Programme published for two-day event in June.

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has revealed that this year’s BVA Live will have a particular focus on contextualised care, as it publishes the programme for the event.

With the Competitions and Marketing Authority's (CMA's) review drawing attention to issues around the relationship between veterinary practices and clients, streams at the event will look at how appropriate and proportionate care can be provided in a way that is tailored to both the needs of the animal and the client, including the owner’s personal situation.

The annual event, which offers CPD and networking opportunities to veterinary professionals, will take place at the NEC in Birmingham on 6-7 June 2024.

This year, for the first time, the event will include equine and farm animal content, in addition to small animal clinical content. The event will also feature a nursing stream from the British Veterinary Nursing Association.

Sessions unveiled in the programme include:
    •    ‘Does running a successful practice jeopardise our commitment to animal welfare and contextualised care?’
    •    ‘Would you euthanise a healthy XL Bully? And other challenging questions: ethical decision making and conflict resolution in practice’
    •    ‘Closing down fertility clinics - are UK vets stepping into the gap?’
    •    ‘How sustainable is modern pet ownership?’


Anna Judson, BVA president, said: “This has been an incredibly challenging year for the profession, with the review by the CMA prompting increased scrutiny of the value of veterinary care.

“We know that all veterinary professionals strive to provide the best possible care for the animals they see and we hope our focus on contextualised care at BVA Live provides a timely opportunity to explore this concept in more depth and consider how it can be applied in practice to support both decision-making and communication with clients.”

The full conference programme can be found here.

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