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Full McKelvey Report remains unpublished
The Information Commissioner has ruled that the RCVS's decision not to disclose the full contents of the McKelvey report was the right course of action.

The BVA, who made the request that the full report be made available after a redacted version was published in November 2011, will not be appealing the decision.

The McKelvey report came as a blow to the RCVS, as the exposure of many weaknesses in governance and considerable overspends intensified the sense of disconnection between the veterinary profession and its regulatory body.

The longevity of discussion generated by the report is testament to the strong feelings of members of the veterinary profession who believed the full report should have been made accessible -  especially after it was recently revealed that the IT systems, which cost around half a million pounds of members' money, is unsuitable and will soon need replacing.

Of the decision, Carl Padgett, President of the BVA, commented: “Given the strength of feeling expressed by our members on the issue of the overspends we felt it was right to try to obtain as much information as possible, but we accept the Information Commissioner’s decision and will not be appealing."

With the contents of the full report now set to remain a mystery, it is to be hoped that the lessons learned from its recommendations have been taken fully on board, and that the McKelvey report can finally be laid to rest. 

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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."