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Andrea Jeffery talks VN Council
Re-election hopeful wants vet nurse title protected

Surgical veterinary nurse Andrea Jeffery has a history on the VN Council since it first began in 2002, and was even the first veterinary nurse to chair the council. She is now standing for re-election.

Mrs Jeffery, who is largely involved in the education of veterinary nurses, hopes to find a way of protecting the veterinary nurse title, to prevent those who are not registered or listed from calling themselves a veterinary nurse.

She said: "Protection of the title of veterinary nurse to those who are on the register or list would be a huge step forward, in particular, for clarity to the public who assume that all those in uniform and calling themselves veterinary nurses are on a professional register."

Mrs Jeffery explained that this is one of the rules she would like to see added to the VN Bye-laws, if this was agreed by the RCVS Council under its royal charter powers.

As her manifesto states, Mrs Jeffery would like to raise public awareness of the veterinary nurse's role. Part of this involves making it clear who is registered and listed, and who is not.

"[The VN Council] has clearly shown itself to be a council that has animal welfare and public confidence in the professional role of veterinary nursing at the forefront of all decisions it has made," Mrs Jeffery commented.

She added that, over the last 10 years, the council has self-regulated, made CPD compulsory and introduced VN Preliminary Investigation Disciplinary Committees.

For this reason, Mrs Jeffery believes the RCVS already shows its commitment as a regulator. She also explained that as veterinary nurses are part of a team alongside veterinary surgeons, it is sensible to be regulated by the same house.

"I would have to be convinced of the argument to have a separate Royal College of Veterinary Nurses."

When asked why members should vote for her, Mrs Jeffery commented that her experience on council and as part of the RCVS for a number of years now means that she has a clear understanding of the role of council and its position within the RCVS.

"Having a diverse group of nurses on VN Council will provide it with a breadth an depth of experience to help with the decision making that needs to take place."

She added: "I would like to see veterinary nursing continue to grow as a profession."

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Webinar to explore history of KC breed registers

News Story 1
 A free webinar exploring the development of the Kennel Club's registration system and the evolution of closed breed registers has been announced.

Hosted by Dr Alison Skipper, veterinary and research advisor at the Kennel Club, the webinar will delve into the development of the registry and how the changing landscape of scientific knowledge has shaped breeding practices. It will also look at what this means for the future of pedigree dogs.

The session will culminate with a look at The Kennel Club's ongoing and future engagement in this area, with a chance for attendees to put forward their thoughts and questions for discussion.

This event takes place on Microsoft Teams on Tuesday, 10 June at 7pm. To learn more, visit events.teams.microsoft.com  

Click here for more...
News Shorts
UK's BSE risk status downgraded

The WOAH has downgraded the UK's international risk status for BSE to 'negligible'.

Defra says that the UK's improved risk status recognises the reputation for having the highest standards for biosecurity. It adds that it demonstrates decades of rigorous animal control.

Outbreaks of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease, have previously resulted in bans on Britain's beef exports.

The UK's new status could lead to expanded trade and better confidence in British beef.

Christine Middlemiss, the UK's chief veterinary officer, said: "WOAH's recognition of the UK as negligible risk for BSE is a significant milestone and is a testament to the UK's strong biosecurity measures and the hard work and vigilance of farmers and livestock keepers across the country who have all played their part in managing the spread of this disease.