My presidential year so far

I was in Omagh last week for the ‘Association of Veterinary Surgeons Practising in Northern Ireland Day’ to enjoy a warm welcome and four great CPD presentations by young practitioners. Soon after I was back home for a few hours and then on the sleeper train to London. That’s when the realisation hit me - the final six months of my year as RCVS President has started!

It has been a whirlwind of activity since last July and the time has passed in a flash. It has been frantic, exhausting (for someone with MS) and humbling.

So far I’ve spent at least 84 nights away from home. I’ve travelled from Stornoway to Swansea to speak to veterinary surgeons and RVNs. Train passenger assistance and my trusty powerchair has been invaluable, and my disabled person’s railcard is getting a right battering.  

I’ve attended graduation and Fellowship ceremonies, chaired meetings at Council and with the Associations. We’ve started our Diversity and Inclusion Group and I loved being on the Pride march in Glasgow last year.

I get to write to many colleagues who have worked for 50 years in the profession and at other key points in their career. I’ve met loads of Year 1 graduates at the VDS reunions and I’m looking forward to touring the vet schools this year with Eleanor, our Registrar, to talk to students.

Some highlights for me have to be the grad ceremonies and meeting the young people joining our professions. I’m looking forward to the Graduate Outcomes changes which will increase support and mentoring to those new colleagues as they embark on their careers.

Other highlights have been signing the mutual recognition agreement with the Veterinary Council of Ireland and signing the visitor’s book at James Herriot’s old practice as RCVS President (done that twice!).

In addition to these highlights, so much good work is ongoing with Graduate Outcomes, Mind Matters, moving away from a blame culture to a learning culture and the outcomes-based reflective CPD. 

We will continue to work with our colleagues and partners in the EU after exit. I’m really looking forward us joint hosting, with BVA, the Federation of Veterinarians in Europe General Assembly.

As well as working with vets and nurses, it has been wonderful being part of the team with the incredibly hard working RCVS staff.

Already we are seeing some results of the RCVS Annual Christmas donation, made partly to American Fondouk, helping working equids in Fez, Morocco. We received a lovely picture of a replacement mule for an owner who lost his own horse to colic, now named Niall! A Glasgow vet student helped pick Niall from the market. He and seven others, paid for by the donation, will work to feed their families for years.

I’m looking forward to the opinions and contributions from veterinary surgeons, nurses and the public to the imminent review of 'under care' and 24-hour emergency cover which will guide our path towards a rapidly changing future. I’m proud to be part of this.

Before the rest of this year passes in a flash, I want to say thank you to everyone out there working hard, who has helped and who is making a difference every day for our professions and for our animals.