PAG - the story so far

It’s been one whole year since the inception of our new Public Advisory Group (PAG). In this blog post, Louise Allum, RCVS Council member and Chair of PAG, reflects on her experiences chairing the group, the work that is currently being undertaken, and plans for the future.

I first heard about the idea of a Public Advisory Group at a Council meeting, where it was proposed as an action under our current strategic plan.

Having discussed the concept of PAG with a medic friend, who told me these public engagement groups were commonplace in medical circles, I thought this was an important area for a regulator like us to be developing.

In the past, working in general practice, I used to love having frequent contact with the public and meeting lots of different characters. Now, working primarily in shelters and charities, I’m not in direct contact with the public as much and really miss it, so I was very keen to get involved in PAG. I love a new project, so volunteered to chair.

After the initial adverts went out, then came the fear…would anyone be interested in joining or would they put themselves forward thinking this was a forum to air their own agendas? I didn’t need to worry; applications came flooding in.

After an initial sift we sat down as a small group to ensure that we had the right mix of people. I wanted to ensure we had as diverse a panel as we could with a variety of ages, backgrounds, and geographical locations.

The first meeting

Soon it was time for the first meeting. I must admit, I was nervous - I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. The initial meeting was a ‘getting to know you’ session, where we first set out our expectations, explaining that we were looking for constructive feedback and opinions on various topics.

We then heard from each of the PAG members about their animals and pets, and backgrounds. From a shepherd to a guinea pig enthusiast, to a dog breeder and small holder, we had a wide spread of experience and knowledge represented.

We then got down to business with RCVS Director of Communications, Ian Holloway, going through the first work stream that we wanted the group to focus on – to help with the creation of a new animal owners advice section for our website.

I came away from the first meeting excited and humbled by the group.

Getting started on the Animal Owner Advice project

"It was important to me that people within the group could see their impact and that they were being listened to. So, at the end of each meeting, we try to give a timeline of next steps and how the information they provide will be used."

Moving onto our next meeting in January 2024, it was time to set the group to work and see how they got on together.

After an initial information session with Ian, we split into smaller groups and asked the group what they thought our animal owner advice section should include.

There were many different themes, but a feeling of support for the vet profession shone through alongside a need for more transparency and clarity when it came to information that vets provided for owners.

This, of course, included clarity around finances, but also around the overnight care provided, when and if it was appropriate to seek a second opinion, and how they could find out which vets were right for their different pet’s needs.

It was important to me that people within the group could see their impact and that they were being listened to. So, at the end of each meeting, we try to give a timeline of next steps and how the information they provide will be used.

Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA)

The next meeting was delayed due to RCVS staff members being pulled in many directions to complete the needs of the CMA report.

We were able to book a meeting for June 2024 and at this point we couldn’t miss the opportunity to tackle the hot topic of the CMA report head on.

PAG members were given some details of the report and then we called a meeting to discuss this further and see if the report resonated with their thoughts and feelings on the veterinary profession.

Breaking into small groups online helped the conversation flow and a summary of these discussions fed into the newly formed RCVS CMA working group.

Back to basics

By the time we got to September it was time to get back to the original work stream. Ian provided the group with his work so far on the animal advice and they then provided some focussed and generally very positive feedback on his work. Ian has taken this feedback and is providing the final draft soon.

The meeting was then ‘taken over’ by RCVS Knowledge. The CEO Katie Mantell attended the previous meeting to investigate how the group was working and could see the potential to gain some interesting feedback.

The RCVS Knowledge Team ran a session on ‘What does good quality vet care look like to you?’ and was again able to split into small groups online to gain feedback on this.

Looking forward

So, what of the future? In the September RCVS Council meeting I gave an update of the work of PAG so far and recommended that this group continues. As we had a slow start due to the CMA interruption, and I felt we needed another few months at least to finish our work stream. After this, the group may need a refresh, but that is to be decided.

This will be a good opportunity to look at what we’ve learnt from this first year and if we should continue in the current format or look to have smaller additional focus groups.

As a regulator it is important to listen - to really listen - and not just assume that we know how people are thinking and feeling about our profession.

The more diverse the voices, the better.