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RCVS and BVA issue joint statement on revised key worker status
"We fully understand that this will cause a great deal of anxiety amongst veterinary professionals with children" - BVA/RCVS.

Only vets working in food supply in England can access childcare in schools.

The BVA and the RCVS have issued a statement following the announcement that only veterinary surgeons working in food supply are to be classed as 'key workers' in England for the purposes of securing childcare in schools.

Under tightened restrictions, only veterinary surgeons working in abattoirs and meat processing plants, at border control posts, and attending to livestock production will be eligible to access the childcare provision.

The government guidelines state: 'Children with at least one parent or carer who is a critical worker can go to school or college if required, but parents and carers should keep their children at home if they can.'

The BVA/RCVS statement reads: 'We fully understand that this will cause a great deal of anxiety amongst veterinary professionals with children who currently face the significant challenge of balancing their professional and parental responsibilities, and the knock-on effect this may have on other colleagues in the veterinary team. We also realise that this may cause greater difficulties for practices in rural areas and those with smaller teams.'

The statement goes on to stress that under the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct, veterinary surgeons have an ongoing professional responsibility to provide 24-hour emergency first aid and pain relief to animals according to their skills and the specific situation. 

The BVA and RCVS say that while emergency care provision remains an obligation, all other veterinary work should be triaged based on animal health and welfare needs, the availability of the necessary team resources, and any impact it may have on public health.

The statement continues: 'We cannot state strongly enough to veterinary employers that business should not be continuing as usual under these worsening pandemic circumstances. RCVS and BVA guidance allows for non-emergency work that is essential for animal health and welfare now, or in the timeframe of the lockdown, to continue, but there is no obligation that this work must be carried out.

'We urge the professions to continue to play their part in helping to limit the spread of the virus, especially in light of a new more transmissible strain, by making responsible decisions on what veterinary work to continue.'

The key worker guidance for veterinary professionals in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland remains unchanged.

 

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.