Dick White Referrals (DWR) in Cambridgeshire have recently treated thier oldest patient to date – a 102 year old tortoise!
Having received a call from the referring vet on 1st April, DWR were unsure as to whether the call was an april fool’s day joke at first, but it was a genuine referral and the tortoise had been with the same family for three generations.
After undergoing surgery to remove a foreign body the tortoise went on to make a full recovery.
Read the full story here.
On Friday 10 May we are holding a City & Guilds Mock Practical Exam Day at our centre in Godmanchester in Cambridgeshire.
This is an ideal opportunity to attend a life-like OSCE examination with City & Guilds examiners and is open to all final year CAW veterinary nursing students.
You will be assessed by 12, 6 minute OSCEs with feedback provided; an excellent way to prepare for your forthcoming OSCE examination.
You can choose from either a 10.30am or 2.00pm session and it’s free!
Places are strictly limited to 12 in each session and are offered on a first come, first served, basis.
You are expected to attend in uniform and in accordance with the guidance provided in the qualification handbook and bring 3 pairs of surgical gloves (appropriate size).
To book a place (by 2 May) please call us on 01480 422060.
Upon completion of the Nursing Progress Log (NPL) please make sure you continue to complete your Reflective Training Log to show at least four hours of active training in practice per week.
This training should now include OSCE practice. OSCE training should also be evident on the NPL. Please record all OSCE training on the NPL under the appropriate skills whether it be performed in college or practice.
Clinical Coaches – Please also continue to complete and document tutorials every one to two weeks upon completion of the NPL. These should include OSCE training and practice.
A reminder to all veterinary nursing students who are looking to sit the Summer OSCE exams that there is just one week to go to the NPL completion deadline.
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has strongly welcomed the announcement that the use of wild animals in travelling circuses will soon be banned.
A draft Bill to ban the use of wild animals in travelling circuses in England was published today. The proposals will come into effect on 1 December 2015.
Commenting, BVA President Peter Jones said: “There is no place in today’s society for wild animals to be used for our entertainment and we are absolutely delighted that the Government has published a draft Bill which will make it illegal to use wild animals in circus performances”.
“The BVA has strongly supported a ban because we believe the welfare needs of non-domesticated, wild animals cannot be met within the environment of a travelling circus, especially in terms of accommodation and the ability to express normal behaviour. We have been adamant that a licensing scheme will not address these issues. Together with the Born Free Foundation, Captive Animals’ Protection Society and the RSPCA, we have for some time been urging the Government to do all it can to introduce a complete ban as quickly as possible.”
Although it only affects a small number of animals – currently there are twenty wild animals performing in two licensed circuses in England – this is an issue that has been increasingly shaped by consumer attitudes to animal welfare.
Mr Jones added: “Once we have studied the detail of the Bill we will be consulting our members on the definitions and proposals to ensure that we can help to develop appropriate and robust legislation.
“The welfare of these animals is emblematic of the way we treat all animals and I am heartened that we will soon see the end of the exploitation of these animals in the confines of a circus.”
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) has announced that its Head of Veterinary Nursing, Libby Earle, has decided to take early retirement and will leave the organisation on 19 April 2013.
“As Head of Veterinary Nursing, Libby was instrumental in leading significant developments in the regulation of veterinary nursing and the establishment of national standards for education and training,” says Nick Stace, RCVS CEO. “We wish her all the very best for the future.”
Libby has held the role of Head of Veterinary Nursing at the RCVS for 14 years; a replacement for her will be considered by the College in due course.
There is still time to enrol onto our Leadership and Management Courses, accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), starting at the end of April!
If you are already working in a leadership or managerial role such as head nurse, team leader or practice manager these qualifications can help you to maximise your ability to lead and support your team to deliver the highest quality clinical care to the animals in your care.
If you are not currently working in a leadership role but are looking to do so in the future, these professionally recognised qualifications are the perfect way to increase your confidence in your ability to motivate and lead a team and accelerate your opportunities in securing such a role.
Both the Level 3 Certificate and the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management are offered on a blended learning basis (i.e. online learning, supported by study weekends) and should take between 12 and 18 months to complete. Upon achievement of one of these qualifications, you will be able to apply for professional membership of the Institute of Leadership and Management, and thereby be permitted to use the Institute’s internationally recognised post nominal in recognition of the professional status you have achieved.
For further information please visit our website or contact us on admin@caw.ac.uk / 01480 422060.
On Saturday (6 April), the Legislative Reform Order (LRO) to reconstitute the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) disciplinary committees separately from its Council came into force and has amended the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 (VSA).
The LRO brings the RCVS in line with regulatory best practice and improves the independence of the RCVS disciplinary processes, marking a major step towards the College becoming a ‘First Rate Regulator’.
The amendment made by the LRO requires that the RCVS Preliminary Investigation and Disciplinary Committees are made up of veterinary surgeons and lay members who are not RCVS Council members, and who are appointed independently. This ensures that the same group of people is not responsible for setting the rules, investigating complaints and adjudication.
The LRO also brings lay people formally into the Preliminary Investigation Committee and will allow the RCVS to increase the pool of people available to investigate complaints and sit on disciplinary hearings.
The first external members will join the Disciplinary and Preliminary Investigation Committees from July 2013. After a two-year transition period, members of the RCVS Council will become ineligible for membership of these committees.
RCVS Registrar, Gordon Hockey, says: “The LRO has been the culmination of many years hard work by the RCVS and Defra, with the support of the British Veterinary Association. At first glance the change that the LRO makes to the Act may appear minor, but the reform fundamentally improves the way the veterinary profession is regulated, and will help to ensure public confidence in the RCVS disciplinary processes.”
The Kennel Club has raised serious concerns after being made aware of the National Farmers Union’s (NFU) ‘full support’ for the retrospective planning application of a large scale commercial dog breeding establishment in Gloucestershire.
The endorsement by the NFU supports their member’s application to ‘continue with their diversification and support the core farming enterprise’ by converting their premises into commercial dog breeding establishments. Such establishments tend to breed dogs purely for profit, allowing welfare standards to deteriorate. The Kennel Club is therefore hugely concerned.
Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, states: “As the largest organisation in the UK dedicated to the health, welfare and training of dogs, the Kennel Club represents many dog owners who are linked to the NFU, and we feel they would be horrified to learn of the organisation’s support for large scale, commercial dog breeding practices where more often than not the health and welfare of the dogs involved is placed secondary to profit.
“Responsible dog breeding is a skill that takes years to master and to bracket this alongside livestock husbandry is inappropriate. For example, the number of unhealthy puppies bred by people with little regard or knowledge of inherited conditions could lead to an increase in these health problems. Who will supply the knowledge and expertise to ensure that this does not happen and that the appropriate Kennel Club health schemes are utilised?”
The Kennel Club has stressed the essential need for socialisation in the first weeks of a puppy’s life to the NFU as the largest difference in rearing companion animals compared to those primarily bred for consumption.
As detailed within the Kennel Club and Dogs Trust Puppy Plan, developed by dog behaviourist Carolyn Menteith; the foundations for a puppy’s future behaviour and character are laid down in the first 16 weeks of its life. This is a vital time when it is possible to develop the puppy’s brain, and shape the way they will turn out as an adult dog. This is also the time when most problem behaviours can be prevented, long before they even start, giving the dog a far more certain future – and the new owner far fewer potential problems. ‘Farming’ puppies as supported by the NFU, does not allow adequate dedicated time for each puppy to develop in this way.
The Kennel Club has now written to the National Farmers Union to request a meeting to further highlight its concerns.
Full story – http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/4833/23/5/3
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) has appointed Nicola South to the new role of Customer Experience Manager; a new role intended to help improve the experience for vets, veterinary nurses and the public in their dealings with the College.
“I’m extremely excited and proud to be joining the staff at the RCVS, and at such a significant time, just as the First-Rate Regulator initiative is underway, which will lead to a change of focus in how we deliver our services to meet all of our customers’ needs,” says Nicola. “My arrival has been met by a staff made up of extremely dedicated and passionate individuals, and I’m really looking forward to working as a team to deliver an improved customer experience for everyone.”
CEO Nick Stace says: “Nicola brings to the College a wealth of customer service experience gained from the hotel and tourism industries. Improving our customer service delivery is a priority, and I am delighted to have Nicola on board who will help to champion these improvements across the organisation.”
Nicola joins the RCVS from Orbit Group Ltd, where she was Service Excellence Advisor for the East and South Region.