RCVS Council asked to review postnominals decision
The Council of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) will be asked to review its decision to remove postgraduate postnominals from its Register, on the recommendation of the Operational Board.
The Operational Board met today and reviewed the rationale for the original decision, and the recent negative response from the profession to it.
The original decision was made by Council in June 2012 as part of a package of measures aimed at developing clarity around postgraduate skills and knowledge. In particular the removal of postgraduate postnominals from the Register was intended to help dispel confusion amongst the public and some members of the profession about the level of various qualifications, by introducing the Advanced Practitioner status alongside the existing Specialist list
Chairman of the Operational Board, CEO Nick Stace, said: “Over the last few days we have listened to the disquiet amongst the profession – which has included direct contact with staff and Operational Board members, a petition and discussion on fora and social media – and feel that we should address some misunderstandings but also give Council the opportunity to review the decision at its 5 June meeting.
“Many good points have been made by members of the profession and I am pleased that the Operational Board has agreed to reflect on them and consider whether there is a better way to achieve the clarity we were seeking for the public and the profession. The introduction of Advanced Practitioner status is a positive move for both the profession and the public, and underlines the College’s commitment to lifelong learning. It is important to have the profession’s support for the direction we are taking in advancing standards across the sector.”
More detail about the decision made by Council in 2012 can be found in a set of QA on the RCVS website.
