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.
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

Chief Army nursing officer to deliver keynote speech
Colonel McCourt was awarded an OBE in the 2015 Operational Honours and Awards List.

Alison McCourt OBE will share her experiences of leadership in challenging situations

Chief Army nursing officer Colonel Alison McCourt OBE has been announced as a keynote speaker for the BSAVA Summit (16-17 December 2019).

Colonel McCourt was awarded an OBE in the 2015 Operational Honours and Awards List for her contribution to the fight against Ebola in Sierra Leone. Kickstarting day two of the event, McCourt will be one of several high-profile speakers aiming to tackle some of the contentious and non-clinical issues facing the veterinary profession today, including workforce issues, telemedicine and over-diagnosis.

‘’BSAVA Summit has been designed to challenge mindsets and stimulate discussion on the profession’s achievements,” said BSAVA president, Sue Paterson.

“To commence discussions on day two, ‘The Profession Tomorrow’, we are excited that Alison will be sharing her experiences of leadership in very challenging situations where medical and humanitarian care were thrown into a political and media spotlight. The care delivered in the treatment centre she led, changed global protocols and improved care in Africa and Alison and her team pushed the boundaries to deliver it.’’

Other industry speakers who will be taking part in the event include GP and medical journalist Graham Easton, RCVS CEO Lizzie Lockett and Veterinary Defence Society risk manager Catherine Oxtoby. All sessions will be held in a workshop format to enable delegates to collectively lead and shape the discussions.

For more information about the event visit www.bsavasummit.com 

Image (C) BSAVA.

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

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.