Your data on MRCVSonline
The nature of the services provided by Vision Media means that we might obtain certain information about you.
Please read our Data Protection and Privacy Policy for details.

In addition, (with your consent) some parts of our website may store a 'cookie' in your browser for the purposes of
functionality or performance monitoring.
Click here to manage your settings.
If you would like to forward this story on to a friend, simply fill in the form below and click send.

Your friend's email:
Your email:
Your name:
 
 
Send Cancel

Voting now open for RCVS and VN Council elections
Successful candidates will commence their term at the RCVS AGM in July.

Vets and vet nurses have until Friday 21 April to cast their votes.

The RCVS Council and VN Council elections are now open. Veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses have until 5pm on Friday 21 April to cast their votes in their respective elections. Voting is entirely online, and instruction emails were sent on Friday 17 March.

For veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses that have not registered a unique email address with RCVS, an instruction letter will be sent in the post.

There are 10 candidates in the RCVS Council election. They are:

  • Professor David Barrett FRCVS
  • Linda Belton MRCVS
  • Dr Martin Chamberlain MRCVS
  • Daniel Doherty MRCVS
  • James Gartside MRCVS
  • Steven Howard MRCVS
  • Tim Hutchinson MRCVS
  • Dr Alice McLeish MRCVS
  • Professor Chris Proudman FRCVS
  • Dr Peter Robinson MRCVS

Candidates’ full biographies and and statements are available to read on the RCVS website. Each candidate has also answered two questions of their choice from those that were submitted by members of the profession.

The three candidates who receive the most votes will commence their four-year term at the RCVS Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Friday 7 July.

There are five candidates in the VN Council election. They are:

  • Sarah Jane Batt-Williams RVN
  • Heather Jane Mathieson Kirkness RVN
  • Katherine Ann Mortimer RVN
  • Matthew Edwin Rendle RVN
  • Simon Peter Williams RVN

The two candidates with the most votes will also commence their three-year term at the RCVS AGM.

Candidates’ profiles are available to read on the RCVS website, as well as the answers to their chosen two questions, from those that were submitted by the profession.

Become a member or log in to add this story to your CPD history

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 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
DAERA to reduce BVD 'grace period'

DAERA has reminded herd keepers of an upcoming reduction to the 'grace period' to avoid BVD herd restrictions.

From 1 May 2025, herd keepers will have seven days to cull any BVD positive or inconclusive animals to avoid restrictions being applied to their herd.

It follows legislation introduced on 1 February, as DAERA introduces herd movement restrictions through a phased approach. Herd keepers originally had 28 days to cull BVD positive or inconclusive animals.

DAERA says that, providing herd keepers use the seven-day grace period, no herds should be restricted within the first year of these measures.

Additional measures, which will target herds with animals over 30 days old that haven't been tested for BVD, will be introduced from 1 June 2025.

More information is available on the DAERA website.