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Winners of the 2018 Petplan awards announced
Sandhole Veterinary Centre in Snodland, Kent (pictured) won the Veterinary Practice of the Year Award.

Awards honour nurses, practices, practice managers and support staff

The winners of the 2018 Petplan veterinary awards, which celebrate the nation’s most outstanding vets, have been announced.

Now in their 19th year, the awards also honour the nurses, practices, practice managers and support staff who go the extra mile to keep pets healthy and give owners peace of mind.

Head of partnerships James Barnes from Petplan said: “This year we received an outstanding number of nominations, seeing over 22,000 entries from pet owners and the veterinary community. The quality of entries was exceptionally high and our judges had a very tough decision choosing the winners in each category.”

He added: “We had a brilliant evening celebrating the outstanding talent of our deserving winners and would like to congratulate them on such a fantastic achievement!”

Veterinary Practice Manager of the Year

Helen McHugh of Holmefield Veterinary Clinic in Selby, North Yorkshire, scooped the Veterinary Practice Manager of the Year Award.  Judges praised for Helen for her strong commitment to her patients and customers, whilst always maintaining a lead-by-example approach to motivate the team.

Vet Nurse of the Year

Anna Ashworth of Dalehead Veterinary Group in Settle, North Yorkshire took home the Vet Nurse of the Year Award for her proactivity towards her own personal development. Judges said that Anna stood out due to her education in large animal welfare and that she was a great example of how an RVN can make an impact both in practice and in the rural community.

Veterinary Practice of the Year

Sandhole Veterinary Centre in Snodland, Kent, won the Veterinary Practice of the Year Award. The practice was praised for its outstanding care for both animals and staff, demonstrating a great level of community engagement. Judges also praised the team for spending a weekend delivering free care at an animal rescue centre.

Vet of the Year

Martin Brice of Emerson’s Green Vet Surgery in Bristol, Avon, was crowned Vet of the Year for his leadership style, compassion to clients and the community.  Judges said that Martin continually motivates staff members to improve and progress their career.

Image (C) Petplan

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Annual submission deadline small pet animal exemptions

News Story 1
 Companies marketing medicines for small pets exempt from authorisation must submit their annual return to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) by 30 November 2026.

Submitting this annual return ensures continued compliance with regulatory requirements for products marketed without a full Marketing Authorisation. The exemption specifically applies to products intended for animals, cage birds, terrarium animals, small rodents, ferrets and rabbits.

For further details and submission guidelines, visit the gov.uk website.  

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Bluetongue RZ extended across Scotland

The Scottish Government has announced an extension to a Bluetongue Restricted Zone that is in place in south-west Scotland.

From 3 October, the Restricted Zone will be extended to cover the whole of Scotland. The Animal, Plant and Health Agency (APHA) says this is in response to further disease spread, as well as simplify trading conditions ahead of the autumn.

Since the whole country will share a disease status, it will no longer be necessary to have a movement license to move susceptible livestock around the country. Restrictions on germinal products remain.

As of 1 October 2026, there were 1,979 cases of BTV-3 in England, 389 cases in Wales and 40 cases in Scotland.