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RCVS announce election results
Voting slip
Voter numbers rose slightly this year.
Highest turnout ever for both elections

Results of the 2015 RCVS Council and Veterinary Nurses (VN) Council elections have been announced by the RCVS.

The results see two existing members and four new members elected to RCVS Council, and one existing member and one new member elected to VN Council.

Niall Connell and Lynne Hill were re-elected to two of the six available seats on RCVS Council, with 2,575 votes and 1,889 votes respectively.

Peter Robinson (2,308 votes) has returned to his seat again, having previously served in 2013/14.  Joining the RCVS Council for the first time will be  Joanna Dyer (2,383 votes), Timothy Greet (2,550 votes), and Katherine Richards (1,905 votes).

The two available places on VN Council were taken by new member Lucy Bellwood (914 votes) and existing member and vice-chair, Elizabeth Cox  (630 votes).

There was an increase in turnouts for both elections this year, with 4,838 veterinary surgeons and 1,379 veterinary surgeons voting, which compares to to 4,137 and 1,157 in 2014.

The RCVS say that these figures represent the highest number of vets and vet nurses ever to vote in RCVS elections, although the number of vets and vet nurses on the Registers are increasing.  Average turnouts for the past ten years are 17.4 per cent vets and nine per cent vet nurses.

RCVS registrar Gordon Hockey, comments: “My sincere thanks to all those who stood for election this year and to all those who voted, and many congratulations to the successful candidates. Once again we have an excellent mix of people joining Council, who will be able to bring a diverse range of skills and experience to Council discussions and activities. I very much look forward to welcoming them to Council at our AGM in July.”

Kathy Kissick, chair of VN Council, adds: “It’s encouraging that voter numbers have risen slightly in this year’s election, especially in such an auspicious year where the introduction of the new Royal Charter for the RCVS means that we are now formally regulated by the College and recognised as true professionals in our own right. My congratulations to both Lucy and Liz on their success.”

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Reporting service for dead wild birds updated

News Story 1
 The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has updated its online reporting service for dead wild birds.

The new version allows those reporting a dead bird to drop a pin on a map when reporting the location. It also includes a wider range of wild bird species groups to select from when describing the bird.

The online service, which helps APHA to monitor the spread of diseases such as avian influenza, can be accessed here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NI chief vet urges bluetongue vigilance

Northern Ireland's chief veterinary officer (CVO) has urged farmers to be vigilant for signs of bluetongue, after the Animal and Plant Health Agency warned there was a very high probability of further cases in Great Britain.

There have been 126 confirmed cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 in England since November 2023, with no cases reported in Northern Ireland. The movement of live ruminants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is currently suspended.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the virus is most likely to enter Northern Ireland through infected animals or germplasm (semen or ova) being imported.

Brian Dooher, Northern Ireland's CVO, said: "Surveillance for this disease within Northern Ireland has been increased to assist with detection at the earliest opportunity which will facilitate more effective control measures."

Farmers should report any suspicions of the disease to their private veterinary practitioner, the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or their local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.