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BVA welcomes OV training and revalidation reforms
A separate farm animal course will be introduced for vets who do not cover equine practice.
APHA agrees to introduce more flexible requirements

Plans announced by the APHA to reform the training and revalidation system for Official Veterinarians (OVs) have been welcomed by the BVA.

Under the plans, OVs undertaking critical animal health and welfare and public health work in areas such as TB testing, surveillance and exports will be asked to revalidate their qualifications every four years and will be offered a six-month window to complete this process.

OVs holding different qualifications under the current system are required to renew these between two and five-year intervals. It also only allows a short time for revalidation to be completed which, the BVA claims, has led to many vets walking away from the work.

The reform follows a campaign led by the BVA to make the process more user-friendly and relevant for the UK veterinary profession. A survey sent to BVA members in July 2018 revealed that time and cost of renewing each module were among the factors why OVs chose not to revalidate.

A lack of relevance and duplication of learning across different modules were also cited as reasons for OVs dropping or nor renewing modules.

Acting on this feedback, the APHA has agreed to introduce more flexible requirements around invigilation, to reduce the burden or time and costs for OVs sitting exams. It has also agreed to facilitate the process for those who work alone or in remote areas.

Furthermore, the APHA has made a commitment to work with BVA and species divisions to explore ways of providing courses specific to species, such as zoo and laboratory animals. A separate farm animal course will be introduced for vets who do not cover equine practice.

“We’re delighted that APHA has taken on board our members’ concerns with the current system and proposed improvements that should make the process much more fair and consistent while continuing to maintain high standards,” said BVA president Simon Doherty.

“This is a really crucial time for ensuring that the workforce retains skilled professionals and is at full strength to keep animal welfare standards high, protect public health and meet demand for export certification after Brexit."
 
He continued: “This piece of work is a shining example of what can be achieved when vets pull together to air concerns and make the case for change. We will continue to work closely with APHA to explore and put in place ways of making the revalidation process as fit for purpose as possible for this critical section of the workforce.”

 

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.