The 12-strong crew, aged between 18 and 60, left Marina San Miguel, Tenerife on 22nd March and rowed 2,875 nautical miles across the Atlantic Ocean, arriving in Falmouth Harbour, Antigua 42 days, 2 hours and 30 minutes later.
Each of the crew of the 12-metre boat, Roxy, rowed more than 1.5million strokes and burned over 5000 calories a day.
During the journey, the team had to battle with ocean storms and seasickness, not to mention extreme blisters and callouses. Simon lost almost 10kg.
Simon, who was a rowing novice before this, raised almost £15,000 for MacMillan Cancer Support. He said: "It’s without a doubt the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I can’t put into words how I’m feeling right now. The sense of achievement is a little overwhelming.
"The journey was everything I wanted it to be - tough both physically and mentally but hugely rewarding and one thing is for sure, I wouldn’t be standing here at the finish line if it hadn’t been for each and every one of the incredible crew. What a gorgeous group of people who will remain lifelong friends. After catching up with my family, the thing I was most looking forward to was a good meal!”.
The crew were welcomed to Antigua by a flotilla of smaller boats with many of the crew’s families onboard, before a reception at the Antigua Yacht Club.
The book contains 40 chapters of articles about clinical techniques, diagnostic pathways and management approaches published in Companion between 2016 and 2020.
Editor of Companion, Samantha Taylor said: “At Companion we strive to produce well-illustrated, practical articles to help vets and VNs in practice face the day-to-day challenges of a varied caseload. We hope this collection meets our aims by covering a variety of clinical problems from hypercalcaemia in cats to managing the snuffly rabbit, from Leishmaniasis to lymphoma and many more.
Ian Ramsey (BSAVA Senior Vice President) said: “This collection represents a unique body of well-illustrated work prepared by experts from all around the UK and beyond. I would like to thank them all on behalf of BSAVA members and readers of this book for taking the time and care to develop these resources for their colleagues around the world.”
Samantha added: “Whether kept on the shelf for when needed or thumbed through over a cup of tea, we hope that within the pages of this new volume you find a useful tip or technique that helps.”
The How to…collected articles from BSAVA Companion (2016–2020), 3rd edition has been published as a BSAVA member loyalty reward gift for those eligible veterinary members who renew their membership this year.
The book is also available to buy from the BSAVA website www.bsava.com/shop priced at £20.
The GDP offers one-to-one mentoring, alongside professional and clinical skills development in primary care practices across the UK.
Chloe Roberts, clinical and educational development manager at Linnaeus, said: “This fourth cohort of graduates is looking likely to be the biggest yet, which is testament to how successful the programme has become over recent years.
“We’ve received so many high-quality applications and look forward to welcoming many of them into our practices.
“There’s still time left for people to apply via our online portal, so we’d love to hear from any prospective candidates interested in roles in the Midlands and Yorkshire.”
Linnaeus delivers all clinical training in-house through its extensive network of specialists, referral clinicians, certificate holders and experienced primary care clinicians.
Graduates take part in 20 core educational days as part of their clinical and professional skills training, with access to an additional 10 CPD days to undertake training of their own choice over the course of the programme.
For more information about the Graduate Development Programme, visit https://graduates.linnaeusgroup.co.uk.
Photo: Bristol University graduate Abigail McCarthy, a vet at Blacks Vets in Dudley
The Farm Vet Champions initiative has been set up to build a supportive community of farm animal veterinary professionals to collaborate in championing good antibiotic principles.
Led by RCVS Knowledge and funded by the VMD, the project has brought together a number of UK veterinary and agriculture organisations to develop free learning materials for farm veterinary professionals.
The new online course covers:
A course offers a total of 20 hours of free on-demand CPD.
The second phase of the initiative, due to start development over Summer 2021, will provide online and in-person networking opportunities for Farm Vet Champions to learn from one another by sharing their experiences and working together towards the common goal of good antibiotic stewardship.
Chris Gush, Executive Director of RCVS Knowledge, said, “With antimicrobial resistance being one of the top 10 health threats facing our planet, we are delighted with the quality of the Farm Vet Champions course and we look forward to connecting with farm vets across the UK to tackle AMR. Farm Vet Champions is just the beginning of our work in antimicrobial prescribing, and we look forward to building on our resources that will benefit all animals, the public and society.”
Fiona Lovatt, Farm Vet Champions Clinical Lead, said, “I am incredibly proud of the Farm Vet Champions project and extremely grateful to every member of our steering group who have been instrumental in the creation of high-quality and engaging learning materials. I encourage all UK farm vets to sign up and join us on the journey to tackle AMR.”
Farm Vet Champions can be accessed for free at https://learn.rcvsknowledge.org/
Francisco says he decided to launch the podcast after watching how the bond between society and veterinary professionals has been eroded in recent years, with vets increasingly being portrayed as money-grabbers and uncaring in the press.
The aim of the podcast is to show the human behind the surgical mask; that veterinary professionals have the same feelings, motivations, worries and passions as anyone else.
Francisco said: "For those who aren’t part of the veterinary community, I hope to open a window into who we are, so they can better understand what drives our behaviours, decisions and compassion. And for those who are, I hope to make them feel that they’re not alone."
More Than Just a Vet is open for everyone to listen to directly from the website morethanjustavet.net, where you can subscribe to be alerted when there's a new release. The podcast is also available on all major podcast providers.
Historically, diagnosis has been achieved with multiple blood tests. However, this process can be time-consuming, expensive and in some cases does not provide accurate results.
In an attempt to address these diagnostic challenges, the researchers, with funding from Dechra, assessed anonymised data from 939 dogs which had been tested for Cushing’s syndrome from the VetCompass population of 905,554 dogs and 886 veterinary practices across the UK1.
Using structured clinical data to look at the dogs’ demographics, clinical signs at presentation and laboratory results, machine-learning algorithms were applied to predict a future diagnosis of Cushing’s syndrome. Dogs suspected of having Cushing’s syndrome were included in the analysis and classified based on their final reported diagnosis within their clinical records.
The researchers say that the findings indicate that machine-learning aided diagnosis could predict the diagnosis of a practising veterinary surgeon and that using machine-learning methods in clinical practice could contribute to improved diagnosis of Cushing’s syndrome in dogs.
Additionally, further development of these algorithms could lead to earlier, more reliable and cost-effective diagnoses and therefore, better clinical care for dogs with Cushing’s syndrome. This could also create opportunities for this technology to be applied to other clinical problems.
Imogen Schofield, lead author and PhD student at the RVC, said: “Machine-learning algorithms, like those used in this study, are already widely integrated in our day-to-day lives to help make certain decisions, such as Google or Netflix recommendations. Now this technology can be harnessed to help improve diagnostics in veterinary practice.
"By embracing the use of machine-learning methods, we are a step closer to providing vets in primary-care practice with an easy to use, low cost and accurate test that can support the often frustrating process of diagnosing Cushing’s syndrome in dogs."
Greg Williams, Senior Business Manager at Dechra Ltd. and Industrial Supervisor of the PhD studentship, said: “By funding Imogen's PhD and working with the RVC we have been able to develop validated clinical scoring and quality-of-life assessments to help vets deliver effective control and management of Cushing's syndrome in dogs.
Reference
The Association says following the launch two years ago BEVApod has become such a popular information and learning resource that members have been asking for more content.
The new BEVApod will include regular features from equine vet Brad Hill, clinical Assistant Professor in Equine Practice at the University of Nottingham (pictured right), who will be exploring the many aspects of life in equine practice. He will be sharing real life stories to help promote a sense of togetherness and support mental health and wellbeing.
Brad said: “Although based at Nottingham, I am passionate about maintaining links to all areas of the equine profession. This podcast will provide a platform to bring the experiences of others directly to the listener wherever they are.”
Brad will be releasing a new episode every other week and has already lined up some participants, including Maddy Campbell, Ellen Singer, Graham Duncanson, Jack Wallace and Gemma Kirk.
BEVApod will also host clinical episodes on a monthly basis, taken from the BEVA Clinical Catch-Up recordings.
BEVA President Lucy Grieve said: “These are live webinars where we invite a practitioner to present on a clinical topic and then open it up for an informal discussion. We have turned the recordings of these into podcasts so that our members can listen to the recordings whilst travelling between clients. It makes great use of travel time and fills the void we all sometimes feel when we are alone with just our thoughts in the car.”
Current clinical catch-ups available on BEVApod include a panel discussion with experts on PPE, a discussion on equine obesity with Lucy Grieve and Cathy McGowan and treating and managing liver disease with Sarah Smith.
You can listen to the BEVApod here https://beva.podbean.com
The ‘Introduction to the UK veterinary professions’ is a two-part online course run in partnership with VDS Training, designed to equip vets and nurses with the insight needed to work in the UK veterinary profession.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the course has been moved online. It includes a series of free online pre-recorded talks from representatives at a number of different veterinary organisations, including the RCVS, VDS Training, the British Veterinary Association, Vetlife, and VetAbroad.
The talks cover a variety of topics such as the Code of Professional Conduct, how to find the right job for you, how to look after mental health and wellbeing, and recognising and understanding cultural differences.
There will then be a number of live Question and Answer sessions across different dates over the coming months [see below], which are also free to attend, so those who have watched the videos can ask further questions from some of the speakers themselves.
Part 2 of the course is an optional practical and participatory paid-for online live communications skills training session run by VDS Training, looking at how to navigate some of the most common pitfalls encountered during client consultations, helping to equip you with the skills and confidence to communicate effectively in practice.
Ian Holloway, RCVS Director of Communications, said: “While we enjoyed running this course in person and meeting veterinary professionals from all over the world, the coronavirus pandemic has also given us the opportunity to look at how we can make this course even more accessible for a greater number of people.
“While there is still a significant live element, albeit online for the time being, the pre-recorded talks enable those veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses to do much of the learning in their own time, without having to take time off work or travel to London for the day, meaning that more people can engage with this crucial information on working in the UK.”
Elly Russell MRCVS, a consultant at VDS Training, added: “Communicating with clients can be one of the most rewarding, but also challenging parts of our jobs as veterinary professionals. Communication problems lead to complaints, increase your stress at work and can impact the care our patients receive. Join VDS training for a highly interactive, online 4-hour workshop. Work in small groups with our experienced facilitators and role players using realistic scenarios to practise and develop your communication skills. Let us help you feel more confident managing common communication challenges in UK practice: improved communication will help you, your clients, and your patients.”
The dates for the free live 2021 Q&A sessions are:
The dates and times for the paid-for live online communications skills workshops from VDS Training are:
The cost for attending the communication skills session (Part 2) is £150 +VAT per person. It is not mandatory to complete both parts of the course, but those who are interested may choose the part of the course most suitable for them.
For further information: www.rcvs.org.uk/overseas-cpd
Nutraplaque contains Ascophyllum Nodosum seaweed and decaffeinated green tea extract, presented in sprinkle capsules. Nutravet says the seaweed in nutraplaque has been shown to reduce plaque build-up by 35% after 4 weeks.
Nutravet says the new product also helps in the removal and control of tartar, supports healthy teeth and gums, reduces bad breath and is free of artificial preservatives, gluten and sugar
Matthew Shaw, Managing Director at Nutravet said: "We’re really excited to introduce nutraplaque into our market-leading range of veterinary exclusive nutraceuticals. Maintaining pets’ dental health is an important part of looking after a pet and our nutraplaque sprinkle capsules make it easy for pet owners to keep up with oral health in an easy to administer form.
“The unique formulation of nutraplaque works naturally within an animal’s body. The natural ingredients work through the saliva, where they help reduce new plaque from forming and soften existing tartar around the clock."
For further information about nutraplaque, visit www.nutravet.co.uk.
Chris, who is moving from Willows, will develop both the medical cardiology service and deliver a new interventional cardiology service to complement the existing surgical offering at Paragon, which is investing around £145,000 in ultrasound equipment and operating facilities to support the service.
Chris said: “I’ve had a great time at Willows and couldn’t think of a better place than Paragon to continue my passion for all things cardiology.
“It’s an exciting time to be joining Paragon, which is growing phenomenally to service the region whilst it cements itself as one of the leading referral centres in the north of England.
“The investment and expansion which is taking place at Paragon will allow us to develop another globally-recognised cardiology centre within Linnaeus.”
For more information, visit: www.paragonreferrals.co.uk
According to the company, coprophagia affects 23% of dogs, with 16% being repeat offenders.
Copro-nil is a powder which, when added to food, makes the resultant faeces unpalatable. This, says the company, breaks the coprophagia habit and gives the owner an opportunity to implement training to eradicate the behaviour long-term.
Copro-nil has been relaunched in smaller 100g pots with a new look designed to make the product more appealing.
The product comes with advice about behavioural training methods to help owners understand how they can break the coprophagia habit in the long term.
Will Peel, product manager at TVM UK said: "The new format and packaging have been designed to help deal with this very unpleasant problem which many owners believe is a behaviour that dogs will grow out of.
"The new format is intended to demonstrate that Copro-nil, combined with effective behavioural training, can help resolve the problem effectively.’
Copro-nil also provides a comprehensive B vitamin source as deficiencies in B vitamins may contribute to coprophagia.
Downloadable advice sheets for veterinary staff to share help and advice with clients are available from www.tvm-uk.com/coprophagia.
At the meeting, Simon Biles from Moore Scarrott gave a 30 minute presentation, which was followed by a one hour discussion.
The recording can be watched on VetSurgeon.org here https://www.vetsurgeon.org/001/nonclinical/m/meetings/138080, where you can also claim the time watching towards your annual CPD requirement. Press the 'Claim CPD' red button in the title bar towards the top.
To make it easier to find content that interests you, there are markers on the video timeline.
There is also a forum thread on vetsurgeon.org for further discussion of any of the points raised in the film. See: https://www.vetsurgeon.org/001/nonclinical/f/site-support-discussions/29784/vetsurgeon-zoom-ir35-locums-and-umbrella-companies
For more information about Moore Scarrott, visit: https://www.moore-scarrott.co.uk
The charity is asking everyone to donate £5 and nominate 5 friends to get involved in the activities.
The activities are:
For more information, visit: https://www.vetlife.org.uk
Vetlife Helpline is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year on: 0303 040 2551 or via anonymous email at https://helpline.vetlife.org.uk
The research project, which is being carried out by RVC student Collette Taylor for her PhD, is looking at the development of novel diagnostic targets to establish the specific leptospira implicated in canine clinical cases.
Collette said: "Existing leptospirosis diagnostics have a number of limitations. MAT serological testing may provide information that can be supportive of a serogroup diagnosis but may also provide false positives due to previous vaccination or indeed be confounded by cross-reactivity. It can also be difficult to interpret serology in the absence of paired samples.
"PCR tests are sensitive, usually specific, but are dependent on timing of sampling and do not tell you which serovar is concerned.
"My research is focused on offering more specialised diagnostic tests which can differentiate antibodies associated with infection from those due to vaccination. Extending this theme, our group is interested in further typing of samples where the Leptospiral DNA is identified using Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST). I am now at the stage of validation and we are able to offer additional testing of serum or blood test samples from confirmed clinical cases."
If you'd like to send in a sample for further tests, you will need to complete a questionnaire, and samples must be from confirmed cases of leptospirosis that have already undergone leptospirosis diagnostics from another laboratory.
John Helps, Senior Technical Manager, Companion Animals, MSD Animal Health said: "As a 3rd year PhD student Collette has two main areas of study. The first is looking at the risk factors of leptospirosis including ecological niche modelling for specific serogroups in different regions across the country. The second part is the development of new specialised diagnostic tests that can provide better targeted serological approaches to diagnosis of this disease."
"As a potentially serious zoonosis, leptospirosis is an important differential diagnosis for a variety of canine disease presentations. These include not only acute renal or hepatic disease; it should also be on the differential list in conditions such as uveitis and retinal bleeding, acute respiratory distress, and haemorrhagic gastoenteritis when parvovirus is excluded.
"Collette's highly valuable research expands understanding of the epidemiology of canine leptospirosis within the UK. Veterinary practices that take advantage of this scheme will gain a better understanding of locally relevant disease data which is likely to better inform the approach to dog vaccination."
For further information contact Collette Taylor at ctaylor18@rvc.ac.uk.
The study analysed information from a random sample of 29,865 dogs that died over a one-year period, taken from a study population of 905,544 dogs from 626 clinics in the VetCompass database.
From the sample, 26,676 (91.5%) of deaths recorded in practice involved euthanasia and 2,487 (8.5%) of deaths were unassisted. However, it is unknown how many dogs die unassisted and unreported to a practice.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the findings indicated that certain types of diseases and conditions were more likely to lead to death by euthanasia than unassisted death.
by contrast,
Larger bodyweights, increasing age and certain breeds of dog were also additional risk factors for euthanasia. Rottweilers were more likely to die by euthanasia compared to Labrador Retrievers as the standard baseline breed. In contrast, breeds such as Bulldogs, Pugs and West Highland White Terriers were more likely to have unassisted deaths, and these deaths were more likely caused by traumatic injury, foreign body and heart disease.
Additional findings from the study included:
Camilla Pegram, VetCompass Epidemiologist at the RVC, and author of the paper, said: “End-of-life discussions between veterinarians and owners can be particularly difficult for both parties. This study provides benchmark data for the relative proportion of deaths that involve euthanasia and for the relative impact from demographics and disorders on euthanasia decision-making. Owners and veterinary professionals may find it easier to discuss end-of-life options, to reach a final decision and be comfortable with these decisions based on a feeling of broader support from the reported actions of others in similar situations.”
Dr Dan O’Neill, Senior Lecturer, Companion Animal Epidemiology, at the RVC, and co-author of the paper, said: "The decision for many animal owners to put a beloved dog to sleep is often the hardest decision of their life. The moment of euthanasia often lives with owners forever. Hopefully, the information from this study can at least help some owners come to terms with the responsibility of helping their dog go with dignity. Understanding that over 90% of other owners also opted for euthanasia may help anyone struggling to make this final and hardest decision.”
Dr Carol Gray, Research Associate at the University of Liverpool and co-author of the paper, said: "Decision-making around euthanasia is shared between veterinarian and owner, although it is the owner who must give consent for euthanasia. Providing this final authorisation is potentially a burden for owners. This paper will help to ease that burden by allowing veterinarians to provide reassurance that they are not the only dog owners to make a decision for euthanasia in similar circumstances.”
Pegram, C., Gray, C., Packer, R.M.A. et al. Proportion and risk factors for death by euthanasia in dogs in the UK. Sci Rep 11, 9145 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-88342-0
Alphazium TT contains alphalactalbumin and magnesium, which, according to the company, targets the three main neurological pathways involved in the regulation of mood and emotional balance.
TVM says Alphazium TT is highly palatable, so it can be administered as a treat, making the process stress free for veterinary staff, pets and pet owners.
TVM UK’s product manager Will Peel said: "Behavioural problems are becoming increasingly common in cats and dogs and are these problems are likely to get worse with pet owners going back to work as lockdown measures lift, which could cause further stress and anxiety in pets.
"Alphazium TT can help owners address these problems whilst being highly palatable – therefore also reducing the stress of tablet administration all-round."
For more information and support materials, visit: https://www.tvm-uk.com/alphaziumtt/2520/ or contact your TVM UK Territory Manager.
The one hour meeting will take place at 8:00pm on Wednesday 5th May. It will be recorded and available after the event. Simon will begin with a brief background to IR35 and how the system has worked historically. He will then explain what has changed and what the options are for locums (and the impact on their income). The meeting will consider things like the criteria that locums need to fulfill to qualify as sole traders, how to use CEST and alternatives to IR35. There will then be an opportunity to ask questions. All registrants are being invited to submit questions in advance, and the plan is that on the night, groups of four participants will be invited to put their questions to Simon together, in a sort of mini discussion. This'll be repeated as many times as possible within the hour. The meeting is the first in a series planned for VetSurgeon and VetNurse members to meet up, share ideas and make better connections with each other. To register, visit: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0rf-GurDIsGdP7UXuJn8TJChZiyXMbdKP_
For more information about Moore Scarrott, see: https://www.moore-scarrott.co.uk
Focusing on the approach, diagnosis and treatment of regurgitation in dogs and cats, the webinar looks at how to differentiate regurgitation from vomiting and the way some diseases can cause inflammation, obstruction or dysmotility of the oesophagus, which can often result in regurgitation.
Aarti Kathrani graduated from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) and is now a Senior Lecturer in Small Animal Internal Medicine, where she is involved with the clinical internal medicine service. She also helps provide nutritional input to clinical cases seen at the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals, where her research centres on canine and feline gastroenterology and nutrition.
Aarti said: “The webinar is designed to help general practitioners differentiate between regurgitation and vomiting, as well as provide a comprehensive review of the different causes of regurgitation and the diagnostic approach to this. Treatment is also discussed for this condition. We hope the webinar provides a useful guide to help diagnose and manage these cases in general practice.”
The regurgitation lecture is freely available and can be accessed via the Webinar Library here: https://www.bsavalibrary.com/content/webinar-library.
The lecture complements the BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Gastroenterology, which was published in 2019 to give readers a greater insight into the GI conditions they are treating. The Manual is divided into four main sections, focusing on; Diagnostic procedures and techniques; Diagnostic approaches to problems; Patient Management; Diseases of specific systems/organs.
The Manual costs £60.00 for BSAVA members; £90.00 for non-members and can be purchased from the BSAVA website here: https://www.bsava.com/Shop/Veterinary-books#!prod/f1a8220f-3ff7-e911-80e7-005056be4acd/curr/GBP
The FAQs cover everything within the College’s guidance on veterinary medicines, including questions around controlled drugs, their storage, destruction and prescription, supplying medicines under the cascade, and prescriptions in general including topics such as what written information to provide, broach dates, and repeat prescriptions.
Lisa Price, RCVS Head of Standards, said: “Queries about veterinary medicines are some of the most frequent questions that our Standards & Advice Team deal with and we recognise that this is quite a complex and potentially confusing area of practice, with information being contained in a variety of places including the RCVS Codes of Professional Conduct, the Veterinary Medicines Regulations and the Practice Standards Guidance.
“We felt it would be helpful to try and draw much of this information into one place and provide answers to questions applicable to common scenarios that veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses encounter within everyday practice.
“The 17 questions and answers have all been approved by the RCVS Standards Committee and we hope members of the professions find them useful.
"We are also open to feedback and suggestions for further questions to be added to the FAQs and you can contact us on advice@rcvs.org.uk if you have any.”
The full FAQs can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/medicines-faqs
The RCVS Code of Professional Conduct’s chapter of supporting guidance on veterinary medicines can be found at: www.rcvs.org.uk/medicines
The hour-long webinar will be held on Tuesday 18th May from 7.30pm.
Chris is a European and RCVS Recognised Specialist in Equine Dentistry and the founding Director of the Equine Dental Clinic Ltd. Nicole is a European, American and RCVS Recognised Specialist in Equine Dentistry and is a co-director of the Equine Dental Clinic.
Chris and Nicole (pictured right) will discuss key points for examination, diagnostics and treatment, including:
Zoetis Equine Product Manager, Penny McCann said: "Chris Pearce and Nicole du Toit are known worldwide for their consulting, training, educating and CPD, as well as for running the longest established and largest equine veterinary dental specialist practice in Europe.
"We are delighted that they have agreed to share their knowledge with our client practices on 18th May and look forward to welcoming you."
To book your place for the webinar, visit: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/173596806534344203
For more information contact your Zoetis Account Manager or the Zoetis Technical Team on customersupportUK@zoetis.com or 0845 300 8034.
The webinars will take place every Wednesday at 7pm in May.
David Bardell is a European and Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Specialist in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia and will be hosting the first two sessions covering equine pain management for colic and orthopaedic cases respectively.
The 5th May webinar will cover how to recognise and understand the pathology of visceral pain, physical and pharmacological methods of analgesia and dealing with violent or difficult colic cases.
The second webinar on the following Wednesday, will look at how to recognise and quantify pain, the use of pain scales, analgesic medication and techniques.
The other two sessions of the series will be led by Dr. Andy Fiske-Jackson, Deputy Head of RVC Equine and Senior Lecturer in Equine Surgery at the Royal Veterinary College. He'll be running case-based sessions looking at the good, bad and ugly of digital flexor tendon sheath cases and unravelling the diagnosis and treatment of navicular syndrome, the associated biomechanics and treatment options respectively.
Emma Jennings, Equine Brand Manager at Dechra (pictured right) said: “The broad scope of illnesses and conditions facing those specialising in equine care means that it’s important to delve deeper into some key issues, which is what this series of webinars will do.
“We hope the expertise of David Bardell and Dr. Andy Fiske-Jackson will be of key interest to veterinary professionals across the country and would urge anyone interested to register for the sessions throughout May.”
To register for the free webinars, visit www.dechra.co.uk/events.
Fourteen veterinary surgeons stood for election this year and 8,542 voted, a turnout of 24.5% of eligible voters. That compares with a turnout of 26.2% in 2020, 25.5% in 2019 and 22.7% in 2018.
Danny scored a total of 4,759 votes, leaving the other successful candidates Tshidi Gardiner, Colin Whiting and Louise Allum nevertheless trailing in his wake, with 3,228 votes, 2,957 votes and 2,368 votes respectively.
The VN Council election also had fourteen candidates standing for one elected place, the other having been taken by Susan Howarth RVN who was automatically re-elected as the only candidate standing at the time of the original deadline in January.
Donna Lewis was elected with 404 votes from those cast by 2,341 veterinary nurses, which amounted to a turnout of 12.4% of eligible voters. That compares with a turnout of 17.1% in 2020, 14.5% in 2017 and 10.9% in 2016.
All of those elected to either RCVS or VN Councils will formally take up their seats at the RCVS Annual General Meeting on Friday 9 July 2021.
Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar and Returning Officer for both elections, said: “Thank you to all those who stood as candidates and all those who voted in this year’s elections, especially in view of all the extra demands on everyone’s time at the moment. Many congratulations to our five successful candidates with whom we look forward to working over the coming months and years.
“Even though the elections were held during the ongoing pandemic, the RCVS Council election still produced the third highest turnout on record, and turnout in both elections was above the average for those held over the last ten years.
“As always, we made concerted efforts to let people know about this year’s election, which included additional reminder emails sent on behalf of the RCVS by our election provider Civica Election Services, as well as regular email reminders and social media posts from the RCVS. We do, of course, always endeavour to improve turnout, and will continue to review this going forward.”
Photo: Left to right, Danny Chambers, Tshidi Gardiner, Colin Whiting and Louise Allum.
The half day meeting will take place on Tuesday 25th May from midday to 4pm BST.
Speakers at the event, which accounts for four hours’ CPD, include: Dr Andy Sparkes, feline medicine specialist; Professor Patrick Pageat, president of IRSEA Group; Dr Nathalie Dowgray, head of ISFM and cat behaviourist, Susanne Hellman Holmström.
The programme is as follows:
There will also be a round table discussion on how to raise the focus on cats, when delegates will have the chance to interact with the speakers.
Abigail King, senior behaviour product manager at Ceva Animal Health, said: “The Ceva Cat Expertise 2021 event is designed for the whole veterinary team and will provide online delegates with comprehensive and up-to-date information on feline hypertension and behaviour, including hands on tips which can be incorporated into day-to-day work in practice, as well as an overview of feline opportunities and trends for the future.”
All delegates will receive a diploma of participation and the meeting will be available on demand after the live event to all registered participants until 1 September 2021.
To register for Ceva Cat Expertise 2021 online event visit https://ceva-cat-expertise-2021.confetti.events/, contact your local Ceva Animal Health account manager or email cevauk@ceva.com.
Sheldon is managing director of RVC Veterinary Practices Ltd and principal at Acorn House Veterinary Hospital in Bedford. He has been with the practice for 14 years. A graduate of Cambridge University he has a particular interest and a GP Certificate in ophthalmology. He has been a member of the BSAVA Board for the past five years and a volunteer since graduation.
Sheldon says that during his Presidency he will focus on shaping Congress 2022 into the ultimate veterinary get-together as the country begins its release from the challenges and constraints of the pandemic. He said: "With more than 3,300 registrations, the turnout for and particularly the engagement with BSAVA Virtual Congress 2021 was phenomenal, given the challenges the profession is currently facing as a result of the pandemic.
“We intend to build on this for BSAVA Congress 2022, by deploying a cleverly blended format to retain the high degree of accessibility and flexibility that delegates have so enjoyed this year. We will be releasing further details on BSAVA Congress 2022 in the early summer.”
Sheldon says he will also be focusing on BSAVA’s support for the small animal veterinary community as it emerges from the pandemic.
"The profession has shown incredible resilience and dynamism in responding to the changing demands of our patients but we need to be careful that this is not at the expense of our own wellbeing. BSAVA’s community support, practical education and science resources and leadership are all there to support the profession as it pivots to a new way of working.”
BSAVA Virtual Congress 2021 content is accessible for another 6 weeks. Visit https://www.bsavaevents.com/bsavacongress2021/en/page/home.
The new site, which is ten minutes up the road from Southfield's current location in Basildon, Essex, is due to be ready in time for them to move in at the start of 2022.
When it opens, the centre will continue to offer 15 specialist-led services, but the team is projected to double in size as more specialists, clinicians and staff are recruited over the course of this year
The new premises has been made possible thanks to a big investment by parent company Linnaeus, backed by Mars Veterinary Health.
Southfields managing director Tim Richardson said: "The new hospital is a real statement of intent, a clear signal we are committed to delivering a level of excellence in treatment and care second to none.
"It will provide the region with one of the largest and best-equipped veterinary centres in, not only the UK, but also throughout Europe, with an extensive range of expertise in a wide variety of disciplines all under one roof.
"The fabulous facilities include a cutting-edge imaging suite, comprehensive treatment facilities and a new linear accelerator to assist our illustrious oncology team, which has already seen its status as one of the most experienced in the industry enhanced by the arrival of James Elliott, a renowned specialist in oncology.
"There will be seven operating theatres, 16 consultation rooms, recovery suites, lecture halls, a dedicated ICU department and there are plans for a future hydrotherapy suite.
Southfields says it also aims to lead the industry in terms of staff wellbeing, with yoga and boxercise classes among the activities available to the Southfields team.
Daniel Hogan, Southfields’ hospital director, said: “This is a huge move for us in every way. The increased size of the hospital will enable us to provide a dedicated staff wellbeing area and to offer a range of activities which will benefit our team in both body and mind.
“Along with exercise and relaxation classes, we will have an education centre which will offer some really exciting qualifications and courses for the wider profession.”
Bart Johnson, chief executive of Linnaeus, said: "This move is a reflection of the ambition of Southfields, Linnaeus and Mars to continue providing the best veterinary care in the UK."
For more information about Southfields’ new site, visit https://southfields.co.uk/veterinary-professionals/new-hospital/.