RCVS Council election results

Results for the 2010 RCVS Council elections have been released today and, following a slight increase in turnout for the second year running, four existing Council Members and one former Member have been returned for another four years. However, new to Council this year and securing the most votes was Preston-based veterinary practitioner David Catlow.

4,232 veterinary surgeons out of a possible 22,541 cast their votes this year, an increase of 0.6% from 18.2% in 2009. The results of the voting are as follows:

Terms of office for the six successful candidates will (re)commence at RCVS Day on 2 July 2010.

Following a successful partnership with www.vetsurgeon.org last year, the RCVS again teamed up with the veterinary community website to allow voters more opportunity to quiz the candidates directly and find out more about their views.

Once again, this seemed to prove popular with the electorate although it presented candidates with a large increase in their workload during the voting period. Page views on vetsurgeon.org’s election section rose 23% to 28,347 this year; 48 discussion threads were started (slightly down from 53) and total responses rose dramatically by 47% to 988.

A new incentive for members to vote this year was a pledge to donate 20p per voter to the DEC Haiti Earthquake Appeal. A donation of just over £845 will therefore be made shortly.

RCVS Registrar Jane Hern comments: “An increase in turnout, if only a small one, is to be welcomed and I hope we can continue to increase members’ interest in the composition and activities of RCVS Council. I’d like to thank all ten candidates who stood for election this year; my congratulations to those elected and my commiserations to those who weren’t successful this time.”

Note: there was no VN Council election this year as only two nominations were received for the two available places. These will be filled by Suzanne May RVN and Hilary Orpet RVN.