First Aid (£30 in-person)

9am – 5pm

• Wednesday 15 February – Exeter
• Friday 24 February – Swansea
• Monday 13 March – Liverpool
• Wednesday 22 March – Norwich 

Psychological Safety and Civility (£20 in-person, £15 online)

In-person – 9am – 4pm

• Wednesday 8 February – Oxford
• Wednesday 22 March – Peterborough
• Thursday 27 April – Edinburgh

Online – 9am – 1pm

• Tuesday 24 January
• Tuesday 21 February
• Tuesday 7 March
• Tuesday 4 April

Sustaining Your Emotional Health (£15 in-person)

2pm – 5pm

• Monday 13 March – Glasgow
• Wednesday 15 March – Newcastle
• Friday 17 March – Manchester 

For more information on the training courses, visit: https://vetmindmatters.org/training/ 

Mrs Muriel Taylor, who worked as a receptionist at Pennard Vets in Kent for a staggering 70 years, has been presented with the British Veterinary Receptionist Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award at a celebration with more than 100 staff at the practice.

Muriel joined Pennard Vets as an office junior on 7th January 1950, when she was 15 years old

She earned a weekly wage of £1 10 shillings, equivalent to £1.50 in today’s money.

Andy Green, a Director at Pennard Vets, said: “Few people in this country have achieved what Muriel has.

"Pennard Vets has been around for over 125 years and Muriel’s journey with us has encompassed a staggering 70 years of that, making her one of only a handful of people in the UK who have completed 70 years with a single employer.

“Muriel is ever-present, reliable, caring, dependable and she makes the best biscuits around.

"She started work at our Sevenoaks practice as a 16-year-old in 1950, when it was just as likely a client would be bringing in a sheep, goat or horse as a dog or cat, and we used loose boxes outside for examinations, treatments isolation and even post-mortems.

“During the subsequent 70 years she was part of the growth in the practice from a single site to multiple sites.

"She was also fantastic at embracing the latest technology as the practice went from handwritten ledgers, double entry bookkeeping and dealing with the terribly difficult to decipher handwritten notes of the vets, to digitalisation, computers, online systems, email, mobile phones and a host of other technological advances.

“Throughout the years her role changed dramatically, and she learned new skills, adapted, and moved with the times, demonstrating our core values of continuous improvement, client focus, compassion and clarity every step of the way.

“When Muriel retired in 2020, sadly lockdown rules denied us the chance for a proper celebration, so we are very pleased to have been able to celebrate together with such a fabulous party.”

Muriel said: “When I started at Pennard Vets, the practice cared for large animals including horses, sheep and cattle on the local farms, but we also had some more unusual clients.

"A special highlight was fielding telephone calls from former Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill, who lived at Chartwell country house, near Westerham, in Kent and employed the practice to look after the health of the black swans living on the estate’s lake.

“Two of the biggest changes I saw during my seven decades at the practice were the business giving up farm work to focus on small animal work as dogs and cats became a bigger part of our families, and the transition from my handwritten notes in ledgers to modern computer systems, but I have always embraced change and enjoyed learning new skills.

"I miss everyone at Pennard Vets but will keep in touch and keep baking for them!”

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has suspended Aberdeenshire-based James Gracey from the Register for six months after he was found guilty of conduct that risked undermining procedures designed to promote  public health and animal welfare.

At the beginning of the hearing legal applications were made to rule that the whole proceedings should be stopped as an abuse of process on various grounds including the delay that had occurred in the matters being referred to the RCVS, and that there had been flaws in the original investigatory process.

There was also application that the evidence of one of the College’s witnesses should be excluded on the grounds that the witness had been convicted of bribery.

The Committee decided that the proceedings should continue but ruled that the statement and evidence of one witness should be excluded from the hearing based upon their conviction.

Mr Gracey faced five charges, all of which he was found guilty of. They were:

• that he signed a Food Chain Information form in relation to a cow without declaring that there was a conflict of interest because the cow belonged to his father and without including his and his practice’s contact details with his signature
• that he signed a Food Chain Information form in relation to a cow, also without declaring a conflict of interest or leaving sufficient contact details;
• that he signed an Emergency Slaughter form for a cow without declaring a conflict of interest as above, and that he stated that he hadn’t not administered any treatment to the cow within the previous seven days of signing the form when he himself had
• that he signed a Food Chain Information form stating that a cow was fit for travel when it was not;
• that his conduct in relation to the proven charges risked undermining public health and animal welfare, and in relation to the Emergency Slaughter Form his conduct was dishonest and misleading. 

Three other charges were found not proven and one allegation was withdrawn by the RCVS.

The Committee then considered if the proven charges amounted to serious professional misconduct.

In doing so it made reference to the Code of Professional Conduct and its supporting guidance, particularly in relation to the 10 Principles of Certification.

Dr Hazel Bentall MRCVS, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee considered individually and cumulatively all matters it had found proved.

"It concluded that the public relies on veterinary surgeons to be honest and transparent when completing and signing forms.

"There is a public interest in being able to trust the profession to uphold high standards of probity because veterinary surgeons are trusted to play an important role in the promotion of animal health and welfare and associated human health.

"The Committee therefore concluded that cumulatively Charges 1, 2, 3 and 4 amounted to serious professional misconduct because the respondent had failed to meet the necessary high standards of honesty and transparency.

"In particular the fact that there were four separate events relating to animal welfare and public health was significant when considering what sanction to impose.”

“The Committee is satisfied that such conduct, when taken together, would be considered deplorable by other members of the profession.

"The respondent’s conduct on four occasions in respect of four animals and three conflicts of interest called into question his competence in relation to completing such forms.”

In considering the appropriate sanction for Mr Gracey, the Committee took into account both mitigating and aggravating circumstances, as well as a number of character witnesses for the respondent who highlighted his positive personal and professional qualities.

In mitigation, the Committee considered that Mr Gracey has hitherto been of good character with no previous disciplinary findings, that he had admitted some parts of the charges against him at the outset of the hearing, that he had made efforts to avoid repeating the misconduct and remediate it – this included making alternative certification arrangements for his father’s farm and taking more appropriate care with record keeping.

The Committee also acknowledged the significant lapse of time between the date of the misconduct and the hearing and the stress that had caused to Mr Gracey, as well as the insight he had shown into his misconduct.

Taking into account all the factors, the Committee decided that imposing a period of six months suspension from the Register of Veterinary Surgeons was the appropriate sanction for Mr Gracey.

Dr Bentall added: “The Committee concluded that suspension of the respondent’s registration for a period of six months was proportionate.

"The Committee considered whether a shorter period was appropriate bearing in mind the mitigating factors it had found applied in this case.

"It decided that a period of six months was proportionate and the minimum length necessary to meet the public interest balancing the seriousness of the misconduct and the mitigation.

"It decided that a shorter period of suspension would be insufficient to uphold proper standards within the profession, or to have a deterrent effect.

“The Committee was satisfied that the respondent had shown sufficient insight and efforts to remediate his misconduct and it concluded that at the end of this period of suspension he would not pose a further risk to animal welfare or public health.

"The Committee considered that the respondent was a valued veterinary surgeon with extensive farm animal experience and that a more severe sanction such as removal from the RCVS Register would not properly reflect the Committee’s findings on the scale of dishonesty and would not take account of the respondent’s mitigation.”

www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary  

Just Exotics is to host 'Rabbits in First Opinion Practice', its first in-person CPD event on Friday 24th February 2023 at The Hive in Weston-super-Mare, BS24 8EE.

The one day course for general practitioners will be presented by Dr Sonya Miles, an RCVS Recognised Advanced Practitioner in Zoological Medicine and lead clinician for Highcroft Exotic Vets (an RWAF Gold accredited practice).

It's worth 7.5hrs of CPD.

Sonya will be covering: 

• The Rabbit Consult
• Anaesthesia and Analgesia in Rabbits
• Rabbit Dentistry: The Basics
• Common Conditions in Rabbits (Part 1)
• Common Conditions in Rabbits (Part 2)

This course costs £250 and includes lunch, tea/coffee/biscuits, and a certificate of completion.

Apparently there are acres of parking. 

For those not able to attend, www.justexotics.co.uk has an extensive library of free content including: fact sheets, care sheets, protocols and “How to” videos covering exotic mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, fish, invertebrates and British wildlife, as well as a constantly expanding catalogue of webinars covering these species.

Winchester-based Anderson Moores has appointed Matt Gurney, a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, President of the European College of Veterinary Anaesthesia & Analgesia and co-founder of zeropainphilosophy.com, as its new Hospital Director. 

Matt has taken over as hospital director from David Walker, who has now moved to the role of referrals managing director in the south of the UK for Linnaeus.

Matt said: “I certainly have some big shoes to fill but working as clinical director alongside David was a great grounding and we work well together.

“Essentially, I was his running mate back then but now I am stepping up to take on the main role, with all the additional responsibilities it entails, and I’m determined to make it my own.

“I know I have the drive, the desire, the clarity of purpose and the dedication to succeed.

"I also know what an incredible operation I have inherited from David.

“One of the key things about Anderson Moores is that every member of the team works together in the same location to support every aspect of a pet’s treatment and recovery, so whatever service they may need is all available under the same roof.”

www.andersonmoores.com/home
www.zeropainphilosophy.com

The BSAVA has announced that Samantha Hiew, the founding director of ADHD Girls, will deliver next year's Congress keynote speech on Friday 24th March in the Exchange Auditorium at Manchester Central.

Samantha, who was a recipient of the Malaysian Prime Minister’s Scholarship, has a degree in genetics, molecular biology and microbiology, and a PhD in cancer research from University College London.

She was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 40, which led her to set up ADHD Girls, an organisation that helps people with ADHD access employment and works with businesses to help them understand ADHD.

Samantha's talk is part of a module on neurodiversity, which will open with an exploration of neurodiversity and the challenges of diagnosis, before looking at how you can better support those in practice teams, as well as neurodivergent clients and students.

The session will wrap up with a discussion about how to cultivate greater inclusivity and understanding around those who are neurodivergent within the veterinary professions.

Being neurodivergent means that your brain works differently from the average person, meaning there may be differences in social preference, ways of communicating, ways of learning and ways of perceiving the environment.

Samantha said: “No two brains are the same. But what if you were born with a brain that constantly makes you feel like everything you do differentiates you from everyone else?”

“My talk introduces neurodiversity in the context of society, casting light on ADHD and autism, and how this impacts the workplace and one’s quality of life, and what we can do to build a compassionate culture, starting with the conversations we have at work.

"I’m really excited to talk at the BSAVA Congress and meet other professionals in the veterinary field.”

After her lecture, she will be partaking in a panel discussion around the challenges of diagnosis of neurodivergence alongside Laura Playforth, a vet who has been diagnosed with both bipolar and autism and is currently Group Quality Improvement Director at IVC Evidensia.

Andy Green, Vice Chair of the BSAVA Congress Programme Committee chair said: “We are delighted to have Samantha delivering our keynote this year on such an important topic.

"Neurodiversity is becoming an increasingly important area of focus and understanding across society and we have a significant population of neurodivergent people working as vets, nurses and in other roles, many of whom may not as yet have a diagnosis.”

“We also need to recognise that many pet owners and clients are neurodivergent.

"Samantha is ideally placed to shine a spotlight on this subject, using her own story and life experience to deliver a greater understanding of what it actually means to be neurodivergent and how businesses/practices can understand, embrace and support neurodivergent members of the work force and community.”  

Early bird tickets for BSAVA Congress 2023 are currently on sale with 3-day and 1-day tickets available to purchase. Get your ticket now: https://www.bsavaevents.com/bsavacongress2023/en/page/home. 

The British Veterinary Association has published 'How to manage unfair and abusive reviews online', after Voice of the Veterinary Profession statistics revealed that half of all vets have been on the receiving end of online abuse, with unfair reviews being the most common type reported. 

The new guide, developed in association with Vets Digital, is the latest addition to BVA’s ‘Respect your vet team – end abuse’ campaign, which aims to support vets and veterinary workplaces who experience abuse from animal owners either in person or online.

It will be added to the Respect Your Vet Team toolkit, which offers a range of resources designed to help protect staff and limit the frequency and impact of abuse from clients.

The resources include practical tips on how to protect staff from online abuse, downloadable posters encouraging respectful behaviour from clients and a series of blogs exploring the issues. 

BVA President Malcolm Morley said: “The vast majority of clients are hugely appreciative of the care they receive from their vet teams, resulting in thousands of positive reviews every year.

"While we recognise not every client will have a positive experience and may wish to provide critical feedback, a small number are posting deliberately abusive or unfair reviews.

"This is unacceptable and can have a hugely negative impact on individual veterinary professionals and the wider team.

"Protecting the wellbeing of veterinary teams remains a top priority for BVA and this new resource will help vet teams to take practical steps to limit the impact of this type of abuse.”

https://www.bva.co.uk/resources-support/misc-resources/how-to-manage-unfair-and-abusive-reviews-online 

The International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM) will be hosting its annual Congress in Dublin from 29th June to 3rd July 2023, with the theme of ‘Between a Urolith and a Hard Place: Acute upper urinary tract disease and beyond…’

The ISFM says Congress will offer veterinary professionals an extensive scientific programme designed to support a multi-modal and cat friendly approach to caring for feline patients with acute upper urinary tract disease and other emergencies.  

Speakers will include Søren Boysen (Emergency & Critical Care), Serge Chalhoub (Internal Medicine), Laura Owen (Soft Tissue Surgery) and special guest Allyson Berent (Non-Invasive Surgery). 

Sam Taylor MRCVS, ISFM Veterinary Specialist Lead (pictured right) said: "We seem to be seeing more and more feline urinary cases, urolithiasis and acute kidney injury - and of course the familiar blocked cats!

"In Dublin, I can’t wait to hear how to approach these cases as well as look more in-depth at ECC and discuss cat friendly critical care amongst many other topics from all angles – surgery, medicine, behaviour, imaging and more!’ 

The 2023 ISFM Feline Congress Dublin is open to veterinary surgeons and nurses of all experience levels.

https://icatcare.org/congress-2023-dublin/