The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has adjourned a hearing into James Staton after he submitted an application to voluntarily remove himself from the Register and never to apply to be restored.

There were two charges against Mr Staton, the first being that he failed to comply with eight requests from the RCVS sent by letter between November 2014 and August 2017 in relation to his continuing professional development (CPD) records.

The second charge was that between 1st January 2012 and 7th November 2017 he failed to have professional indemnity insurance or equivalent arrangements in place. 

Mr Staton’s request to adjourn the hearing and agree undertakings was not opposed by the RCVS. The Committee had regard to advice of the Legal Assessor and submissions from both counsel for the RCVS and legal advisor for Mr Staton. In accepting Mr Staton’s request for adjournment and his undertakings no admissions have been made in respect of the charges against him. 

In deciding whether to accept the adjournment and undertakings, the Committee was asked to consider a number of factors including Mr Staton’s age and health, his unblemished career of more than 50 years, the fact that he had closed his practice and retired from clinical practice on 31 March 2018 and that he had no intention of practising as a veterinary surgeon again. For those reasons the Committee felt it would be disproportionate to take Mr Staton through a full hearing.

Ian Green, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "In coming to this decision the Committee considered the respondent’s application to adjourn this inquiry in the light of the evidence he adduced. It had regard to the interests of justice, the public interest in ensuring high standards are maintained by veterinary surgeons and the need to ensure the protection of animals and their welfare."

Should Mr Staton seek to apply to rejoin the Register then the proceedings will become active again and a Disciplinary Committee hearing will be scheduled.

From today, all practices working with Agria will be given free six-month subscriptions for practice staff to access a range of Improve International's online Bitesize CPD modules.

As part of the partnership between the two companies, anyone who takes part in one of Improve's CPD courses in 2018 will be entitled to 6 months' half-price pet insurance from Agria.

Online Bitesize CPD modules cover topics including: cardiology, ophthalmology, small animal medicine, feline medicine and exotic animals. Modules are 20, 40 or 60 minutes in length and provide veterinary professionals with interactive experiences which count toward annual CPD requirements in short convenient bursts, earning digital badges and certificates to demonstrate total CPD achieved.

Nick White, Head of Veterinary Channel at Agria, said: "We’re delighted that our partnership with Improve International will give veterinary professionals free, instant access to high-quality and engaging CPD. Not only are the modules available varied and highly relevant, the 'bitesize' nature of the training makes it extremely convenient for busy practice staff to access.

"This is a great incentive for any practices not yet working with Agria to get onboard. As well as benefitting from free CPD, practices will also be working with a specialist lifetime insurer offering 5 weeks free insurance policies and much more for clients and their pets."

For more information, contact your Agria Business Development Manager or visit: www.agriapet.co.uk/bitesize and complete the Contact Us section, using 'FREE CPD' in the subject line of the enquiry box.

Bova UK has launched a range of pharmaceutical specials for the small animal market.

The Australian company, which launched in the UK offering equine specials in March 2017, says that while some human healthcare companies are authorised to supply veterinary specials under licence in the UK, it is currently the only company in the UK to have specific veterinary authorisation to manufacture sterile specials.

There are six formulations in Bova’s new small animal range with a further 23 formulations scheduled to be introduced in the first half of 2018. However, Bova says that due to advertising restrictions, only verified veterinary surgeons will be able to see its formulation list.

For more information, contact Bova Sales Manager Emma Jones on tel: 07780443731 or Victoria Dawson on 07780443738 or visit www.bova.co.uk.

The company will also be at BSAVA Congress this week on stand 817, where they will be offering the chance to win an afternoon champagne tea at the Ritz.

The RCVS Education Committee has announced short-term changes to the Professional Development Phase (PDP), which helps new veterinary graduates transition into veterinary practice, to provide further support to participants.

The changes follow a jointly-funded research project by the RCVS and the British Small Animal Veterinary Association to evaluate how effective the PDP is in supporting graduates during the transition from veterinary school to veterinary practice.

The research was carried out by the Work Psychology Group and included online surveys, telephone interviews and a focus group with recent graduates and representatives from practices that are currently employing recent graduates.

The aim was to understand both positive and negative experiences of the PDP amongst veterinary graduates and their employers considering existing obstacles to learning and development, any gaps in support provision and common areas of confusion, anxiety and concern. 

Christine Warman, RCVS Director of Education, said: "We are really grateful to everyone that took the time to give us their views and are pleased that this report gives us such a solid foundation on which to base necessary changes. What came across very strongly from the feedback we received was that the overall purpose and aims of the PDP were welcomed by graduates, employers and other stakeholders as something that is useful and good for the profession.

"Most agreed that having a formal support mechanism for graduates is essential for navigating the transition between the structured environment of veterinary school to the ‘coalface’ of veterinary practice.

"However, it was clear that there are issues with the PDP in its current format, including comments around it being a 'tick-box' or 'check-list' exercise in which the number of tasks completed was seen as more important than a focus on qualitative aspects such as confidence and progression as well as a lack of focus on development of non-clinical skills.

"As a result the Work Psychology Group came up with a series of recommendations which were approved by our PDP Working Group in December 2017 and then our Education Committee in February 2018. Some of these recommendations, as set out below, can be actioned in the short-term and we hope that these will rectify some of the concerns that were raised.

"In the longer-term the future of the PDP and the further recommendations of this research are also being considered as part of our Graduate Outcomes Project which is taking a more holistic view on the skills and competences of future veterinary professionals."

The short-term recommendations accepted by the RCVS Education Committee are: 

• Developing guidance to support graduates and employers through the process of reflection on their progress.

• Considering how to build opportunities to capture and record reflective learning into the PDP.

• Making it a requirement of the PDP that every graduate who is participating in the PDP has a named workplace mentor assigned to them, as well as a Postgraduate Dean.

• Asking assigned mentors to sign-off their graduate’s progress on the PDP on a regular basis (eg every other month) and write a short commentary on the graduate’s progress on a six-monthly or annual basis. 

• Sharing resources between the BSAVA and RCVS looking at where further resources can be developed.

• Gaining feedback from other professions as well as the veterinary schools regarding platforms that have been used for similar purposes and have been successful. This process would consider the key requirements of a PDP platform and ensure that the right questions are asked to gain feedback.

Sheldon Middleton, Chair of BSAVA’s PDP Committee, said: "We’re really pleased with the start we’ve made to help graduates and their employers take positive steps to tackle the challenges of transitioning between university and practice, and we have a plan to improve further, working with RCVS to really make a difference.

"We are also pleased to have this opportunity to reflect on such comprehensive feedback after our first year, this empirical evidence from those involved is invaluable, we have learnt lessons and highlighted areas for further development, so now we’re looking ahead to make sure we implement our improvement plan."

"The BSAVA Resource Bank received positive feedback (1.5.4) however, the majority of stakeholders and graduates were unaware of this resource and we will work to address this."

The full report from the Work Psychology Group can be downloaded from the RCVS website at: www.rcvs.org.uk/lifelong-learning/professional-development-phase-pdp/pdp-research/

TVM UK has announced the launch of Ziapam 5mg/ml, the first licensed diazepam injection for dogs and cats.

Ziapam is licensed for the short-term control of convulsive disorders and muscle spasms of central and peripheral origin, and for use as part of a sedation or pre-anaesthetic protocol. It is presented in packs containing 6 x 2ml vials.

Simon Boulton MRCVS, marketing manager at TVM said: "As a scheduled intravenous drug it is important that we have batch traceability and the proper monitoring of any side effects of such drugs to make sure current guidelines for use in the SPC are correct. Ziapam is kept at the same concentration of the previously used human generics on the cascade for ease of transition."

Simon added: "Furthermore, we’ve purposefully priced Ziapam such that it is only costs a few pence per dose more than the human generic."

TVM UK has also produced a dosing guide for practices which illustrates the different indications and associated treatment guidelines.

For a copy of the dosing guide or for more information, contact your local Territory Manager, email: help@tvm-uk.com, or call: 01737 781 416.

Idexx has announced the UK and Ireland launch of the Catalyst SDMA Test, a kidney function test for cats and dogs which can be added to the routine chemistry panel of the company's Catalyst One and Catalyst Dx chemistry analyzers and performed by practices in-house, with results available in minutes.

Idexx says the new test is proven to identify kidney disease earlier than creatinine^1–3, enabling veterinary surgeons to intervene earlier and have a greater impact on patients' health outcomes and quality of life. 

The Catalyst SDMA Test was first launched at the company's reference laboratories in 2015, since when Idexx says it has run more than 14 million SDMA patient tests, creating the world's largest database on kidney disease in dogs and cats.

The test was then launched to veterinary practices in the USA and Canada last December, where Idexx says it has now been used by thousands of practices.

Jonathan Ayers, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Idexx Laboratories said: "We've seen great enthusiasm for the ability to run SDMA as part of the routine chemistry panel at the point of care, and the North American launch has exceeded our expectations.

"The Idexx SDMA Test represents one of the most significant diagnostic innovations in veterinary medicine in the last 30 years. We're thrilled to bring this essential element of the chemistry panel to our point of care Idexx VetLab suite, allowing veterinarians to utilize the benefits of SDMA immediately during the pet's appointment."

Idexx has also signed an agreement to collaborate with Yale University to explore the test's applications in human health. As a result of the partnership, the SDMA Test has been validated for accuracy in measuring SDMA in human blood samples and the results presented at the 2017 annual meeting of the American Society of Nephrology last November by Yale and IDEXX researchers. 

Jonathan added: "SDMA has tremendous potential benefit in human applications as well. And with the Idexx test technology now validated to be able to run on commercial chemistry systems that routinely produce chemistry results in human reference laboratories, we have greater reason to explore the clinical value of this incredible biomarker in human applications. We are excited and grateful for our partnership with Yale University."

Idexx says SDMA is now the subject of more than 30 ongoing research collaborations and has been incorporated into the veterinary profession's International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) kidney disease staging guidelines. 

For more information about the IDEXX Catalyst SDMA Test, visit www.idexx.eu/sdma.

References

1. Nabity MB, Lees GE, Boggess M, Yerramilli M, Obare E, Yerramilli M, Rakitin A, Aguiar J, Relford R. Symmetric dimethylarginine assay validation, stability, and evaluation as a marker for early detection of chronic kidney disease in dogs. J Vet Intern Med. 2015;29(4):1036–1044. 
2. Hall JA, Yerramilli M, Obare E, Yerramilli M, Jewell DE. Comparison of serum concentrations of symmetric dimethylarginine and creatinine as kidney function biomarkers in cats with chronic kidney disease. J Vet Intern Med. 2014;28(6):1676–1683. 
3. Hall JA, Yerramilli M, Obare E, Yerramilli M, Almes K, Jewell DE. Serum concentrations of symmetric dimethylarginine and creatinine in dogs with naturally occurring chronic kidney disease. J Vet Intern Med.2016;30(3):794–802.

Medivet has announced that it is reducing the pace of its new practice acquisitions to allow its Regional Directors Team time to integrate.

Medivet owns 245 veterinary practices in the UK and its rate of practice acquisition had tripled in the last 12 months.

CEO, Arnold Levy said: "The 25 strong Regional Directors Team is a key strategic line of management and support for all our existing practices, and they are central to the successful integration of our new practices into our hub and spoke model. Even though each of our Regional Directors is an experienced, qualified veterinary surgeon, it is vital that they have time, knowledge and understanding of the Medivet business and operation to confidently support their practices in line with our model, in the right way.

"With the support of the Leadership Team, we will be using these next few months to ensure this newly formed group have all the skills needed to do just that." 

Arnold added: "We have taken this deliberate decision to ensure we can maintain the very highest standards of client and patient care. Where our management team and support structures are already in place we will continue with our new acquisitions program, and once our Regional Management operation is fully embedded, we will confidently continue to grow our business in a sustainable, people and patient-first way."

Kent-based veterinary surgeon, David Edward Smith has been struck off by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee following a conviction for fraud, and for a number of clinical failings.

Mr Smith was convicted of conspiracy to commit a fraud in which potentially dangerous horses were drugged and then sold to unsuspecting owners, at Maidstone Crown Court in June 2016. He was given 30 months' imprisonment, which formed one of the charges heard by the Disciplinary Committee.

There were also a number of charges related to his treatment of five different animals while in practice at the Lakeview Veterinary Centre in Folkestone, Kent. The charges were: 

• In relation to a Clydesdale mare named Grace on 14 August 2014 he failed to perform an adequate examination and/or undertake sufficient investigation and/or take a history of her; that after his initial visit to Grace on that day he failed to respond adequately to the owner’s telephone reports that Grace had deteriorated and/or failed to improve; and, that he failed to make adequate clinical records for Grace.

• Between 29 September 2014 and 31 January 2015, in relation to a Labradoodle named Holly, he failed to keep adequate clinical records.

• In relation to a cat named Maisey the allegations were that he failed to examine and investigate the cat adequately, he made a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus and gave insulin to administer to the cat without first undertaking the minimum investigation required, failed to keep adequate clinical records and sent an incorrect, misleading and dishonest statement to the RCVS regarding his treatment of Maisey. All charges date between 30 October and 19 December 2014.

• In relation to a cat called Comet the allegation was that between 1 April and 17 April 2015 he failed to keep adequate clinical records and failed to respond adequately and appropriately to concerns raised by the owner.

• Regarding a Yorkshire Terrier with diabetes named Poppy the allegation was that in two emergency out-of-hours calls made by Poppy’s owner to Mr Smith in April 2015 regarding the dog’s condition, he failed to recommend veterinary treatment or keep adequate clinical records. Furthermore, when the owner attended the practice following the two calls and the death of Poppy, he attributed the care to another member of the practice and failed to communicate effectively with the owner. 

Having heard from a number of witnesses, including Mr Smith, and having received representations from Mr Smith in relation to the above charges, the Committee found almost all of the charges proven, with the exception of those relating to Mr Smith’s alleged conversation with Poppy’s owner at the practice following her death.

The Committee then went on to consider whether the various proven charges amounted to disgraceful conduct in a professional respect and whether the conviction rendered Mr Smith unfit to practise veterinary surgery.

In relation to the clinical charges the Committee found that, both individually and cumulatively, they amounted to disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.

The Committee also determined that the conviction rendered Mr Smith unfit to practise veterinary surgery and noted that it involved prolonged dishonesty, breach of trust, disregard for animal health and welfare and a "total abrogation of Mr Smith’s professional responsibilities."

Cerys Jones, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "The Committee was particularly concerned because the dishonesty went to the heart of Mr Smith’s responsibilities as a veterinary surgeon. His registration as a veterinary surgeon enabled him to take part in the conspiracy, and that role involved him conducting certified examinations on animals and supplying drugs for administration to animals. Reliable and honest certification is a vital element of the veterinary surgeon’s public role."

In considering the sanction against Mr Smith the Committee looked at the clinical charges and the conviction separately.

In relation to the clinical charges the Committee found that his treatment of the animals in these cases was fundamentally incompatible with being a veterinary surgeon. The Committee therefore directed that Mr Smith’s name should be removed from the Register of Veterinary Surgeons.

The Committee said that the case demonstrated that Mr Smith’s lack of treatment or his inappropriate treatment of these animals caused harm and that in some regards, for example the writing of accurate and contemporaneous clinical notes, Mr Smith demonstrated a total disrespect for the Code of Professional Conduct.

The Committee went on to say: "Further, he deliberately lied to his regulator. He demonstrated deep-seated attitudinal issues including a misplaced belief in his own abilities and had no insight or commitment to do anything different in the future. In those circumstances the likelihood of repetition was significant in the Committee’s view."

In considering the sanction for his conviction of conspiracy to commit fraud the Committee took into account a number of aggravating factors including the premeditated nature of the conduct, the fact it was repeated over four years and the fact that harm was caused to both animals and people as a result of his actions. 

Cerys Jones said: "As the decision notes, some of the riders were novices or children and as a result of their experience they lost confidence in riding a horse. As the independent veterinary surgeon Mr Smith was in a position of responsibility because he was certifying the horses as to their suitability. A particularly aggravating feature in this case is that Mr Smith had previously been removed from the Register for falsely certifying horses for export."

In relation to the conviction the Committee also directed that the Registrar remove Mr Smith from the Register.

Mr Smith has 28 days from being informed of the Committee’s decision to make an appeal against it.

The full findings can be found here.

CarefreeCredit, which provides loans to uninsured owners of pets in need of medical attention, is now offering a free public relations service to member practices to help them promote their work in their local media.

Stewart Halperin (pictured right), the vet who founded CarefreeCredit, said: "We originally started out by helping vets provide loans to treat pets needing medical attention which wasn’t covered by insurance, allowing them to provide the care needed, while also being paid immediately, improving cash flow and reducing bad debts.

"With this new service, vets can make their services better known in their local communities, which will also boost their turnover and allow them to care for even more animals."

Practices that use CarefreeCredit are given access to an online application process that takes around five minutes, providing loans from £250 upwards for use against any veterinary bills.

A range of credit terms are available from 0% APR upwards. They are also the only company to offer loan rates based on risk, which they say means more clients are likely to be accepted for finance.

CarefreeCredit practices that want to use the PR service need to contact the company, whereupon they'll arrange for an award-winning public relations consultant to provide the support they need - free of charge.

For further information, visit: www.carefreecredit.co.uk or call 0345 313 0177.

Burgess Pet Care has announced that this year, Rabbit Awareness Week (RAW) will run from 2nd-10th June and urge rabbit owners to 'move away from muesli'.

During the week, veterinary professionals, retailers and rabbit owners will be encouraged by Burgess and campaign partners the RSPCA, RAWF, Wood Green, PDSA and Blue Cross to sign and share a pledge to move away from muesli on the website: http://www.rabbitawarenessweek.co.uk. 

Alex Thorne at Burgess Pet Care, said: "Muesli should never be part of a rabbit’s diet but, sadly, a widespread lack of understanding and awareness around its risks means it’s often too easy for rabbit owners to make the wrong choice. Research continues to show that there is a lack of understanding around the correct nutritional needs of rabbits, and the continued feeding of muesli is a major outcome of that.

"Feeding rabbits muesli increases the risk of selective feeding. Just like children would typically pick sweet treats when faced with the choice between them or vegetables, rabbits will eat parts of the muesli mix that are high in starch and sugar, whilst leaving behind the more nutritious elements.

"We’re encouraging all rabbit lovers to get involved with this year’s campaign by visiting the Rabbit Awareness Week website and signing the ‘Move Away from Muesli’ pledge, before spreading the word amongst fellow rabbit owners. It’s our ambition to move as many rabbits away from muesli towards a good quality hay-based diet supplemented by a small portion of high-quality nuggets and a few fresh greens, which provides the nutrients rabbits need to be happy and healthy."

Burgess says there will also be campaign packs to help support practices in spreading the word, details of which will be available nearer the time. 

Voting has now opened in the 2018 RCVS Council election and eligible voters can now do so online or by paper ballot.

There are 10 candidates standing in this year’s elections, including four existing Council members eligible for re-election and six candidates not currently on Council. They are: 

• Mr David Catlow MRCVS

• Mr John C Davies MRCVS

• Dr Mandisa Greene MRCVS

• Miss Karlien Heyrman MRCVS

• Professor John Innes FRCVS

• Dr Thomas Lonsdale MRCVS

• Dr Susan Paterson FRCVS

• Mr Matthew Plumtree MRCVS

• Mr Iain Richards MRCVS

• Colonel Neil Smith FRCVS

Ballot papers and candidates' details have been posted to all veterinary surgeons eligible to vote and an email containing a link to a secure voting site unique to each member of the electorate has also been sent by Electoral Reform Services which runs the election on behalf of the College.

All votes must be cast, either online or by post, by 5pm on Friday 27 April 2018. 

This year the College invited all election candidates to produce a video in which they answered up to two questions submitted directly to the RCVS from members of the electorate. All videos have been published on the RCVS website (www.rcvs.org.uk/vetvote18) and YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/rcvsvideos).

Key question themes this year included recruitment and retention, the College’s concerns investigation process and veterinary education. The list of accepted questions has also been published on the RCVS website.

The biographies and statements for each candidate in the RCVS Council election can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/vetvote18.

Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar and Returning Officer for the election, said: "Last year we had a record number and proportion of the electorate vote in an RCVS Council election and we would once again stress the importance of voting to ensure that you have a say in the future direction of travel for the College and its policies."

Those who are eligible to vote but have not received either an email or ballot paper should contact Luke Bishop, RCVS Senior Communications Officer, on l.bishop@rcvs.org.uk.

24 veterinary surgeons from seven countries have just gathered in Cremona, Italy, to undertake the first module of the new General Practitioner Advanced Certificate (GPAdvCert) in Orthopaedics launched last year by Improve International.

The GPAdvCert is aimed at European veterinary professionals who want to advance their knowledge and practical skills in small animal orthopaedics.

Accredited by the European School of Veterinary Postgraduate Studies (ESVPS) and validated by Harper Adams University, the programme is delivered over 15 modules at three venues including TrecchiLAB, a new international practical education centre in Cremona.

John Douglass from Improve said: "We were delighted to welcome delegates to our highest-level surgery syllabus under the expert tutelage of European Specialists Dr Bruno Peirone, Dr Lisa Piras, Dr Aldo Vezzoni, Dr Ulrike Matis, Dr Hugo Schmoekel and Dr Ditte Skytte and using the fantastic facilities at TrecchiLAB. This is the first programme we have run in partnership with the Italian Companion Animal Veterinary Association (SCIVAC) and is a milestone for us as we celebrate our 20^th year in business.

"We’re looking forward to welcoming the delegates back for their second module in June in Madrid, Spain, and at our new practical facility in Sheffield in October."