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PDSA receives prestigious RCVS Knowledge award
The PDSA received the award for the introduction of a national pain relief protocol.
Quality Improvement award honours the introduction of a national pain relief protocol.

The RCVS has presented the PDSA with a prestigious award recognising the charity's work to improve the provision of pain management.

The 2020 RCVS Knowledge Award for Quality Improvement as a Champion Practice was presented on Thursday (10 September) at the College's inaugural virtual awards evening.

PDSA received the award for the introduction of a national pain relief protocol, auditing of cruciate surgery outcomes and development of clinical incident reporting. Upon receiving the award, Steve Howard, PDSA’s head of clinical services, said:

“We’re delighted to receive this award and to celebrate the work of our veterinary teams who continually work so hard to achieve excellence. These have been challenging times but our dedicated Pet Hospital teams have been working tirelessly to treat sick and injured pets in need across the UK throughout the pandemic; delivering the best quality care they can in very difficult circumstances.”

He added: “I am immensely proud of them all and pleased to be able to share the uplifting news that PDSA has received this award as a result of their hard work and dedication to delivering a quality service in the past – which they are still doing to this day.”

The PDSA's work showcased improvements in pain relief provision following the introduction of protocols, advancements in case selection and management of post-cruciate surgery patients. It also highlighted the role of auditing clinical incident reports to allow interventions to be targeted where they will be most beneficial.

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
New guidance for antibiotic use in rabbits

New best practice guidance on the responsible use of antibiotics in rabbits has been published by the BSAVA in collaboration with the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund (RWA&F).

The guidance is free and has been produced to help veterinary practitioners select the most appropriate antibiotic for rabbits. It covers active substance, dose and route of administration all of which are crucial factors when treating rabbits owing to the risk of enterotoxaemia.

For more information and to access the guide, visit the BSAVALibrary.