Surrey Practice Manager wins Mind Matters Initiative competition at London Vet Show

Emma Smith, Practice Manager at Pets First Ltd Runnymede Hill Vet Hospital in Surrey, was the winner of the Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) competition held at the our stand at the London Vet Show earlier this month (ExCel, 17-18 November 2016).

The MMI, a project which began in 2015 that aims to improve the mental health and wellbeing of those in the veterinary team, including students, veterinary nurses, veterinary surgeons and practice managers, was the focus of our stand at the London Vet Show.

The stand featured tips gathered from a month-long social media campaign in September, which saw daily suggestions for how to improve wellbeing from members of the veterinary profession and mental health experts. Visitors were asked to share their own wellbeing tips and be in with a chance to win a FitBit Alta worth £100, with the winner being chosen by MMI Chair Neil Smith and Project Director Lizzie Lockett.

The wellbeing tips given during the social media campaign can be found on the Mind Matters Initiative’s Twitter account (@vetmindmatters), along with all the tips from the day including the winner’s: “Pack a lunch, plan your day, and praise (giving and receiving)”.

We also co-hosted a ‘Breakfast on Brexit’ meeting with the British Veterinary Association (BVA) at 8.30am on Friday 18 November. Delegates were invited to attend and hear from Chris Tufnell, RCVS President, and Alick Simmons, Chair of BVA’s Brexit Working Group and former UK Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer, about our Brexit Presidential Taskforce and BVA’s Brexit Working Group, respectively. The audience were encouraged to contribute to the discussion, with comments, feedback and suggestions.

The Vet Futures project, a joint initiative between us and the BVA, was also featured on our stand. The project was launched at London Vet Show in 2014, and the Vet Futures Action Plan, which detailed how the organisations would deliver on the recommendations of the 2015 Vet Futures Report, was launched at the Vet Futures Summit on 4 July 2016.

Furthermore, we held a series of free 20-minute Practice Standards Scheme surgeries with PSS Lead Assessor Pam Mosedale, to assist those practices that were thinking of joining the Scheme, had an upcoming inspection, or were applying for an optional PSS award.