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2021 RCVS Knowledge Awards winners announced
Dr Jessica Pennock (left) from CVS South Hub and Samantha Fontaine (right) both received RCVS Knowledge Champion Award.

Educators and practice teams recognised for dedication to improving quality of care.

RCVS Knowledge has published a list of the winners of this year's RCVS Knowledge Awards. All of the winners were praised by the charity for championing the use of quality improvement (QI) methodology in their areas of work.

Dr Jessica Pennock from CVS South Hub received an RCVS Knowledge Champion Award for her outcome audit which assessed the effectiveness of a warm air circulating blanket that the practice had recently purchased for anaesthetic procedures. According to RCVS Knowledge, the results demonstrate what can be achieved with an accessible audit that will have a positive impact on patient welfare.

Samantha Fontaine from the University of Glasgow was also awarded as a Knowledge Champion for implementation of a new course that teaches QI to veterinary nurses. RCVS Knowledge praised this new curriculum for providing national and international students with the confidence and skill to apply QI initiatives to their work.

Plymouth Veterinary Group (IVC Evidensia) and CVS Small Animal Team were jointly awarded Practice Champions for their separate ear cytology audits.

Plymouth Veterinary Group developed guidelines for performing cytology on patients presenting with ear pathology, while CVS Small Animal Team carried out a long-term audit on small animal ear cytology on a national scale.

The School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Nottingham was also named a Champion Team for integrating QI and evidence-based veterinary medicine within its undergraduate and postgraduate curriculums.

RCVS Knowledge named nine applications as Highly Commended runners up. These are:

  • Arbury Road Vets
  • Charlotte Thomas
  • Chester Gates Veterinary Specialists
  • Equicall
  • Hannah Almond
  • Kathryn Wale
  • Regan Vet Group
  • Roundhouse Referrals
  • Samantha Morgan-Hourd.

In addition, Linnaeus post-registration education team, VetPartners Ltd and Kathrine Blackie from Linnaeus were also named as ‘Highly Commended – One to Watch.'

Executive director of RCVS Knowledge Chris Gush said: “We were very impressed with the number of high-quality applications received for the 2021 Knowledge Awards.”

“Every award winner demonstrated a dedication to advancing the quality of veterinary care and we look forward to watching them continue to develop quality improvement initiatives in practice. Congratulations to all of the winners.”

Case examples of all this year’s winning projects will be published on the RCVS Knowledge website in early May and the awards will be officially presented at RCVS Day later in the year.

Image (c) RCVS.

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Strangles survey seeks views of horse owners

News Story 1
 With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.

The survey, which has been designed by Dechra, aims to raise awareness of Strangles and promote best practices to prevent its transmission. It includes questions about horse owners' experiences of strangles, together with preventative measures and vaccination.

Respondents to the survey will be entered into a prize draw to win two VIP tickets to Your Horse Live 2025. To access the survey, click here 

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Vivienne Mackinnon elected BVA Scottish Branch President

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has elected Vivienne Mackinnon as its new BVA Scottish Branch president.

Dr Mackinnon has over 30 years of experience in veterinary care, encompassing both small animal and mixed practice. She has worked in practices in Scotland, England, New Zealand and Australia, before joining APHA to work in frontline disease control.

In her speech, Dr Mackinnon reflected on the changes in Scotland's veterinary industry and highlighted her commitment to veterinary education.

Dr Mackinnon said: "I look forward to working with colleagues across the veterinary professions to improve animal health and welfare in the country and support veterinary workplaces."