Queen's Medal and Golden Jubilee Award winners announced

We are pleased to announce Dr Barry Johnson as the winner of this year’s Queen’s Medal, and Kathy Kissick as the winner of this year’s Golden Jubilee Award. These awards are the highest honours we can bestow upon a veterinary surgeon and veterinary nurse respectively.

Dr Barry Johnson (pictured right) is the Chairman of World Horse Welfare, travelling internationally and lecturing on behalf of the charity with a particular involvement in fundraising, profile-enhancing and education. He is also the Chairman of the World Horse Welfare International Committee, and a regional representative for Vetlife as well as being Deputy Lord Lieutenant for Lancashire.

After graduating from the University of Liverpool in 1969 he established an equine and farm animal practice in 1974 on the Fylde Coast. He then quickly became involved in many other lines of work, lecturing at the Myerscough College for thirty years, acting on the Agricultural Training Board, and serving as RCVS President from 1993-1994. He was also an RCVS Council Member for 28 years (1986-1998; 2000-2016) and served on many RCVS Committees.

Regarding the award, Barry (pictured right) said: "This is an enormous honour for a practitioner from Lancashire. I have always enjoyed being a veterinary surgeon and am grateful to my colleagues and clients for making my career so fulfilling rewarding and fun.”

He was nominated by fellow veterinary surgeon, Dr Peter Jinman, a current member of RCVS Council. In his nomination Dr Jinman said: “There are few members who have contributed so much of their personal time for the benefit of the veterinary profession both locally and nationally…

"That this has been done often without the knowledge of the public or the rest of the profession and at no little personal expense, demands recognition…

"Barry represents the very best of what a veterinary practitioner can achieve both in terms of his profession and in wider society.”

Kathy Kissick (pictured right) is a trustee of the Alderney Animal Welfare Society and has previously acted as the Head of School for Veterinary Nursing and Farriery Science at Myerscough College in Lancashire.

She qualified as a veterinary nurse in 1983 and, since then, has acted as an external examiner and adviser for a number of veterinary nursing course providers over the years and is currently on the editorial board for The Veterinary Nurse.

She has also been very active within the College, initially as a nursing examiner and then as both a Member and then Chair of the RCVS Veterinary Nurses Council.

Regarding the award, Ms Kissick said: “I am delighted, honoured and humbled to accept the Golden Jubilee award and hope that I can continue to inspire veterinary nurses, throughout their careers, to always do the very best for their patients, clients and colleagues but not to forget to follow their dreams.”

She was nominated by Lynne Kerrigan, a colleague and former student of Kathy’s. In her nomination Mrs Kerrigan said: “She has become a role model for both aspiring and qualified veterinary nurses through her relentless passion and tenacity to raise the profile of veterinary nursing and her continuous drive to achieve improved recognition and protection of the title veterinary nurse.”

The winners will receive the accolade at this year’s RCVS Day, our Annual General Meeting and Awards Day, which takes place on Friday 7 July at the Royal Institute of British Architects.