Wiltshire equine vet elected to become new RCVS Junior Vice President

Members of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Council have elected Linda Belton MRCVS to be the next Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Junior Vice President.

The decision was made at the RCVS Council meeting held on Thursday 8 June 2023, at The Royal College of Nursing in London.

Linda, who was first elected to Council in 2019 and re-elected in 2023, will take up the post of Junior Vice President for 2023/24 at the RCVS Annual General Meeting on Friday 7 July 2023. She is current Chair of both the RCVS Standards Committee and the Riding Establishment Subcommittee and also sits on the Primary Qualifications Subcommittee and the Preliminary Investigation and Disciplinary Liaison Committee.

Outside of the RCVS, Linda is a Director at The George Veterinary Group in Wiltshire, an independently owned practice providing equine, farm, pig and small animal veterinary services. Linda has been part of The George since 1992, having started her career in practice in Winchester after graduating from Bristol University Vet School the previous year. She is a member of the British Veterinary Association, the British Equine Veterinary Association and the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons and is also a Trustee for Brooke – an international equine animal welfare charity.

On her appointment, Linda said: “Having recently been re-elected to Council for another term by fellow members of our profession, I am really looking forward to joining the Officer Team in my role as Junior Vice-President and I thank my colleagues on Council for their endorsement and support.

"There are advantages for us as a profession in being a Royal College that regulates, as it allows the College to take a more holistic approach to regulation than otherwise would be possible if we were solely a regulatory body."

Linda Belton MRCVS

“Since joining Council four years ago, I have learned a lot – especially about the unique nature of our role as a Royal College which regulates. Wearing two hats can be challenging, however, there are advantages for us as a profession in being a Royal College that regulates, as it allows the College to take a more holistic approach to regulation than otherwise would be possible if we were solely a regulatory body.

“As Junior Vice-President, I look forward to increasing Council’s direct contact with vets working in first-opinion practice. Working as part of a large independently owned practice, I am aware of many of the day-to-day issues currently facing the different species sectors. I understand what it takes to be a good workplace delivering veterinary care in a commercial environment and want, through my contribution to Council and the governance and regulation of our profession, to support others to have a successful and fulfilling career in practice.”

In addition to Linda becoming Junior Vice President at Royal College Day, Susan Paterson FRCVS will also be taking up the role of President, with Melissa Donald MRCVS stepping into the role of Senior Vice President, Tshidi Gardiner MRCVS becoming Treasurer, and Belinda Andrews-Jones DipAVN(surgical)RVN becoming the new Chair of Veterinary Nursing Council - making it the first all-female RCVS Officer team.