BVA issues rallying call for veterinary settings to commit to its Good Veterinary Workplaces Voluntary Code
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) is appealing to veterinary settings across the UK to commit to its vision for good veterinary workplaces, to help ensure that all working environments are […]
Dedicated website launched to showcase the VN Futures project
As a fitting tribute to this year’s Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month, a new website dedicated to showcasing the work of the VN Futures project has today (Friday 29 May 2020) […]
Second ViVet Symposium explores future of veterinary medicine
Last week the biennial ViVet Innovation Symposium was held, bringing together veterinary professionals and stakeholders from diverse backgrounds to discuss the evolving role of the veterinary professional and the advancements […]
RCVS outlines plan for ‘under care’ review
The RCVS is today (13 September 2019) publishing further details about its plans for a wide-ranging review of its guidance to the veterinary professions on ‘under care’ and out-of-hours emergency […]
VN Futures project attends inaugural SVN Fest
The work and aims of the VN Futures project were highlighted last weekend as part of the inaugural Student Veterinary Nurse (SVN) Fest which took place at the Royal Veterinary […]
RCVS showcases 12 inspiring veterinary leaders at Royal College Day
At Royal College Day 2019 – the RCVS’ Annual General Meeting and Awards Ceremony – a showcase of 12 inspiring veterinary leaders from a variety of backgrounds, roles, disciplines, and […]
ViVet launches new innovation events
Registration is now open for the inaugural RCVS ViVet Innovation Evening, an evening of discussion about the latest technological and innovation trends in the veterinary sphere, and networking in Edinburgh. […]
VN Futures Board appoints new Chair and reports on progress
The VN Futures Board, which oversees and sets priorities for the VN Futures initiative, met for the fourth time, in June, at the Kennel Club’s main offices in London to […]
New VN career case studies published
To observe the end of the British Veterinary Nursing Association’s Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month, we have published a suite of new blogs and a VN Futures Board update. VN Futures […]
‘Precision veterinary medicine’ the theme for second ViVet Innovation Symposium
The RCVS landmark innovation initiative ViVet will focus on how rapidly developing technology and data-driven practice will transform the veterinary professions and the care they provide for its second-ever Innovation […]
VN Futures Board reports progress
The new VN Futures Board met for the third time at BSAVA Congress in early April where discussions included the formalization of working groups around key themes from the 2016 […]
RCVS VN Council approves new advanced veterinary nursing qualifications
At its May meeting RCVS Veterinary Nurses Council gave final approval to two new advanced veterinary nursing qualifications that would allow members of the profession at all stages of their […]
RCVS Leadership Programme finalist in EFMD Excellence in Practice Awards
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), NHS Leadership Academy and FutureLearn have been announced as finalists in the prestigious EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development) Excellence in Practice Awards. […]
Future-focus for the RCVS at BSAVA Congress
The RCVS hosted a suite of future-focused presentations at the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) Congress this year, building on some of the key recommendations of the Vet Futures […]
Enrolments open for online leadership course
Enrolments are now open for the RCVS Edward Jenner Veterinary Leadership Programme, with the second public cohort of learners scheduled to begin the first of three courses on 15 April 2019. […]
ViVet to host student innovation competition
The RCVS innovation initiative, ViVet, as part of the Vet Futures project, is to host its first student innovation competition this year titled, ‘What’s your big idea?’, ahead of the initiative’s second […]
RCVS speakers attending Clinical Coach Congress
Speakers from the RCVS will be attending the College of Animal Welfare’s Clinical Coach Congress to talk about VN Futures and the Mind Matters Initiative this month. The Clinical Coach Congress takes […]
ViVet innovation workshop resources now available
The RCVS ViVet innovation initiative has published the resources used at its recent innovation workshops for the benefit of those who were not able to attend either event. The first […]
RCVS to hold Graduate Outcomes student focus groups at AVS Congress
The RCVS is to hold focus groups for veterinary and veterinary nursing students at the Association of Veterinary Students (AVS) Congress this year, for its ongoing Graduate Outcomes consultation. The […]
ViVet launches new Innovation Workshop Series
A new series of Innovation Workshops is being launched by ViVet – the veterinary innovation network run by the RCVS – to help provide veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses with […]
RCVS launches online leadership programme
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) has now launched the Edward Jenner Veterinary Leadership Programme to encourage everyday leadership skills within the veterinary professions. This programme is part of […]
Be part of #TheBigPicture with Graduate Outcomes Consultation
On 15 November 2018 the RCVS launched one of its most ambitious consultations yet regarding the future of veterinary education and how the profession can better help support veterinary graduates […]
#Timeforchange: Do women in the veterinary profession still face discrimination?
Women in the veterinary profession still face discrimination and it is those who believe they are no longer experiencing it who are most likely to discriminate, a new study has […]
My Vet Future: New website offers a one-stop guide to veterinary careers
The British Veterinary Association and Vet Record are today (15 November) launching a new online careers hub which offers future and existing vets and vet nurses comprehensive content and resources […]
Online career discussion platform wins ‘inspired by Vet Futures’ competition
An online discussion forum dedicated to sharing ideas, tips and anecdotes about how veterinary surgeons can further develop their careers has won a competition recognising outstanding projects inspired by Vet […]
Innovation project celebrates first anniversary
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons’ landmark innovation project ViVet is celebrating its first anniversary with the publication of a new regular feature highlighting innovators and influencers in the veterinary […]
Vet Futures competition: what’s inspired you?
To mark two years since the launch of the Vet Futures Action Plan, BVA and RCVS are launching a competition to find the best project or initiative that has been […]
Seven-year itch: vets who make the move to non-clinical work do so after seven years
With widespread concern about the recruitment and retention of vets, new figures from the British Veterinary Association reveal a mix of “push” and “pull” factors in vets’ decisions to leave […]
More than 500 people register an interest in leadership course
More than 500 people have pre-registered for an online leadership course pilot being run as part of the new RCVS Leadership Initiative. Some 550 people veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses, students […]
BVA welcomes first ever protocol for animals in health care
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has issued a warm welcome to the launch of the first ever nationwide protocol for animals in health care. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) […]
RCVS supports new veterinary career diversity event
Representatives and staff from the RCVS attended the inaugural Vets: Stay, Go, Diversity (VSGD) Live! event in April to showcase its work on leadership, innovation and mental health. The VSGD […]
Vet bodies call on profession to highlight benefits of registering pets
With figures suggesting that 85% of pet owners have registered their pet with a vet but an estimated 3.1 million pet dogs, cats and rabbits in the UK are still […]
RCVS launches leadership initiative at BSAVA Congress
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons officially launched its new Leadership Initiative on Thursday 5 April, the first day of BSAVA Congress in Birmingham. The initiative was introduced by RCVS […]
Innovation Symposium reports and videos now available
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has recently updated its bespoke ViVet website with written reports and videos from the programme’s recent Innovation Symposium where the initiative was launched. The […]
Training day for new Vet Futures student ambassadors
The Association of Veterinary Students (AVS) held the first training day for its new Vet Futures Student Ambassadors last Thursday. The day was hosted by the Royal College of Veterinary […]
BVA encourages profession to inspire next generation of vets
As children return to school this month, the British Veterinary Association is encouraging veterinary teams to help children learn about animal welfare after figures show 85% of school children have […]
Ambitious programme to encourage veterinary innovation launched
At the inaugural Innovation Symposium held in London today (Wednesday 20 September 2017), the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons launched ViVet, an ambitious and wide-ranging programme designed to ensure veterinary […]
Vet Futures: full steam ahead during first year of action phase
One year on from the Vet Futures Summit, and excellent progress has been made on key actions that are putting the veterinary profession in charge of its future, made possible […]
College calls for certainty around the rights of EU nationals working in the UK
The RCVS has called upon the Prime Minister to prioritise giving greater certainty to EU nationals working in the UK in the forthcoming Brexit negotiations. This follows the publication of […]
Government recognises impact of Brexit on veterinary profession
The Government recognises the “vital work” that UK and EU vets currently do, and will continue to do after the UK’s exit from the EU, but cautions that UK-based EU […]
Study pressures students’ biggest worry
Findings from this year’s British Veterinary Association (BVA)/Association of Veterinary Students (AVS) Survey 2016 (1.37MB PDF) indicate that the just under two-thirds (63%) of veterinary students are currently suffering or […]
Outgoing BVA President emphasises strength of profession in changing times
The veterinary profession’s combined focus on animal welfare and outward looking perspective is enabling successes far beyond the sum of its parts, outgoing British Veterinary Association (BVA) President Sean Wensley […]
UK governments respond to BVA calls over working rights of EU vets
Following the EU referendum result (24 June), BVA wrote to the Secretary of State and to Environment Ministers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland requesting an early statement to the […]
BVA speaking up for veterinary profession during time of change
Following the EU referendum result on 24 June, BVA wrote to the then Secretary of State Liz Truss MP, and to Ministers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, requesting an […]
Delegates engaged with shaping the future of the veterinary and veterinary nursing professions
The first Vet Futures Summit saw around 120 people gather at the Royal Veterinary College in Camden, London, to hear how the RCVS, BVA and BVNA have set out a blueprint for the future of the veterinary surgeon and veterinary nursing professions.
BVA urges UK governments to protect the status of vets and VNs in Brexit negotiations
Almost half of veterinary surgeons registering in the UK qualified from veterinary schools elsewhere in the EU. Following the EU referendum (23 June), the British Veterinary Association (BVA) is urging […]
Statement on the outcome of the EU Referendum
Following a referendum, the majority of the UK has voted to leave the EU. President of the British Veterinary Association Sean Wensley said: “The UK’s decision to leave the European […]
BVA President welcomes new training hub for Wales’ future vets at annual Welsh Dinner
The new Aberystwyth/Royal Veterinary College training hub will help prepare “Wales’ vets of tomorrow” with the right training, skills and knowledge for their varied roles and responsibilities – the impact […]
Blog asks if veterinary nurses are strong enough advocates for the profession
A new blog has been published on the Vet Futures website asking if veterinary nurses are being strong enough advocates for the profession.
Vet Futures Summit
Join us on 4 July for our Vet Futures Summit, a day of discussion and debate at the Royal Veterinary College in London.
VN Futures project launched
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) have launched VN Futures, a companion project to Vet Futures, which aims to draw up a […]
BVA launches strategy to help vets speak up for animal welfare
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has launched its landmark animal welfare strategy at its annual London Dinner (3 February) highlighting the veterinary profession’s unique opportunity – and responsibility – to […]
Vet Futures Action Group offers wealth of expertise to drive change
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) and Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) are delighted to announce the formation of the Vet Futures Action Group to take forward the ambitions and recommendations in the Vet Futures report ‘Taking charge of our future: A vision for the veterinary profession for 2030’ launched in November 2015.
BVA and BVNA response to Defra statement about campaign to protect the title Veterinary Nurse
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) and British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) have been actively supporting the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) campaign to protect the title Veterinary Nurse. An […]
RCVS and BVA presidents host webinar explaining the next steps for Vet Futures project
Next week the presidents of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and British Veterinary Association (BVA) will be hosting a free webinar to explain the next steps in the Vet Futures project, following the publication of its report in November.
New Vet Futures Action Group seeks members
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) are inviting applications from members of the veterinary professions for the new Vet Futures Action Group, set up to drive forward the ambitions identified in the Vet Futures report launched at BVA Congress at the London Vet Show on 20 November.
What role might patient safety play in the veterinary profession?
What role might patient safety play in the veterinary profession? is the question posed by our Vet Futures blogger, Mark Turner, this month in considering what the profession could learn from the NHS.
Taking charge of our future: Launch of the Vet Futures report
In 2030 vets should be a leading force for animal health and welfare and valued for their wider roles in society. They should be confident, resilient, healthy and well supported, and benefit from exceptional leadership.
Student’s wearable tech vision wins Vet Futures essay competition
Fourth-year University of Edinburgh veterinary student Jennifer Rowland has won our Veterinary Vision essay competition, with her entry on wearable healthcare technology for animals.
Should vets be as comfortable reading balance sheets as blood results? asks guest blogger
Although the rise in employment within corporate practices has enabled young vets to focus on the veterinary science aspects of practice life, our latest guest blog argues that business training should still be an integral and encouraged part of undergraduate vet training.
How can we increase the number of veterinary nurses entering and staying within the profession? asks guest blogger
‘Where are all the veterinary nurses?’ is the opening gambit of the September 2015 Vet Futures guest blog, which examines the current undersupply of veterinary nurses in the industry and examines what more can be done to increase the number of students and retain experienced nurses.
Only half of recent graduates say their career has matched expectations
Only half of veterinary surgeons who graduated within the last eight years say their career has matched their expectations, according to a survey that the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and the British Veterinary Association (BVA) are dubbing a “wake up call” to the profession.
Veterinary professor argues that the profession should prove its animal welfare advocacy credentials
In this month’s guest blog, an academic specialising in animal welfare argues that the profession needs to do more to deliver on society’s expectation of vets as animal welfare advocates.
Fortune favours Lincolnshire vet as winner of ‘Headlines of tomorrow’ competition
A Lincolnshire veterinary surgeon has won the Vet Futures ‘Headlines of tomorrow’ competition for his suggestion that the veterinary and medical professions work together to tackle obesity in animals and humans.
Can vets work better together by playing to our strengths? ask guest Vet Futures bloggers Erwin Hohn and Adi Nell
In this month’s blog, Erwin Hohn and Adi Nell, Senior Partners at Medivet, argue that the way forward for veterinary practices large and small is to work better together by following nineteenth-century economist Daniel Ricardo’s stricture – stick to what you do best.
The veterinary future’s bright, but levels of stress causing concern, finds survey
A new Vet Futures survey of more than 600 veterinary surgeons and students has found that they are generally positive about the future of the profession, with 59% saying they are very or fairly optimistic.
Pen your vision for a chance to win London Vet Show trip
The Vet Futures team is offering the chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip to the London Vet Show (Olympia, 19-20 November) to the lucky winner of its ‘Veterinary Vision’ essay competition.
Does profit-making damage the veterinary profession’s reputation?
In this month’s blog, a former President of the British Small Animal Veterinary Association and the Veterinary Practice Management Association argues that practices should be more ‘business-minded’ when it comes to managing their resources.
94% of British public says “We trust you, you’re a vet”
A national opinion poll, commissioned by the Vet Futures project and carried out by ICM, of more than 2,000 members of the public has found that 94% of the general public trusts the veterinary profession generally or completely. This puts veterinary surgeons above GPs, dentists, and head teachers in terms of how well the key professions are trusted in Great Britain.
Guest blogger asks if palliative care will become mainstream in veterinary medicine
May’s topic of the month blog asks if, now that hospice and palliative care has become mainstream in human medicine, a similar development might be occurring in veterinary medicine.
Is there enough guidance for the profession on ethnic and cultural diversity?
With the majority of veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses coming from a white British background, this month we ask if there is enough information, guidance and support with regards to ethnic and cultural diversity in the veterinary profession.
Vet Futures roadshows – join the debate where you live
Vet Futures will be hitting the road over April, May and June with a series of regional events in which vets, veterinary nurses and other members of the practice team are encouraged to give their views about where the profession is heading.
Guest blogger asks if vets not working in clinical practice are viewed as ‘second class’ vets?
In this month’s Vet Futures guest blog Javier Dominguez Orive, the Food Standard’s Agency’s Veterinary Director and Head of Foodborne Diseases Control Unit, asks if veterinary surgeons working outside clinical practice are considered ‘second class’ vets by the rest of the profession.
Should VAT on vet fees for pets be dropped?
Charging VAT on vet fees is a barrier to owners registering their pets with a veterinary surgery. This is the view of Stuart Winter, the Sunday Express small animal columnist and a campaigner to end VAT on pet fees.
Ambitions for the profession take shape after first Vet Futures Group meeting
Greater diversity, a truly integrated One Health approach and zero veterinary suicides were just some of ambitions for the profession discussed at the first meeting of the Vet Futures Group, which took place on 26 January 2015.
Guest blogger urges the profession to be more open about mental ill-health
This month, we are asking members of the profession whether they would recognise mental health problems in their colleagues.
Vet Futures guest blogger says women are less prepared to take on veterinary leadership roles
In our first guest blog Professor Colette Henry, Head of Department of Business Studies, Dundalk Institute of Technology, argues that women are “simply less prepared to come forward to take on business leadership roles” and states that, as the veterinary profession becomes increasingly female, this raises serious concerns.
Vet Futures – helping the profession prepare for and shape its future
Vet Futures, a major new initiative that aims to help the profession prepare for and shape its own future, was launched at the British Veterinary Association (BVA) Congress at the London Vet Show on 20 November.
