‘We recognise that some members of the profession will have personal situations where they are unable to meet their CPD requirement in a given year.'

Statement follows disquiet among the profession

The RCVS has issued a statement on recently announced plans to change its CPD policy, following concerns from the veterinary profession.

Last week the college announced six key changes to tackle non-compliance with CPD requirements. As of 2020, vets and nurses will be required to complete 35 hours and 15 hours of CPD each year respectively, rather than completing CPD over a three-year rolling period.

From 2022, it will also be compulsory to use a new CPD platform for recording learning development and the college will introduce an administration fee for those who continually fail to confirm their compliance.

Many in the profession voiced concerns about the changes on social media and other platforms, prompting the RCVS to issue a statement to clarify.

The college stressed that the number of CPD hours required overall has not increased, but the new policy requires vets and nurses to complete a specific number of hours per year, rather than an average over a rolling three-year period.

According to the college, its education department received feedback from members that the ‘rolling’ period was confusing and it was difficult to keep track of where they were in the timeframe.

However, the change has prompted concerns about flexibility among some in the profession.

The college said: ‘We recognise that some members of the profession will have personal situations where they are unable to meet their CPD requirement in a given year, whether that’s because of parental leave, other caring responsibilities, long-term sick leave, or other circumstances. With that in mind, we will be retaining flexibility within the system and will be considerate and compassionate when taking into account individual circumstances.’

In addition, the college stressed that the changes are not intended to be ‘punitive’ to those who positively engage with CPD, but are not able to fulfil the requirements in a give year for legitimate reasons. Rather, it said the change allows the college to follow up more clearly with those who consistently fail to meet the requirements.

‘Undertaking CPD is crucial for maintaining the public’s trust in the profession and ensuring that animal health and welfare is safeguarded,’ it added. ‘As the regulatory body, we have a duty to make sure that members of the veterinary professions are fulfilling the requirements set out in the Codes of Professional Conduct, which is why both VN Council and our Education Committee recommended this policy change to RCVS Council.’

The college also stressed that CPD does not have to be expensive or carried out face-to-face, but can also involved options such as webinars, reflecting on development or reading relevant articles or clinical papers.

As the college’s new outcomes-based approach to CPD is rolled out, it will develop and share clear guidance. Further announcements are expected as the college fine-tunes the details of the new policies.

Image © RCVS