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RCVS and VN council election results announced
Three veterinary surgeons and two veterinary nurses have been elected to their respective councils.
Turnout for RCVS election fallen for third year.

The results have been announced for the 2023 RCVS and VN council elections which took place entirely online.

The three candidates elected for a four-year term on the RCVS council were Dr Alice McLeish MRCVS, Linda Belton MRCVS and Tim Hutchinson MRCVS.

The two candidates elected for a three-year term on the VN council were Matthew Rendle RVN and Simon Williams RVN.

The turnout for the RCVS council election has continued to decline, with a total of 6,087 veterinary surgeons casting their vote. This represents 16.7 per cent of those eligible to vote and compares to 18.6 per cent in 2022, 24.5 per cent in 2021 and 26.2 per cent in 2020.

The VN council election saw a slight increase in turnout with 1,927 veterinary nurses casting their vote. This represents 8.8 per cent of those eligible to vote and compares to 8.4 per cent in 2022, 12.4 per cent in 2021 and 17.1 per cent in 2020.

Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS registrar and returning officer for both elections said: “Congratulations to all our successful candidates in this year’s elections and thank you to all those who stood for election this year. We look forward to welcoming our successful candidates to their elected places at this year’s AGM.

“While the turnout for the VN council election improved slightly on last year, it was a shame to see the turnout for vets fall again. As part of our wider council culture project, we are looking at how to increase engagement with our election processes across the board, from candidate nominations, to how we present information about the candidates, to how we encourage greater election turnout. We will be consulting with the group set up to look specifically at this issue in due course to see how we can improve turnout going forward.”

All five elected candidates will commence their terms at the RCVS Annual General Meeting on Friday, 7 July 2023.

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Webinar to explore AMR in vet dentistry

News Story 1
 The WSAVA has invited veterinary professionals to a webinar on responsible antibiotic usage in dentistry.

On 19 November 2025, at 1am, Dr J Scott Weese and Dr Brooke Niemiec will share the latest advice for antimicrobial use. They will present research on oral bacterology, and explain how attendees can choose appropriate antibiotics.

The session will cover pre-, intra- and post-operative guidelines, with recommendations for various pathologies.

The webinar is designed to support veterinary professionals to make informed decisions and tackle antimicrobial resistance.

Attendees can register here

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Dechra launches checklist for veterinary sustainability

Global animal health specialist Dechra has announced the world's first Veterinary Green Theatre Checklist (VGTC) to help make surgery more sustainable.

Endorsed by leading veterinary organisations, including the BEVA, BVNA and RCVS Knowledge, the checklist is designed to reduce the environmental footprint of veterinary care, while supporting better animal health outcomes.

The checklist was launched at the World Congress of Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia in Paris and will be followed by an internal training and awareness campaign. For more information, visit dechra.com