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RCVS to develop proposals for regulating practices
The working group will present its proposals at the end of 2024.
Working group set up to consider how the scheme could work.

A new working group has been created by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) to develop proposals for the mandatory regulation of veterinary practices.

The RCVS wants to see regulations for veterinary practices, including statutory powers of entry and inspection, introduced by the UK government as part of legislation to replace the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966.

The working group will be chaired by RCVS president Sue Paterson and will include Standards Committee chair Linda Belton, Practice Standards Group chair Belinda Andrews-Jones, as well as other veterinary, veterinary nursing, lay and external representatives.

The group will present its proposals to the RCVS Council by the end of 2024.

Dr Paterson said: “At present, the RCVS only regulates individual veterinary surgeons and nurses, and the veterinary sector does not have an equivalent to the Care Quality Commission, which considers human healthcare premises.

“This means that the onus for maintaining standards within the workplace falls on regulated individuals rather than the business structure. We will consider what a scheme that puts more statutory responsibility on business owners to maintain standards should look like.
 
“I look forward to working with colleagues in RCVS Council, VN Council and other veterinary organisations via this group to really flesh out what this regulatory system might look like in the future, to make sure it is appropriate, robust, proportionate and enforceable.

“Establishing these details will also prove invaluable in our lobbying work with government, ministers and MPs.”

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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."