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Congratulations to the Petplan Award winners 
Following a nationwide search to find the UK’s top veterinary professionals for 2011, Petplan has announced the winners of the prestigious Veterinary Awards.

Presented at a glamorous award ceremony at Birmingham Town Hall, the awards aim to recognise and celebrate staff and practices throughout the country that have delivered an exceptional level of care to the nation’s pets and their owners. This year's event was as successful as ever and host Alun Cochrane got plenty of laughs as he teased the audience. 

The winners for each category are: 

VET OF THE YEAR
Alison Laurie, Crown Vets – Highlands  What really stood out about Alison for the independent panel of judges was her clinical excellence, exceptional ability and compassion towards customers and their pets, all of which were highly praised in her nominations.
 
VET NURSE OF THE YEAR
Maria Corcoran, Orwell Veterinary Group – Ipswich  Maria’s ability to naturally lead by example was a prominent factor for the judges, as well as her ability to always make pet care and comfort her top priority. She also provides great customer service and high clinical standards. 

VET SUPPORT STAFF OF THE YEAR
Patty Fraser, Loch Leven Equine Practice – Kinross
The independent panel of judges was really impressed by Patty; she is considered to be the ‘hub’ of the practice and constantly makes a strong contribution to the team in many ways. Her ability to organise and multitask whilst offering excellent customer service is outstanding.

VET PRACTICE OF THE YEAR  Emersons Green Veterinary Surgery Ltd – Avon
Emersons Green Veterinary Surgery’s work to continually educate their customers really stood out for the independent panel of judges. The practice works incredibly hard to provide regular newsletters and updates on their Facebook page, which is run by nurses, whilst maintaining a great level of service for their pets and clients. The practice has also been very successful in helping to re-home dogs.

Alison Andrew, Petplan’s Marketing Manager, says she is thrilled by the ongoing success of the awards. “Britain is known to be an animal-loving nation and with millions of households owning cats and dogs, pets play a central part in family life. The Petplan Veterinary Awards give us the opportunity, on behalf of all pet owners across the UK, to thank the veterinary profession for the outstanding service they provide to our pets.”

“This is the 12th year of the awards and this year we received over 2,800 nominations, a record number for the vet awards, which really highlights the high regard that the profession and pet owners have for these awards.” 

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RCVS announces 1CPD app update

News Story 1
 The RCVS has announced a new version of its 1CPD mobile app, with enhanced features for veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses to record their continuing professional development.

The mobile app includes a new 'what would you like to do?' shortcut for frequent tasks, a notification badge, and the ability to scan a QR code from the home screen to easily record an activity.

Users will be prompted to update the app from the App Store or Google Play the next time they log in. For more information, visit RCVS.org.uk 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Nominations open for RCVS and VN Council elections

The nomination period for the 2026 RCVS Council and VN Council elections is now open, with three veterinary surgeon seats and two veterinary nurse seats available.

Prospective candidates can download an information pack and nomination form from the RCVS website. Individuals can nominate themselves for the elections, with the results to be announced in the spring.

Clare Paget, the recently appointed RCVS Registrar and elections returning officer, said: "If you want to play your part in influencing and moulding how the professions are regulated, and making key decisions on matters of great importance to your peers, the public and animal health and welfare, please consider standing for RCVS Council or VN Council next year."

Nominations close at 5pm on Saturday, 31 January 2026.