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CQ hosts annual VN Symposium
CQ logo
Jacqui Garrett, head of CQ commented: “We really appreciate the efforts of all those who helped make the symposium a great success."
Education professionals gather to share views and knowledge

Awarding body and exam board Central Qualifications (CQ) hosted its annual Veterinary Nursing Symposium this month, providing an opportunity for those involved in veterinary nurse education to develop skills and share views and experiences.

Taking place at CQ headquarters in Suffolk, the two-day event brought together college principals and heads of centres, senior management from CQ , IT staff, internal and external verifiers, head nurses as well as clinical coaches and a representative from the RCVS.

Jacqui Garrett, head of CQ commented: “We really appreciate the efforts of all those who helped make the symposium a great success. The feedback we receive is used to enhance education and training and will help develop programmes for the next generation of veterinary nurses.”

One of the key discussions on Friday, 5 June involved new features added to the Central Skills Log (CSL) - a custom-written electronic system for recording and verifying practical skills.

Other hot topics were effective communication and how to deal with malpractice and maladministration should it occur.

A series of rotating sessions included a communication workshop, IT training sessions and a quality assurance Q&A session. Delegates were also able to spend individual time with the CQ senior management team.

During day two of the event (6 June), the focus was on practical assessments and OSCEs (Objective Structured Clinical Examinations). Examiners were able to review and debate newly constructed scenarios and their suitability for assessments.

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
RCVS pays tribute to well-loved equine vet

The RCVS and the Riding Establishments Subcommittee has paid tribute to well-loved veterinary surgeon and riding establishment inspector, Rebecca Hamilton-Fletcher MRCVS.

Linda Belton MRCVS, RCVS President, said: "I, along with my colleagues on the RESC, RCVS Council, RCVS Standards Committee, as well as RCVS staff, was very saddened to hear of the sudden death of Rebecca, or Becca as we knew her, last week.

"She was a true advocate for equine welfare and in her many years on the RESC worked to continually improve the quality and consistency of riding establishment inspections, all in the interests of enhanced horse welfare and rider safety."