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SRUC welcomes first veterinary degree students
Abbi Harcus is one of 45 students to start SRUC's new degree.
More than half the intake of students were from rural or remote Scottish locations.

Scotland’s Rural College’s (SRUC's) School of Veterinary Medicine has welcomed the first students to its new Bachelor of Veterinary Science (BVSci) programme.

SRUC, which is Scotland’s first new veterinary school in over 150 years, hopes it will provide new opportunities for students in rural or remote locations.

The degree fulfils part of the veterinary school’s promise to widen access to the sector. It will focus on training Scottish, Irish and UK-domiciled students from rural backgrounds, who understand how life is in remote and rural communities.

The veterinary school is also built on a tertiary model and provides opportunities for students to progress from HND students to a veterinary degree programme. It was opened after SRUC gained Taught Degree Awarding Powers.

One student who has benefitted from SRUC’s model is Abbi Harcus.

Ms Harcus is from rural East Ayrshire and, earlier this year, completed a HND in Rural Animal Health at SRUC. She is now one of 45 students to start the School of Veterinary Medicine’s new degree programme.

Ms Harcus said: “When I finish, I want to go into practice as soon as I can, and I’ll definitely stay in Scotland. There are so many rural areas that struggle to keep vets, staying in the industry is tough. I’m ready for it, and I think things are going to start changing soon.

“Everything I’ve learned with my HND will be really important when I finish and go into practice, it’s been the best start I could have had. Everything has just worked out so well.”

Caroline Argo, a professor who oversaw the development of the degree, said: “It is now recognised that the UK veterinary profession is failing to achieve self-sufficiency in generating and retaining homegrown talent. This has serious ramifications for key sectors of the profession that are central to Scotland’s ambitions, economy and the sustainability of our rural communities.

“By aligning the attitudes and abilities of our veterinary students more directly with the needs of the Scottish profession, we hope to train the general practitioners that are so essential for our food sector and mixed practices.”

Image © SRUC

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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."