FAQs

1. Closing date for submission of nominations                    5pm, Tuesday, 31 January 2023

2. Posting of voting papers to members (approx.)               Week commencing Monday, 13 March 2023

3. Closing date for receiving votes                                     5pm, Friday, 21 April 2023

4. Candidates informed of results                                      Monday, 24 April 2023

5. New members join Council                                            Friday, 7 July 2023 (RCVS Day)

*With the exception of the closing date for submission of nominations, dates are a guideline.

Please see response to FAQ 3 above. Company name formats that include ‘veterinary surgery’ are no longer objected to as standard.

Please see Chapter 23 of the supporting guidance for further information on how to request a LONO and what information to provide.

A detailed recorded conversation should take place with the client about the expected benefits and harms to the animal’s welfare, as well as alternative treatments to the procedure including any unknowns/gaps in knowledge. The option of euthanasia should be discussed where appropriate to the case.

For clinical veterinary research, clients should be informed that they can opt-out at a later stage without any penalty in the care of their animal(s) or themselves.

Note that informed client consent is necessary, but not sufficient to automatically make a procedure routine veterinary practice.

As clinical data is not covered under the GDPR, clinical audit data can be used in epidemiological research without further consent from the client.

(For further information on informed consent, please see Chapter 11 of the supporting guidance to the Code of Professional Conduct, ‘communication and consent’)

Please do not attend your veterinary practice if you are self-isolating.

You should call the practice so that your vet can decide whether they can assist remotely and, if not, whether they should physically see your animal or safely delay treatment.

You should also inform the practice that you and your household are self-isolating.

If your vet wants to physically see your animal, you should make arrangements for another person (not from your household) to take your animal to the practice.

If this is not possible, you should inform the practice so that alternative arrangements can be made if possible.

Last updated: 14 January 2021

Following the introduction of the new governance arrangements RCVS Council, in the three years to July 2021, is transitioned to a size and structure comprising:

• 13 elected veterinary surgeons
• Three individuals appointed collectively by the eight UK veterinary schools
• Six independently appointed lay persons
• Two veterinary nurses elected or appointed by the Veterinary Nurses Council

VN Council comprises:

• Six elected veterinary nurses
• Two appointed veterinary surgeon members
• Four appointed lay members
• Two appointed veterinary nurse members

The general rule under the new guidance is that whether a physical examination is required prior to prescribing POM-Vs is a matter of judgement for the veterinary surgeon taking into account the factors set out in the guidance.

However, there are some notable exceptions to this rule:

a. When a notifiable disease is suspected.

b. When prescribing antibiotics, antifungals, antiparasitics and antivirals (unless there are exceptional circumstances).*

c. When prescribing controlled drugs (unless there are exceptional circumstances).

*In terms of the proximity of physical examination to prescribing, the rules are slightly different depending on the species being treated [see paragraphs 4.17 (a), (b) and (c) of the guidance].

Your statement needs to be legal, decent, honest and truthful.

Links to external websites are not permitted in your biography or statement. You may publish a link to a single campaigning website, for example a Facebook or Twitter account, in your contact details .Testimonials are not permitted in the biography section.

We aim to publish exactly as submitted – which means that any typographical errors may also be included – so do please double-check that you are happy with it before you send it to us.

We ask that election statements do not include content that is defamatory or otherwise unlawful, or factually misleading. The Registrar may, in the absence of agreement with the candidate to amend the statement, either edit the election statement before circulating it or decide not to circulate it.

The Code of Professional Conduct pertains to the publication of your statement, as much as any other element of your professional life.

More detail about what to include in your statement is included in the ‘Information for candidates’.

Your statement needs to be legal, decent, honest and truthful.

Links to websites etc. are not permitted in your biography or statement. (You may publish a link to a single campaigning website, for example a Facebook or Twitter account, in your contact details.)  Testimonials are not permitted in the biography section.

We aim to publish exactly as submitted – which means that any typographical errors will also be included  - so do please double-check that you are happy with it before you send it to us.

We ask that election statements do not include content that is defamatory or otherwise unlawful, or factually misleading. The Registrar may, in the absence of agreement with the candidate to amend the statement, either edit the election statement before circulating it or decide not to circulate it.

The Code of Professional Conduct pertains to the publication of your statement, as much as any other element of your professional life.

More detail about what to include in your statement is included in the ‘Information for candidates’.

Please see paragraph 23.33 of Chapter 23 of the supporting guidance which states that veterinary surgeons may only use ‘specialist’ in the name of their practice where there is genuine and meaningful involvement, and oversight, in case management by at least one RCVS specialist in all disciplines where any clinical services are offered under this business name.

If the above applies to your practice team, it is not likely to be misleading under Chapter 23 of the supporting guidance for you to call your practice ‘Specialist Vet Referrals’, however, this might change if your team changes and so we recommend bearing this in mind when finalising the name of your practice and keeping it under review as involvement and oversight of specialists in each discipline changes or fluctuates.