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Changes agreed to registration of EU VNs after Brexit
The option to make up any deficient areas while working in practice will no longer be available.

Applications will be rejected if they significantly differ to UK qualifications

Changes to how veterinary nurses from the European Union join the register after Brexit have been agreed by the RCVS VN Council.

In a meeting of VN Council on Wednesday (6 February), members were invited to consider the closer alignment of the processes for EEA and non-EEA applicants.

Members agreed that in the event of a no-deal Brexit, anyone whose VN qualification is considered similar in content and scope to UK-accredited qualifications would be required to pass the RCVS pre-registration examination.

These applications will continue to be able to apply for permission to work in a veterinary practice while preparing for the examination.

Members also agreed that applications will be rejected if they are significantly different in content and scope to UK-accredited qualifications. The option to make up any deficient areas while working in practice will no longer be available.

The RCVS states that holders of qualifications accredited by the Accreditation Committee for Veterinary Nurse Education (or ACOVENE) will continue to have direct access to the Register as its accreditation criteria are based on UK standards.

Currently all UK veterinary nurse course providers in further and higher education are ACOVENE accredited as well as five educational establishments in the Republic of Ireland and one each in Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and Portugal.

RCVS director of veterinary nursing said: “It is important to remember that the numbers of non-UK EEA veterinary nurses who join the Register each year is much lower than for veterinary surgeons – normally being somewhere between 40 to 60 individuals each year, the majority of whom have qualified on an ACOVENE accredited veterinary nursing course.

“We will continue to welcome applications from those holding other EEA and non-EEA qualifications. If we depart the EU without a deal will be able to introduce more flexibility when deciding whether applicants should be accepted, rejected or accepted on condition of passing the pre-registration examination.

"This will be based on how well aligned their education and clinical experience is with our registration criteria.”

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Rabbit Awareness Week set to return this summer

News Story 1
 Rabbit Awareness Week (RAW) is returning this summer, running from 24-28 June 2024. The theme for this year will be 'Healthy Diet, Happy Bunnies'.

The focus on rabbits' diet comes after the most recent PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report report revealed that 42 per cent of veterinary professionals identified inappropriate diet as one of the five most important rabbit welfare issues that need to be address.

The campaign will include veterinary blogs, videos, and digital waiting room resources. Practices can sign up to receive updates about RAW. 

Click here for more...
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CVS Group hit by cyber attack

CVS Group, which owns more than 450 veterinary practices in the UK, has been hit by a cyber attack.

In a statement, the group said the incident involved unauthorised external access to a limited number of its IT systems. As soon as the attack was discovered, the group took its IT systems temporarily offline, causing 'considerable operational disruption'.

It has warned that the security steps taken and ongoing plans to move its operational systems and IT infrastructure to the Cloud are likely to have an ongoing impact over a number of weeks.

Due to the risk that personal information was accessed, CVS has informed the Information Commissioner's Office. The company is working with third party consultants to investigate the incident.