Martin Peaty

BVSc CertEP CertES(Orth) MRCVS

Candidate 13 of 20

Proposers: Amy Reynolds, Dr Jonathan Vickery

Contact details

Address The Barn Equine Surgery, Ringwood Road, Three Legged Cross, Wimborne, BH21 6RE

T 01202 823 512

M 07909 990 902

E [email protected]

W www.barnequine.co.uk

Candidate biography 

I graduated from Bristol and worked in mixed practice in Devon for two years and then equine and farm practice in Surrey for another two. I currently work in on the Dorset / Hampshire borders where I am a clinical director. We are a first opinion practice. The whole vet team participate in the out of hours rota so understand that undertaking. I appreciate the importance of and support clinical freedom for treating vets as practice ownership changes. Having undertaken certificate study, I understand the commitment involved. I am a member of BVA, and represented them on the Advanced Practitioner working party, and of BEVA. I have acted as a Clinical Instruction Mentor for Surrey Vet School over the last decade and we host EMS students from all the UK universities. I previously served a term on RCVS Council. As vets we practice preventative medicine and I worked to promote upstream regulation where communication and education aim to help members meet obligations in order to avoid complaints. I pushed for the RCVS to take action against unqualified individuals undertaking acts of veterinary surgery, such as those at some canine fertility clinics, and secured a commitment in the strategic plan.

Candidate statement 

Why do you want to stand to be a member of RCVS Council?

The vast majority of complaints made against vets will never merit a disciplinary hearing but any complaint to the Regulator has a massive impact on the individuals concerned and on their mental health. I previously stood for election because of the excessive delays and resultant adverse impacts on members facing complaints for months or years only for them to be found to be without merit. As a council member I asked for key performance indicators (KPIs) for complaint handling at each Council meeting until they became a standing item on the Council’s agendas. I promoted policies to improve complaint handling to decrease excessive delays and the resultant stress. KPIs have again become unacceptably long and this is a large part of my motivation for standing for election again. I believe it is important to have currently practicing vets on RCVS Council in order that the realities of practice are reflected in Council's deliberations and decisions. Elected members on Council help maintain a healthy profession able to continue to improve the care of animals committed to our care and the services we offer to our clients and I would work to work to continue elections to RCVS Council.

What do you think you can bring to RCVS Council?

I would bring the perspective of a practicing veterinary surgeon with an understanding of clinical work and the vet client relationship. As a clinical director I understand the realities of practice life and of veterinary businesses and of the importance of maintaining clinical freedom of vets. As a working vet I am sympathetic to the registered member and believe regulation should be compassionate and reasonable. I believe this is the best way to achieve effective regulation in order to maintain the standards our clients and their animals deserve. I understand the work of a regulator having previously served on RCVS Council and on the Farriers Registration Council. I have worked on Codes of Professional conduct and helped to produce relevant guidance at both regulators. I have served on Audit and Risk and Finance Committees and am used to working on budgets and managing risk. I have experience of project managing two major planning applications and developments at our practice and of a small holiday let business diversification at home where my wife and I run a small farming enterprise.

What relevant experience do you have?

Working in mainly first opinion practice and being on the out of hours rota gives me a current understanding of the challenges faced by veterinary surgeons. I have a small farm enterprise and work as racecourse veterinary surgeon and have a good understanding of the social license requirements for livestock production and the use of animals in sport. I have experience working in the regulatory sphere and would be able to “hit the ground running” if elected. I worked on the RCVS Standards Committee helping with drafts of the supporting guidance to the Code of Professional Conduct. I have chaired the RCVS Statutory Membership Examination Board, acted as lead equine examiner and worked on its written papers on the Code of Professional Conduct. I served on the RCVS Primary Qualifications Subcommittee of the Education which scrutinizes UK, European and American vet school reports and advises on whether they continue to meet RCVS standards. I am a member of the RCVS Riding Establishment Inspectorate. I have worked on the Farriers Registration Council and sat on their registration, finance and preliminary investigation committees and chaired their Approvals Committee which makes recommends to FRC Council on college, courses and qualifications.

Is there anything else you would like to add in support of your candidacy?

I really enjoy my life and work as a vet and it concerns me that increasingly there is significant dissatisfaction amongst colleagues. I would like to help create a profession in which more of our members feel as I do. An elected RCVS Council will help promote this and I would campaign to maintain elections and a Council with a majority of veterinary surgeons. I have the privilege of working with clients the majority of whom are only motivated by a concern for their animals but have also had has to defend the practice and individual vets against unfounded or malicious complaints often made in an attempt to avoid payment. The RCVS complaints process needs to recognise these complaints. I have mentored new graduates through the early years and understand the highs and lows of joining the profession. I have worked with final year students on intramural rotations at our practice, which is a partner practice in Surrey Vet School’s distributed education model, and also with EMS students. The younger members of the practice are the future of our profession and I believe in paying back and safeguarding the future.