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RCVS Knowledge QI Champions announced
The awards recognise teams that have successfully implemented QI techniques.

The RCVS Knowledge Awards celebrate teams using quality improvement techniques.

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) has revealed the veterinary teams which have won RCVS Knowledge awards for quality improvement in their practice.

The awards recognise professionals or practice teams which have implemented quality improvement (QI) techniques to improve the quality of their veterinary care, or promote antimicrobial stewardship.

Among this year’s Quality Improvement Champions is White Lodge Veterinary Surgery, in Devon. The surgery has been conducting pain management audits for patients undergoing bitch spays

This has enabled the surgery to improve these scores, and reduce how many dogs require analgesia.

Yorkshire Vets was also awarded the title, for work to reduce its carbon footprint. The project, led by the practice’s nurses, resulted in a reduction in both oxygen usage and volatile anaesthetic.

RCVS Knowledge named CVS Group’s South 4 Region team as its 2024 Antimicrobial Stewardship Champion.

The team has worked towards a 70 per cent reduction in its usage of long-acting antibiotics used for treating bite wounds and skin infections in cats. This supported them in using Highest Priority, Critically Important Antibiotics (HPCIAs) more responsibly.

RCVS Knowledge also recognised 21 applicants as ‘Highly Commended’, and five applicants as ‘Ones to watch’.

One applicant which RCVS Knowledge celebrated as 'Highly Commended' is Lauren Green, a student veterinary nurse at independent practice and FIVP member Warren House Veterinary Centre.

The student nurse engaged with the whole team to audit antibiotic usage in surgery, including creating new guidelines for peri-operative antibiotic selection. The practice has been able to reduce antibiotic use in routine surgery from 25 per cent to just six per cent.

Across both categories, the charity said that all the successful applicants had made use of its free resources to support their applications.

Ashley Doorly, head of quality improvement at RCVS Knowledge, said: "A massive congratulations to all of this year’s winners.

“The calibre of entries was extremely impressive, and it was fantastic to hear from so many veterinary professionals from across the country who’ve made quality improvement and antimicrobial stewardship a cornerstone of their work.”

Entries will open this summer for the 2025 awards. Applications go through a double-blinded peer review, and are scored based on their use of quality improvement techniques and their antimicrobial stewardship work.

More details about past winners and highly commended runners up are available here.

Image © Shutterstock

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Birmingham Dogs Home makes urgent appeal

News Story 1
 Birmingham Dogs Home has issued an urgent winter appeal as it faces more challenges over the Christmas period.

The rescue centre has seen a dramatic increase in dogs coming into its care, and is currently caring for over 200 dogs. With rising costs and dropping temperatures, the charity is calling for urgent support.

It costs the charity £6,000 per day to continue its work.

Fi Harrison, head of fundraising and communications, said: "It's heart-breaking for our team to see the conditions some dogs arrive in. We really are their last chance and hope of survival."

More information about the appeal can be found here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Avian flu confirmed at premises in Cornwall

A case of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 has been detected in commercial poultry at a premises near Rosudgeon, Cornwall.

All poultry on the infected site will be humanely culled, and a 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone have been put in place. Poultry and other captive birds in the 3km protection zone must be housed.

The case is the second avian flu case confirmed in commercial poultry this month. The H5N5 strain was detected in a premises near Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, in early November. Before then, the disease had not been confirmed in captive birds in England since February.

The UK chief veterinary officer has urged bird keepers to remain alert and practise robust biosecurity.

A map of the disease control zones can be found here.