New course discusses the ‘appointed senior veterinary surgeon’
Team members could support users to undertake the responsibilities themselves.
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) has launched a new course to explore the role of the ‘appointed senior veterinary surgeon’.
Located on RCVS Academy, the College’s free online learning platform, the course will guide practices to implement the role efficiently.
RCVS’ Code of Professional Conduct states that all clinical practices should have an appointed senior veterinary surgeon.
The person in this role is responsible for checking that practice standards, policies and procedures are compliant with the Code. They must also ensure that legislation and guidance is met, especially in areas such as veterinary medicine, consumer choice and professional autonomy.
Through the free course, members of the practice team will be able to identify who the appointed senior veterinary surgeon is within their organisation. They will also develop an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the appointed senior veterinary surgeon.
If needed, the course could support users in implementing the responsibilities of the role themselves.
The thirty-minute course offers a range of interactive features, designed to detail examples and scenarios drawn from the Code of Professional Conduct. The features are expected to make the guidance easier to understand and applicable to day-to-day practice.
Claire Paget, RCVS registrar and director of legal services, said: “The role of appointed senior veterinary surgeon is an absolutely crucial one in the veterinary clinical practice setting.
‘Having an appointed senior veterinary surgeon ensures that veterinary teams are working under the guidance and direction of a senior clinical figure and that there is someone who has overall accountability for standards at a practice. The appointed senior veterinary surgeon also has the important role of ensuring that the clinical judgement of the veterinary team is paramount over, for example, any commercial pressures.”
The course is free to access through the RCVS Academy and counts towards annual continuing professional data (CPD) requirements. Both veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses should log-in to their account to access the course.
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Companies marketing medicines for small pets exempt from authorisation must submit their annual return to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) by 30 November 2026.
