Hayley Walters receives the VN Golden Jubilee Award from VN Council chair Kathy Kissick.

Eventful day sees new council member welcomed and new charter approved

During a busy RCVS Day in London last week, members of the college voted unanimously to approve a draft Royal Charter that recognises the college as a regulator of veterinary nurses.

Commenting on the effect this will have on the profession, incoming RCVS president Professor Stuart Reid said: “Words like 'historic' should be used only sparingly, but on this occasion it is justified.

“We now have some 12,000 veterinary nurses on the books, nine-tenths of them being registered veterinary nurses. Yet the present charter does not so much as mention their existence.

“The new charter gives the RCVS a formal duty to keep the register of veterinary nurses and makes the Veterinary Nurses Council responsible for setting standards for their training, education and conduct.”

The move will effectively combine the list and register of veterinary nurses. Nurses who currently remain on the list will join those on the register, meaning they will be required to complete an average of 15 hours CPD each year, follow the code of professional conduct and will be subject to RCVS disciplinary procedures.

The proposed charter is expected to become effective from March 2015.

Amber Richards will be a new face on the VN Council after she officially took up her seat at the event in London on July 11.

Kathy Kissick was confirmed as the council's chair for a further year, joined by Liz Cox and Niall Connell as vice-chairs. It was confirmed that outgoing RCVS president Neil Smith will also be joining the VN Council.

During an awards ceremony on the same day, Hayley Walters was officially presented with the VN Golden Jubilee Award, which celebrates her exceptional contribution to her profession.

Hayley is an anaesthesia and welfare veterinary nurse at the University of Edinburgh Hospital for Small Animals and the Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education.

Col. Smith commented: “Hayley is a veterinary nurse who is dedicated to improving animal welfare and veterinary care both in the UK and abroad, and has demonstrated exceptional contributions to the profession.”

Some 16 veterinary nurses were also presented with Diplomas in Advanced Veterinary Nursing (DipAVN).

Image courtesy of RCVS