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BVNA launches Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month 2025
BVNA president Lyndsay Hughes has launched VNAM 2025.

The organisation is celebrating its diamond anniversary.
 
Ahead of Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month (VNAM) in May, organisers BVNA are calling on the profession to champion veterinary nurses and raise public awareness of their important role.

As BVNA marks its 60th anniversary year, the theme of this year’s campaign will be ‘progression’, with a focus on how the veterinary nursing profession has developed and its ambitions for future growth.

During the celebrations, BVNA’s popular VNAM competition will return with a special theme to mark the organisation’s diamond anniversary. Veterinary nursing teams, individual RVNs or whole practice teams are invited to share why they are considered “the diamond in your practice”.

The competition is also open to nominations from from friends, family, pet owners and caregivers, with two winner and two runner-up prizes of either a £100 or £50 Love2Shop voucher up for grabs.

BVNA president, Lyndsay Hughes said: ‘“I am delighted to launch VNAM for another year, and even more so as we mark BVNA’s diamond 60th anniversary since the association was founded. The progression of veterinary nursing as a profession has very much been shaped by trailblazers in BVNA’s history; those who have not been afraid to stand up for fellow veterinary nurses in order to influence positive change.

“Whilst VNAM recognises and celebrates the veterinary nursing profession of today, we’re also celebrating and thanking those individuals who worked tirelessly to get us here. BVNA fundamentally believes that, as a skilled, professional and caring workforce, veterinary nurses fully deserve to be championed and for their role to be better understood by the public. 

“This is especially important as BVNA is continuing to push towards much needed legislative change; for protection of our title, proper utilisation of our training and skillsets, and an even greater contribution to animal welfare. 

She continued: “We’re urging everyone across the veterinary profession, in clinical or non-clinical settings, to support the campaign and highlight just how important veterinary nurses are – to animal welfare, to your team, and to your business.”

“VNAM provides us all with the opportunity to stand up and be proud of our profession – and for veterinary colleagues working alongside SVNs and RVNs to recognise our contributions too. We look forward to celebrating VNAM once again this year and seeing all the creative ways that veterinary teams are educating the public about our incredible profession. 

“I hope this year’s VNAM gives veterinary nurses everywhere the same boost of energy and inspiration that it always does for me.”

More information about VNAM 2025 and details of this year's competition can be found at bvna.org.uk

Image (C) BVNA.

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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.  

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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.