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.
EmailIphone Application    Posted: 18th August 2015
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

E-petition launches to protect VN title
vet nurse
Currently, anyone can use the title 'veterinary nurse', even if they have no qualifications or experience.

Veterinary groups urge members to sign

An official e-petition has launched calling for the title 'veterinary nurse' to be legally protected.

Created by the RCVS, the petition asks for a change in the law, ensuring that only qualified individuals who are on the RCVS register of veterinary nurses, may call themselves a veterinary nurse.

As the law stands now, anyone may use the title, even if they have no qualifications or experience and are not registered with the Royal College.

VN Council chair Liz Cox said she believes this is "unacceptable" and could result in members of the public being misled and animal health and welfare being compromised.

If the petition receives 10,000 signatures, the government will be obliged to respond. If it reaches 100,000, the issue will be considered for parliamentary debate.

Liz Cox added: "If we are successful with this campaign, the public will be assured that they are receiving the highest standard of nursing care for their animals from a genuine professional and by protecting the title we can remove any doubt about who is a veterinary nurse."

Alongside the petition, the college has put together a template letter which members of the profession and the general public can use to write to their local MP, asking them to support the campaign and adopt the Veterinary Nurse (Protection of Title) Bill, introducing it as a 10-minute rule bill or entering it into a private members' bill ballot.

Fiona Andrew, president of the BVNA, urged all members to sign the petition and write to their MP. "We believe this is an important step towards giving clarity and reassurance to the public, strengthening the profession and raising awareness of what veterinary nurses can do and enhancing animal welfare."

BVA is also supporting the campaign; president John Blackwell said protecting the title "not only recognises the skills of qualified veterinary nurses, but also gives clients confidence that their animals are receiving the highest standard of care possible."

To sign the petition, visit the government petition website: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/106153

You can download a template letter for your local MP here: http://www.rcvs.org.uk/registration/about-the-vn-register/protect-the-title-veterinary-nurse/

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

Cold-water dip to raise funds for Vetlife

News Story 1
 The veterinary mental health charity Vetlife is inviting the veterinary community to join it for a sponsored cold-water dip.

The event will take place at Walpole Bay, Margate, on 17 May during Mental Health Awareness Week. Participants of all abilities can join in the challenge and are advised to bring a towel, a hot drink, a snack, and warm clothes to get changed into afterwards.

Those taking part are being asked to try to raise £100 each to support the work of the charity.

Details about how to take part can be found here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Bluetongue low vector period ends

In an update to its bluetongue guidance, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that the seasonal low vector period for the disease has ended.

With winter over, Defra is planning for a possible increase in cases as midges become more active. It has warned that farms along the east coast of England from Norfolk to Kent, and along the south coast from Kent to Devon, are at highest risk from infected midges blown over from northern Europe.

Since the virus was detected in England in November 2023, there have been 126 confirmed cases. The most recent case to be confirmed was on 1 March 2024.

Farmers are asked to continue to frequently monitor their livestock and ensure their animals and land are registered with the Animal and Plant Health Agency.