Nominations open for RCVS Council elections
Council members will now only be able to serve a total of three consecutive four-year terms.
Nominations for the 2019 RCVS Council and Veterinary Nurses (VN) Council elections are now open.
The elections will be the first to be affected by the recent changes to the College’s governance structure, which received ministerial approval in May. This means there will only be three seats available, instead of the previous six.
Council members will now only be able to serve a total of three consecutive four-year terms and, once these have ended, will need to wait at least two years before standing for Council again.
VN Council has also recently agreed changes to its governance and composition, reducing the number of elected members from eight to six. The term of office for VN Council members has been reduced from four to three years and the same three-term limit also applies.
The nomination period for both RCVS and VN Councils runs until 5pm on Thursday 31 January 2019. Candidates for either Council will need to complete a nomination form, submit a short biography and personal statement and supply a high resolution digital photo. Each candidate will also need to have two nominators.
”As always, we would encourage those who are interested in playing a part in some of the current debates around veterinary regulation – whether that’s in regards to telemedicine, the impact of Brexit, the future of veterinary education or professional standards – to consider putting themselves forward for their relevant Council,” said Eleanor Ferguson.
“There are many important issues coming up to be debated and decided upon and we appreciate knowledge, expertise, constructive criticism and insight from a broad range of people from all parts of the veterinary profession.
Guidance notes, frequently asked questions and nominations forms for prospective RCVS Council Candidates can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/rcvscouncil19 and www.rcvs.org.uk/vncouncil19.
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is inviting applications from veterinary students to attend a one-week extramural studies (EMS) placement in July 2026.
