Veterinary surgeons asked to submit CPD records in audit of compliance

Last week we launched our second annual audit of continuing professional development for veterinary surgeons and are reminding our members that undertaking CPD is a professional obligation.

We have contacted just under 6,700 veterinary surgeons asking them to submit their CPD records for 2012-14.

Under the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons, members of the profession must undertake at least 105 hours of CPD over a rolling three-year period, averaging 35 hours per year.

Those being audited include 5,568 vets who failed to confirm whether or not they complied with the CPD requirement in this year’s annual renewal process; 488 vets who failed to respond to last year’s audit and did not confirm their compliance this year; 43 pre-2012 graduates who have not yet completed the Professional Development Phase; and 184 veterinary surgeons who specifically declared they were not compliant during this year’s annual renewal process.

In addition to these, a random sample of 400 veterinary surgeons who did declare they were compliant this year will be asked to share their records.

For last year’s audit, we wrote to 3,975 veterinary surgeons, of whom 82 per cent were found to be compliant. However, 910 veterinary surgeons did not respond to the request at all.

Gordon Hockey, our Registrar, explains: “The purpose of the exercise is not only to gauge levels of compliance, but also to gain a greater understanding of why some people are unable to meet the requirement.

"Therefore, we will be asking those who are still non-compliant to provide us with an explanation as to why, and to submit a learning and development plan outlining the steps they will take to become compliant.

“Since 2012, the Code of Professional Conduct has made it very clear that, as professionals, veterinary surgeons have an obligation to maintain and improve their skills and experience so as to provide a better service to their patients and clients.

“Last year’s audit proved that the majority of the profession do take CPD seriously and do engage with it over-and-above what is required, but a small minority do not.

"It is important to remind this small minority that persistent failure to comply with CPD requirements, or to respond to requests from the College, may result in them being reported to the Preliminary Investigation Committee.”

Christine Warman, our Head of Education, adds: “This audit is also an opportunity to remind people that we are not prescriptive when it comes to CPD and that it is not the case that we only count attendance at courses as learning and development.

“Broadly, any activities that you undertake to further your competence and provide tangible learning that can be put to use in your professional life, can be classed as CPD. For example, this could include private reading, webinars, clinical audit activities, mentoring, work-based observation and many more activities besides.

“What we ask is that you record and document these activities, reflecting on what you learnt and how it will affect your practice.” 

Veterinary surgeons who are being asked to submit their records can do so by allowing us to access their online Professional Development Record (PDR) or to send in their CPD record card via email or post. The deadline for responding is Friday 13 November.