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RCVS and VN Councils elections get underway
This year's RCVS and VN Council elections will be held online.
Eligible voters will receive email links to the secure election websites.

Voting is now underway for the 2021 RCVS Council and VN Council elections, the Royal College has announced, with all eligible voters receiving emails containing links to their unique voting websites.

This year 14 candidates are standing in the RCVS Council election, competing for the four available places. They include one current RCVS Council member eligible for re-election and 13 candidates not currently on council. They are:

Dr Louise Allum MRCVS 
Dr Danny Chambers MRCVS (incumbent)
John Davies MRCVS 
Dr Matshidiso (Tshidi) Gardiner MRCVS 
Dr Grant Hampson MRCVS 
Elizabeth Law-Bartle MRCVS 
Dr Philip Lhermette FRCVS 
Peter Robinson MRCVS 
Dr Ian Sayers MRCVS 
Dr Huw Stacey MRCVS 
Dr Kit Sturgess FRCVS 
Dr Samantha Webster MRCVS 
Dr Colin Whiting MRCVS 
Will Wilkinson MRCVS 
 
Fourteen candidates are standing for the RCVS VN Council election for the one elected place. None are currently members of the VN Council. They are: 

Samantha Jayne Anderson 
Kirsten Cavill 
Rebecca Jane Clark 
Sophie Louise Connolly 
Olivia Jade Dunlop 
Thomas Griffiths 
Daniel James Hogan 
Steven David Patrick Johnson 
Carly Kilby 
Donna Leigh Lewis 
Lee Thomas Vaughan 
Francesca Ware 
Diana Elizabeth Joyce Wilson 
Tania Yelland. 

The RCVS extended its nomination period for the VN Council election after receiving just one nomination from Susan Howorth RVN by the initial deadline. Ms Howorth has automatically been re-elected to VN Council for another three-year term.
 
Civica Election Services, which runs the election on behalf of the College, sent emails containing links to the secure election voting websites on 17 March. Eligible voters for whom the RCVS does not hold email addresses have been sent letters. 

Voting will remain open until 5 pm on Friday, 23 April 2021. More information about the election, including biographies and statements for each of the candidates, is available at rcvs.org.uk/vetvote21 and rcvs.org.uk/vnvote21 

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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.