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EmailIphone Application    Posted: 2018-05-04
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VDS launches new initiatives for the profession
"These important initiatives will enable the VDS to use our unique knowledge and experience to support and empower veterinary professionals..."

Vetsafe and VDS Training aim to enhance veterinary care 

The Veterinary Defence Society (VDS) has announced the launch of new initiatives to help understand why mistakes happen and provide solutions to improve veterinary care.

Vetsafe is a confidential service for significant event reporting and risk management.

A website and accompanying app capture information about incidents in practice that result in patient harm or other losses. Data gathered will help the VDS and its members to understand these mistakes, provide feedback and develop solutions.

The society also launched VDS Training, which will use data gathered from Vetsafe to create and deliver multi-model training, tools and strategies to improve care, reduce risk and develop individuals, teams and businesses.

VDS chief executive Norman Macfarlane, said: “I am very pleased to announce the launch of Vetsafe and extension of the Society’s training provision through VDS Training.

"These important initiatives will enable the VDS to use our unique knowledge and experience to support and empower veterinary professionals, teams and businesses to achieve their personal and collective aspirations.

“They also go straight to the heart of our mutuality by helping to reduce veterinary risk and, in turn, we anticipate lower the frequency of claims or the severity of claims when they do happen. This benefits the members of the Society and helps the VDS to continue its support of the profession.”

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Public urged to provide homes for swifts

News Story 1
 The RSPB is calling on the public to help provide new homes for swifts, as figures show the birds' numbers have fallen to less than half what they were 20 years ago.

Swifts arrive in the UK late April-May and can spend up to three months in the country. The RSPB attributes the birds’ decline to modern buildings, which lack the nooks and crannies they need to build nests.

While some house builders have agreed to integrate swift homes into new buildings, the RSPB believes more can be done to help this incredible bird. 'Just, 1,000 additional new nest boxes could make a difference’, the charity said.  

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News Shorts
Detection time for omeprazole reduced to 48 hours in racehorses

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has announced that the detection time for omeprazole has been reduced from 72 hours to 48 hours. This is effective from 1 February 2019.

Omeprazole can be prescribed for the management of gastric ulcers in racehorses; however, studies have recently become available that show no direct effect of omeprazole on performance.

Tim Morris, the Authority’s Director of Equine Science and Welfare, commented: “Medication control in horse racing is essential to allow treatment for good welfare but also to ensure fair racing by medication withdrawal before racing. Trainers have asked for more information, especially on anti-ulcer medications, and we have used existing information to make a harmonised detection time for omeprazole available as soon as we could.”