Queen's Speech : Uphold veterinary standards

My Government will introduce a bill to … protect the title ‘veterinary nurse’ and introduce an effective regulatory system that would ensure that those veterinary nurses found guilty of serious professional misconduct were prevented from carrying out medical treatment to or surgery on animals.

Currently veterinary nurses (VNs) are not subject to statutory regulation, but the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons( RCVS) uses powers under its Royal Charter to award certificates to VNs who have undergone approved training. Qualified VNs (whose names appear in a List of certificate-holders published by the RCVS) are allowed to give medical treatment to, or carry out minor surgery on, animals under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 (VSA).

In 2007, the RCVSintroduced a non-statutory Register for Veterinary Nurses. Registered veterinary nurses (RVNs) commit to follow a code of professional conduct, keep their skills and knowledge up to date and submit to a disciplinary system.

RVNs found guilty of serious professional misconduct can be suspended or removed from the Register by the RCVS, but the RCVShas no power to remove them from the List, therefore they can still legally give medical treatment or carry out minor surgery and perform other nursing duties specified under VSA.

Furthermore, the title ‘veterinary nurse’ is not protected, and therefore anyone, no matter how little training and education they may have, can legally refer to themselves as a veterinary nurse.

The RCVShas been working to develop a framework for the regulation of veterinary nurses and intends to present detailed proposals to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in the coming weeks.

The RCVScalls upon the Government to introduce a statutory regulatory regime for the regulation of veterinary nurses, that would provide protection of the title and would serve the public interest by better protecting animal health and welfare.