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BVA Congress to discuss CMA investigation
Martin Coleman, chair of the CMA inquiry group, will provide an update on the investigation.
The investigation chair will engage with delegates.

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) Congress is set to explore the impact of the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA’s) investigation into the veterinary profession.

Martin Coleman, chair of the inquiry group, will be attending the congress to provide delegates with an update on the investigation as well as engaging with those in the veterinary profession.

Mr Coleman’s update will be followed by a Q&A session and debate, with a panel including veterinary surgeon Danny Chambers MP. The session will aim to discover what proactive changes can be made within the profession before the end of the CMA’s investigation.

Alongside the CMA’s update and Q&A, additional sessions at the congress will seek to explore other ways in which the profession can adapt. This will include presentations and panel discussions on issues such as contextualised care, workplace culture and risk-based preventative care.

The two-day congress will also see BVA provide more details on its new workplace accreditation scheme, ‘Great Workplaces by BVA’.

‘Great Workplaces: is culture the key to a thriving profession?’ will feature discussion from BVA accreditors, as well as some teams they have assessed, explaining how the scheme can contribute to a practice’s workforce.

Among the other sessions hosted at the congress will be a focus on alternative pet diets, the ethics of gene-editing and a debate on the needs of pets and their owners.

BVA Congress will be taking place as part of London Vet Show from 14-15 November. It accompanies a variety of other streams from BVA and the Royal Veterinary College, including the farm stream, equine stream and BVA Career Development stream.

Elizabeth Mullineaux, BVA junior vice-president, said: “After a year that has left many of us feeling concerned about how our profession is being portrayed, this is the perfect opportunity to consider how we want to shape the future of our profession.

“This is an outstanding programme and I encourage all veterinary colleagues to make room in their London Vet Show schedule to join these thought-provoking discussions.

“BVA Congress sessions are open to all London Vet Show attendees, not just BVA members, and count towards your CPD.”

Image © Shutterstock

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Annual submission deadline small pet animal exemptions

News Story 1
 Companies marketing medicines for small pets exempt from authorisation must submit their annual return to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) by 30 November 2026.

Submitting this annual return ensures continued compliance with regulatory requirements for products marketed without a full Marketing Authorisation. The exemption specifically applies to products intended for animals, cage birds, terrarium animals, small rodents, ferrets and rabbits.

For further details and submission guidelines, visit the gov.uk website.  

Click here for more...
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Bluetongue RZ extended across Scotland

The Scottish Government has announced an extension to a Bluetongue Restricted Zone that is in place in south-west Scotland.

From 3 October, the Restricted Zone will be extended to cover the whole of Scotland. The Animal, Plant and Health Agency (APHA) says this is in response to further disease spread, as well as simplify trading conditions ahead of the autumn.

Since the whole country will share a disease status, it will no longer be necessary to have a movement license to move susceptible livestock around the country. Restrictions on germinal products remain.

As of 1 October 2026, there were 1,979 cases of BTV-3 in England, 389 cases in Wales and 40 cases in Scotland.