Young candidate sees bright future
Image: Tom Witte
Equine vet Tom Witte is among the 13 candidates running for RCVS Council. Though he is the youngest, he is keen to show the benefits of a diverse governing body that brings together all ages and backgrounds.
Bringing his views of the current RCVS, as well as areas he seeks to improve, Dr Witte told MRCVSonline that his focus would be on improving communication.
"There are key elements where the RCVS has not been the first-rate regulator it desires to be," he commented. "Unfortunately, recent years have seen considerable problems with our governance, with transparency and communication not being prioritised.
"I seek to change this and work towards making the RCVS a relevant and useful body as we enter a rapidly changing modern technological era of veterinary medicine."
Dr Witte said that he intends to do this by ensuring a portal is available for communication between the public, the profession and the RCVS. Something he believes can be achieved using modern technology.
"Very simple and cheap apps can be developed that allow information to be easily disseminated across the profession," he explained.
But not all people prefer electronic communication, said Dr Witte, and this is something the RCVS must remember.
"Our members should be able to choose between paper and electronic communications… Any saving from electronic communication can then be applied to a small restructure in the RCVS website to make the information people are looking for easier to find."
He said that council and committee minutes should be more readily available and searchable with brief commentaries and overviews supplied to busy practicing vets and vet nurses, so they can quickly understand the key outcomes of each meeting.
By improving communication, Dr Witte believes the RCVS will be heading in an appropriate direction to become a first-rate regulator. This requires three elements, he said; listening to the needs of the public and practitioners, understanding the necessary conflicts in the profession, and having appropriate representation.
His recommendation to RCVS CEO Nick Stace would be regarding communication, which is inherit to all three elements, according to Dr Witte.
"Fundamentally, as practicing vets, we all have animal welfare as our primary focus," Dr Witte said. "Of course there are risks associated with one body doing too much, so my input would be to ensure open, transparent and fair systems to maintain trust that the one body does not have conflicts of interest."
As such, when asked his view of the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme (PSS), Dr Witte commented that the remit of the RCVS, and the reason it was set up, is to protect the public interest in animal welfare through regulation of standards within the veterinary profession.
"To me, this must include the standard of all elements of clinical practice to which the public are exposed," he said. "So a practice standards scheme that monitors minimum standards is vital."
Furthermore, Dr Witte believes every single clinician – both vets and medics – has absolute sole responsibility in their antibiotic use.
"To use the correct antibiotic, for the correct duration, for the correct indications, as well as imbuing within the owner the importance of compliance, is exactly the responsibility of the individual veterinary surgeon.
"There is, however, potential for RCVS to collate and disseminate information regarding high-risk antimicrobials so that all of us practitioners may have he information needed to make appropriate clinical judgements."
Dr Witte, a practicing vet for 13 years, says members should vote for him because effective regulation is best achieved by a governing body comprised of a diverse population of backgrounds, experience, age and professional sectors.
"While I have enormous respect for those that have brought the RCVS to where it is today, I feel strongly that the future of a modern, first-rate regulator must include listening to the opinions of its younger members.
"I want to act upon the comments and criticisms made so that we can all continue to have pride in our profession for years to come."
Veterinary practices are being urged to help owners safely dispose of any unused and expired pet medicines - not just antibiotics - during November's Animal Medicines Amnesty. 
