Surprise as RCVS propose changes to VN Bye-laws
On the eve of BVNA Congress and with only one week until the VN Council meeting, it has come as a surprise for many veterinary professionals to learn that the RCVS plan to introduce significant changes, including VN Bye-laws, without any apparent formal consultation.
Veterinary nurse training has been at the forefront of many discussions and in a recent RCVS Institute for Employment Studies survey, VN training was found to be the highest cause for concern, second only to pay.
With this being such a contentious issue at present, it could be expected that any changes to VN Bye-laws would attract publicity and wider consultation. Instead it has almost appeared to have been privately submitted to VN Council.
The proposed changes include:
- Changes to VN Bye-laws
- The Criteria for approval of awarding institutions
- Adoption of Day One Skills list
- Adoption of NPL
- Enrolment Fee changes
The above proposals have been contained within a 93 page agenda for the members of the VN Council to review before their meeting next week and it is believed that the RCVS would like a decision by the end of the meeting. Giving members barely a week to digest such important matters before asking for a vote leads to concerns over due diligence and time restrictions.
Considering there has been little to no prior consultation period with the veterinary industry and the momentousness of the changes being proposed by the RCVS, many are questioning the motives behind it.
Unfortunately, actions like these carried out by the RCVS opens them to further scrutiny and allegations of a partisan attitude.
If you have any views on this, you can send them to editor@mrcvs.co.uk
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
