RCVS reminds members of CPD requirements

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) is reminding all registered veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses that it is mandatory to adhere to the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements, including recent updates to the policy. The updated requirements, which were introduced on a voluntary basis in 2020 and fully implemented in 2022, focus on a more outcomes-based approach centring around the quality, impact and relevance of CPD.

The annual CPD hourly requirements are 35 hours for veterinary surgeons and 15 hours for veterinary nurses. In order to meet the requirement, veterinary surgeons and nurses also have to record their CPD using the College’s 1CPD platform and use it to reflect on their learning.

CPD is a process of continually maintaining, improving and broadening professional skills and knowledge. Any learning or development that is relevant to the individual as a professional can count towards the requirement, both clinical and non-clinical. Examples include, but are not limited to, workplace-based learning, reading, and developing leadership and emotional health skills. All veterinary surgeons and registered veterinary nurses working in the UK must use the RCVS 1CPD recording platform to plan, record and reflect on their CPD.

The 1CPD digital platform was launched in order to help veterinary professionals to manage their CPD in an intuitive, efficient and easy-to-access way. The platform was developed to allow members to easily record their CPD and introduce a flexible approach to reflection. The 1CPD platform is available as an app for iOS and Android, as well as being available on the web. It has user-friendly features such as voice-recording and the option to attach documents to help to plan, record and reflect on CPD.

RCVS Director of Education, Linda Prescott-Clements, said: “Undertaking regular CPD is a professional responsibility and requirement for all veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses on the RCVS Register under the Codes of Professional Conduct.

“Our 1CPD platform facilitates an outcomes-based approach. A vital part of this includes ensuring that individuals take time to reflect on what they have learnt in order to help consolidate learning and aid in the development of critical thinking. Simply writing a few lines about what you have learnt and how you could implement this into your work is sufficient, but you can also use the voice notes or add an attachment to your record. So far, the majority of feedback received from those using the platform has been hugely positive.

“The veterinary world is fast paced and constantly evolving. It is therefore essential that veterinary professionals are given the tools to learn and grow in a structured and manageable way. CPD is enormously important in maintaining high levels of professional competence and should be viewed as a rewarding opportunity for growth. The requirement to record CPD using the 1CPD platform, and reflect on CPD, is there to help to maximise the professional and personal benefits of CPD and streamline the Continuing Professional Development process in its entirety.”

RCVS members who fail to comply with the new CPD requirements in full, i.e. to record and reflect on the required hours of CPD using 1CPD, will be contacted by the RCVS to see if they need support or have extenuating circumstances. If not, cases of non-compliance will be considered by the CPD Policy and Compliance Subcommittee. It should be noted that CPD requirements for RCVS members living and working overseas will slightly differ to UK-based professionals. Overseas members will be contacted by the RCVS via email with further guidance on how to adhere to the requirements.

For further information on the RCVS 1CPD platform and the requirements, visit our dedicated Continuing Professional Development page.

For a more in-depth overview, members can access the RCVS ‘CPD: Record and Reflect’ course for free via their digital learning platform, The RCVS Academy.

If you have any questions regarding the new requirements, contact the RCVS Education team by email on [email protected] or call 020 3795 5595.