Ed Gillams
2. The RCVS has been accused of being disconnected from its members. What do you think can be done to improve this?
3. How would you restore trust in the RCVS, if elected?
4. How can the RCVS become more transparent in the future and what part would you play in this?
The first four questions I believe all resolve around one issue, namely that once elected the councillors by and large represent their own views and interests rather than those of the profession. We are fortunate that we are a vibrant profession with a wide range of highly intelligent members with a great deal of expertise over a wide range of topics. If the 24 elected members of Council can harness this wisdom we could have a profession which was not only better represented but better regulated and governed as well.
RCVS councillors should not take on the role because they can spare a couple of days a year to RCVS; they should be prepared to make the effort and put in the time to ensure that they speak with the voice of the profession. This means engaging with the profession at every level, not just through 'Meet the College' days, but via email, forums, Vet Times, and at conferences and congresses. I pledge that if elected I will work hard to ensure that I can represent the profession. You all have my mobile number and email address and I would like to hear from any of you with suggestions as to how the College can better serve you. I wish to be held to account, for YOU to see the decisions YOU have made receiving my support so that we can all be proud that we are a self regulating profession, not a profession regulated by the elite for the elite.
On other forums it has been suggested that it is wrong for RCVS Council to spend our fees canvassing the profession and I could not agree more, but it is right that our representatives should spend their time canvassing the profession.
5. After closing its VN awarding body the RCVS introduced a significant "regulatory fee" for student nurses, which has been viewed by some as grossly unfair. What is your opinion?
All regulation has a cost, and therefore anyone who is regulated unfortunately must pay that cost. However it is unfair and unacceptable if anyone is forced to pay more for regulation than the regulation needs to cost, and it is wrong if the regulation produces red tape for red tape’s sake. I am dedicated to small government, RCVS should not take money from any of us that it does not need and RCVS should not produce unnecessary bureaucratic burdens. There has been a case made that the new ‘regulatory fee’ is at an ‘acceptable’ level as it represents similar costs to those faced though previous schemes. This is missing the point as far as I am concerned: it is ‘acceptable’ if it is the lowest possible figure which will give the protection needed for patients and clients, which brings me nicely on to the final question.
6. In the current climate of de-regulation and reducing costs, what cuts would you advise in RCVS expenditure and activities?
From outside the College looking in, it is harder to see what needs to be done in the future than to see what has been done poorly to date. Did the RCVS need to go through a re-branding exercise? Surely the public care about great quality veterinary services, not whether our regulator has a crest or a shield? Was the overspend investigated by McKelvey actually money well spent? Should YOU all be getting ￡5-￡10 cheaper membership this year to reflect the savings from not publishing a paper form of Register? How much is it reasonable to pay a chief exec of RCVS? I understand that there is no such thing as RCVS’s money. There is only members' money, and unless I am confident that the members would chose to have their money spent on a rebranding exercise or similar, I pledge that I will not be voting for YOUR money to be spent.
I hope that my answers to these questions give you some idea as to where I believe the profession wants its representatives to be coming from. If you have more questions I would love to hear from you and can be contacted on this site, or at Ed_the_vet@hotmail.co.uk or on 07917 062088
Thank you for your time, please consider voting for me so I can serve YOU and YOUR interests.
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MRCVS.co.uk would like to thank Ed for providing this information and wish him every success in the upcoming election.
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
