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HRH the Princess Royal opens new Clinical Excellence Centre
HRH the Princess Royal emphasised the importance of lifelong learning to animal healthcare.
The facility is designed to enhance veterinary clinical skills.

Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal has officially opened a new state-of-the-art Clinical Excellence Centre in Swindon.

The facility, owned by Improve Veterinary Education, incorporates the equipment and resources to support veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses to develop their clinical skills.

As part of the visit, the Princess Royal toured the facility and met with delegates and faculty. There was also an opportunity to observe a live demonstration of an abdominal ultrasound.

The Princess Royal unveiled a commemorative plaque, before speaking to attendees about the importance of lifelong learning to animal healthcare.

The event was also attended by Kirsty Williams, RCVS education quality improvement manager, and other guests from the veterinary profession.

Improve Veterinary Education, which is part of the Improve International Group, says that the Clinical Excellence Centre represents a milestone in veterinary training. It says that it forms part of its commitment to provide high standards of animal care through advanced professional development.

The centre is designed to provide a dedicated space for veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses to collaborate for immersive, hands-on learning. It is the largest training centre in Europe for veterinary professionals, spanning 850m2.

The facility includes two surgical wet-lab training theatres, a fully-equipped dentistry lab suite and a custom orthopaedic radiography suite. It will host a range of postgraduate training programmes, including hands-on practical workshops and training sessions.

Improve Veterinary Education says that the site is built with sustainability in mind and is committed to environmental sustainability initiatives.

Heber Alves, CEO of Improve International, said: “We are deeply honoured to welcome HRH to officially open our Clinical Excellence Centre. This facility reflects our dedication to providing veterinary professionals with access to world-class education and resources, ensuring they can deliver the best possible care to their patients.

“Today marks a moment of pride and inspiration for the entire team.”

Image © Improve Veterinary Education

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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.

 

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News Shorts
Wales licenses Bluetongue vaccines for voluntary use

The Welsh government has approved three Bluetongue vaccines for emergency use in Wales.

From 1 March an online general licence will become available for the vaccines' use. They will then be obtainable on prescription and can be sold by veterinary practices.

After appropriate guidance, livestock keepers will be permitted to administer the vaccines themselves. The vaccines must be prescribed by a veterinary surgeon and detailed vaccination records must be kept for five years.

The decision comes as Bluetongue virus (BTV-3) continues to spread across England. The three vaccines are already licensed for use in England.

Richard Irvine, CVO for Wales, said: "This decision to licence these vaccines was informed by our recent risk assessment indicating that Wales is now at high risk of experiencing an incursion of Bluetongue this year.

"Our primary aim is to keep Bluetongue out of Wales through biosecurity, vigilance and safe sourcing of livestock."