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RCVS Knowledge QI Champions announced
The awards recognise teams that have successfully implemented QI techniques.

The RCVS Knowledge Awards celebrate teams using quality improvement techniques.

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) has revealed the veterinary teams which have won RCVS Knowledge awards for quality improvement in their practice.

The awards recognise professionals or practice teams which have implemented quality improvement (QI) techniques to improve the quality of their veterinary care, or promote antimicrobial stewardship.

Among this year’s Quality Improvement Champions is White Lodge Veterinary Surgery, in Devon. The surgery has been conducting pain management audits for patients undergoing bitch spays

This has enabled the surgery to improve these scores, and reduce how many dogs require analgesia.

Yorkshire Vets was also awarded the title, for work to reduce its carbon footprint. The project, led by the practice’s nurses, resulted in a reduction in both oxygen usage and volatile anaesthetic.

RCVS Knowledge named CVS Group’s South 4 Region team as its 2024 Antimicrobial Stewardship Champion.

The team has worked towards a 70 per cent reduction in its usage of long-acting antibiotics used for treating bite wounds and skin infections in cats. This supported them in using Highest Priority, Critically Important Antibiotics (HPCIAs) more responsibly.

RCVS Knowledge also recognised 21 applicants as ‘Highly Commended’, and five applicants as ‘Ones to watch’.

One applicant which RCVS Knowledge celebrated as 'Highly Commended' is Lauren Green, a student veterinary nurse at independent practice and FIVP member Warren House Veterinary Centre.

The student nurse engaged with the whole team to audit antibiotic usage in surgery, including creating new guidelines for peri-operative antibiotic selection. The practice has been able to reduce antibiotic use in routine surgery from 25 per cent to just six per cent.

Across both categories, the charity said that all the successful applicants had made use of its free resources to support their applications.

Ashley Doorly, head of quality improvement at RCVS Knowledge, said: "A massive congratulations to all of this year’s winners.

“The calibre of entries was extremely impressive, and it was fantastic to hear from so many veterinary professionals from across the country who’ve made quality improvement and antimicrobial stewardship a cornerstone of their work.”

Entries will open this summer for the 2025 awards. Applications go through a double-blinded peer review, and are scored based on their use of quality improvement techniques and their antimicrobial stewardship work.

More details about past winners and highly commended runners up are available here.

Image © Shutterstock

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New guidelines published for wildlife disease surveillance

News Story 1
 A set of international guidelines for disease surveillance in wildlife has been updated for the first time since 2015.

Released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the World Organisation for Animal Health, General Guidelines for Surveillance of Diseases, Pathogens and Toxic Agents in Free-ranging Wildlife is designed to help wildlife authorities and others working with wildlife carry out effective surveillance programmes.

The document, which cover areas including choosing appropriate strategies, safety and biosafety protocols, and ethical and legal considerations, can be read here.  

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Restricted zone extended after more bluetongue cases

After three new cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 were detected along the Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire border, the restricted zone has been extended.

The zone now includes Buckinghamshire and part of Berkshire, as well as Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, City of Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, East Sussex, Essex, Greater London, part of Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, part of Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, part of Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Suffolk, Surrey, and West Sussex.

Susceptible animals in the restricted zone should only be moved if it is essential. A specific licence is needed to move a susceptible animal from within the restricted zone to outside of the zone.

Bluetongue is a notifiable disease. Suspected cases must be reported on 03000 200 301 in England or 03003 038 268 in Wales. In Scotland, suspected cases should be reported to the local field services office. In Northern Ireland, suspected cases should be reported to the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or by contacting the local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.

A map of the areas where restrictions apply can be found here.