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RCVS and VN Council election results announced
Dr Zara Kennedy has been elected to the RCVS Council.
Three vets and two vet nurses were elected to the councils.

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) has named the newly elected members to both RCVS Council and the RCVS Veterinary Nurses (VN) Council.

The election saw 15 veterinary surgeon candidates stand for three positions on the RCVS Council, and three veterinary nurses standing for two positions on the VN Council.

Dr Zara Kennedy MRCVS (2,264 votes), Dr Sinead Bennett MRCVS (1,796)  and Professor David Barrett FRCVS (1,747) have been elected to the RCVS Council, where they will sit for a four-year term. Their terms will start officially at the RCVS Annual General Meeting on Friday, 5 July 2024.

The Annual General Meeting will also see Professor Christopher Loughrey FRCVS replace Professor James Wood FRCVS as a Veterinary Schools Council appointee. Prof Loughrey is a professor of experimental cardiology at the University of Glasgow.

The RCVS council election received a turnout of 19.7 per cent (7,383 veterinary surgeons), an increase on the 16.7 per cent turnout in 2023.

This year’s VN election was for two council members to sit three-year terms. Registered veterinary nurses Kirsty Young (995 votes) and Susan Howarth (923) will also begin their terms in council at RCVS Annual General Meeting.

There was a decline in turnout for the VN council election this year, with just 7.4 per cent (1,710) of those eligible casting their votes compared to 8.8 per cent last year.

RCVS and VN Council elections are conducted online each year, with secure links and reminders sent to eligible voters throughout the voting period.

The RCVS Council is made up of 24 members, with 13 of these members appointed through a direct election. RCVS Council members can serve three consecutive four-year terms, before they must take a two-year break.

The VN Council consists of 14 members, of which six are elected. VN Council members also have a three-term limit.

Image © RCVS

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Applications open for MMI research grants

News Story 1
 RCVS' Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) has launched round two of its veterinary mental health research grants.

Researchers have until 11.59pm on Wednesday, 28 May 2025 to apply for a grant for research which reflects MMI's 2025 focus areas.

Only one Impact Grant was awarded last year, and so this year there are two Discovery Grants and one Impact Grants available. Each Discovery Grant is worth £5,000 and the Impact Grant is worth £15,000.

For more information or to apply, email researchgrants@rcvs.org.uk to contact the MMI team.

 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Germany livestock import ban lifted

The UK government has amended its ban on the import of livestock, meat and dairy products from Germany.

Defra said the decision follows 'rigorous technical assessment' of the measures applied and the current situation. "If the situation changes, we will not hesitate to take necessary action in response to the FMD outbreaks in the European Union to protect our domestic biosecurity," it said.

The ban was implemented in January following an outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) near Berlin. Personal imports of meat, milk and dairy products will remain in place at a country level.