Council to increase the frequency of public meetings
Two new committees have been introduced by the RCVS to increase the frequency of Council meetings and to aid its decision-making process.
The first is a new Finance and Resources Committee which will oversee the management of IT, data issues, human resources, the College estate and strategic communication issues.
The second is a new Advancement of the Professions Committee, which will be responsible for coordinating and feeding into projects and activities that fall under the College’s Royal Charter pledge of advancing veterinary standards.
The introduction of the two committees follows a Legislative Reform Order (LRO) that was passed through the Houses of Parliament in earlier this year. In June, RCVS Council members were presented with a paper on further changes to the committee structure.
Among the changes was an increase in the frequency of public RCVS Council meetings to six in the 2018-19 presidential year to eight in the following presidential year.
The LRO also called for a review of the current Operational Board, which oversees the management of College business. Council members decided that, because of the increase in Council meetings, the Board would cease to meet from summer 2019.
“By approving this new direction of travel, Council has paved the way for a more flexible and agile governance structure, better able to react to events and make strategic decisions in a more open and transparent way,” explained RCVS chief executive officer Lizzie Lockett.
“The Advancement of the Professions Committee is a particularly exciting development, as the last few years have seen an increase in the number of special projects and initiatives, and having one body that oversees them will encourage a joined-up approach and give Council members greater input in how we take them forward."
She continued: “In light of the smaller Council, there was also discussion about how to widen the pool of experience and expertise available to our committees by co-opting individuals from the professions at large. Such opportunities will be identified once the skills matrix of our existing Council members has been analysed.”
Two independent vets have launched a podcast to help owners strengthen their bond with pets. Dr Maggie Roberts and Dr Vanessa Howie, who have worked in both veterinary practice and major charities, are keen to use their experience to enable people to give pets a better life.
