“We estimate that the CCC will deal with around 20 such cases per year” – Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS registrar.

The new committee will resolve less serious misconduct cases.

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) has launched a new Charter Case Committee to deal with less serious complaints of professional misconduct.

The independent committee will be able to consider and resolve cases involving misconduct, or conviction for an offence, that are not serious enough to be referred to the Disciplinary Committee.

Cases will be resolved without a public hearing and the committee will have the power to impose either a confidential or a public warning as to a veterinary surgeon or veterinary nurse’s future conduct.

A warning issued by the Charter Case Committee will not have an affect on the individual’s registration status or their right to practise.

Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS registrar, said: “The establishment of the Charter Case Committee plays a vitally important role in balancing our statutory role of upholding professional conduct standards and protecting animal health and welfare and public confidence in the professions, with our mission to become a compassionate regulator.”

The creation of the committee, which was first agreed by the RCVS Council in 2021, has been made possible under the powers of the Supplementary Royal Charter (2015).

Ms Ferguson added: “The type of cases we envisage being dealt with by the Committee are those where the Code has been breached but where there is no ongoing risk to animal welfare or public confidence, and where the level of insight and personal reflection regarding their conduct is such that it can be resolved without the need for an onerous, stressful and expensive Disciplinary Committee hearing. We estimate that the CCC will deal with around 20 such cases per year.

“The most serious cases of professional misconduct will, of course, continue to be referred to Disciplinary Committee hearings.”

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