New RCVS President focuses on opportunities of being a Royal College that regulates

In the inaugural address given by Linda Belton MRCVS, following her investiture as RCVS President for 2024-25, she said that she wanted to focus on the core remit of the RCVS as a Royal College that regulates, and the importance of good regulation for public trust and keeping pace in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI).

Linda gave her address at the Royal Institute of British Architects, venue for our Annual General Meeting on Friday 5 July 2024.

Linda (pictured), an equine vet and director of the Wiltshire-based George Veterinary Group, said: “A Royal College and a regulator – it’s a challenge but this combined role is also an opportunity for us.

“In the time I’ve served the RCVS, I’ve definitely learnt some of what it takes to fulfil these roles under the remit of both the Veterinary Surgeons Act and our Royal Charter; to think not just from personal perspective and experience, and also to try to look beyond the needs of the profession today and consider what tomorrow might bring.

“Vets are not just one thing. The roles we fill in our working lives are many and varied, and I would argue that the MRCVS is the best placed arbiter of animal health and welfare. As such, keeping the MRCVS at the heart of decision-making around how veterinary care and services are provided is essential both to safeguard animal health and welfare and also to retain public trust in our work.

“Cultivating trust is a big part of what many of us do, day in and day out – trust in us from within our teams, from our clients and perhaps even from our patients.

“The RCVS with its two hats does a tough job for both the professions and the public. In many cases, the interests of the professions and the public align and there is no conflict. Of course, as a regulator where the interests don’t align, the RCVS regulates in the wider public interest and this, too, is a positive for us as a profession.

“Working in a regulated environment is a strength for us. The landscape in which we work has changed and the regulatory environment needs to change too. Now we are the other side of the general election, work can continue on legislative reform seeking parliamentary time for a new Veterinary Surgeons Act.”

As the 13th female President of the RCVS, Linda will lead an Officer Team comprising the now Senior Vice-President Dr Sue Paterson FRCVS, Junior Vice-President Professor Tim Parkin FRCVS and Treasurer Dr Tshidi Gardiner MRCVS as well as VN Council Chair Belinda Andrews-Jones RVN, who attends Officer Team meetings as an observer.

Linda qualified from Bristol Vet School in 1991 and worked in mixed practice for six years, initially in Hampshire, and then solely as an equine clinician. She has worked at The George Veterinary Group, of which she is a director, since 1992. During this time the independently owned practice has grown and developed and provides veterinary services across the companion animals, equine, farm and pig sectors. Since 2015, she has taken on a leadership and management role across the group.

Linda ended her speech (which is available to read in full on our Features page) by talking about the rapid increase in the pace of change and its impact on society generally, on individuals and on veterinary professionals. She talked about the challenges this presents and called for the input of the professions and other stakeholders as we navigate these changes.

AGM business

Earlier in the day the AGM was opened by then President Sue Paterson, with the approval of the minutes of the 2023 AGM and the formal presentation of the RCVS Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 December 2023.

Members of the RCVS were given the opportunity to ask questions about the Annual Report in advance of the meeting and two questions were received from the British Veterinary Association (BVA). The first concerned the reserves held by the RCVS and what long-term spending plans these had been allocated towards other than the refurbishment of the new RCVS headquarters at Hardwick Street. The second concerned the increase in income to the RCVS from veterinary surgeon registrations and how this additional income has been used.

To the first question Sue responded that the reserves would be used for other large-scale projects such as a new customer relationship management system and new website, and to provide contingencies both for major projects, and also unforeseen projects in which additional resources might be needed at relatively short notice. To the second question, Sue responded that the increased income from fees had been used to cover an increase in expenditure on regulatory activities.

RCVS Council election, appointments and retirements

Next, the AGM moved on to the results of the 2024 RCVS Council election. Newly-elected members Dr Zara Kennedy MRCVS, Dr Sinéad Bennett MRCVS and Professor David Barrett FRCVS were welcomed on to Council to serve their four-year terms. Professor Christopher Loughrey FRCVS was also welcomed as a new Veterinary Schools Council-appointed member, replacing Professor James Wood OBE FRCVS.

Regarding retirements, at the AGM, Council members said farewell to three past-Presidents of the RCVS, starting with the outgoing Senior Vice-President Dr Melissa Donald MRCVS, an elected Council member who had served for eight years, including as President in 2022-23 and Chair of the Standards Committee, where she had been responsible for the under care consultation.

Next was Dr Kate Richards MRCVS, an elected member who had served for a total of eight years on Council and was RCVS President for 2021-22, and who had also served as Chair of Education Committee and of the Mind Matters Initiative’s Taskforce.

The last past-President was Professor Stephen May FRCVS, who was RCVS President in 2017-18 and had served a total of 19 years on Council both, as a vet school-appointee and an elected member. During his time on Council Stephen led the Legislative Reform Working Group which developed the Legislative Reform Proposals – the blueprint for any future veterinary legislation – as well as the Graduate Outcomes Project, the precursor of the Veterinary Graduate Development Programme.

RCVS Council also said farewell to Professor James Wood, until recently the Head of Cambridge Vet School, who had served as an appointed member of Council for 11 years.

VN Council election and retirements

Turning next to the RCVS Veterinary Nurses (VN) Council, the current Chair Belinda Andrews-Jones RVN welcomed newly-elected member Kirsty Young RVN and re-elected member Sue Howarth RVN for their respective three-year terms. She also welcomed new lay appointed members Lisa Grainger and Jessica Franklin.

In terms of retirements, Belinda said goodbye to VN Council lay member Allison Carr, who had served on VN Council for 11 years, and elected member Donna Lewis RVN, who had served for three years.

RCVS Registrar retirement

Royal College Day 2024 was also the last day for RCVS Registrar and Director of Legal Services Eleanor Ferguson who was retiring after 20 years working for the College. She first joined the RCVS to head up the development and launch of the Practice Standards Scheme, before leading the Professional Conduct Team and being appointed Registrar in 2016.

Paying tribute to her later in the day, RCVS CEO Lizzie Lockett said: “I am really not sure where to start to narrate the huge impact that Eleanor has had on the profession, the College, you all as team members and myself.

“Her achievements include setting up the Charter Case Committee, a private prosecutions protocol, and the Veterinary Client Mediation Service, and of course steering us all through some choppy legal water in a variety of areas.

“But no matter what role she has taken, there is a brilliant thing about Eleanor, and that is her consistency. As she might put it herself, she is what she says on the tin. There is no game-playing, no politics, no dissembling, she gives it you straight. And always with good humour. And her decades of experience mean that when she gives you that advice, you listen, and you take it on board. For your own good!

“And over the years I am sure you will all agree that Eleanor has worked ‘above and beyond’ so many times that the words have almost become meaningless. She has set a very high bar for herself and continues to meet those high standards. It’s testament to her amazing work ethic that had you been a fly on the wall in meetings I was having with her just yesterday, you would have had no idea she was leaving us, as she remains enthusiastic, engaged and forward looking.”

Although Eleanor has retired as RCVS Registrar she will continue to work with the RCVS on legislative reform on a consultancy basis.

Election of Officer Team

Following the conclusion of the AGM, there was then a short meeting of the newly-constituted RCVS Council to approve the 2024-25 Officer Team of Linda Belton as RCVS President, Dr Sue Paterson as Senior Vice-President, Professor Tim Parkin as Junior Vice-President and Dr Tshidi Gardiner as RCVS Treasurer.

RCVS Council members voted to approve the team.

CEO’s address

After the short meeting of RCVS Council, our Chief Executive Officer Lizzie Lockett (pictured) gave her annual overview of the year gone, talking about some of the College’s achievements – including the new under care guidance, the Veterinary Clinical Careers Pathway project, the recent AI roundtable, the current consultation on governance proposals and the forthcoming publication of research on chronic illness and disability.

However, she recognised that one issue had dominated much of the year, that being the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) market investigation, which had been preceded by a preliminary call for evidence about issues within the veterinary sector. She highlighted that there were opportunities in this investigation both for the RCVS as regulator and the sector as a whole, particularly in terms of legislative reform.

Lizzie said: “There are always opportunities within challenge, and it’s important we hear our critics, wherever they come from. There are always things we can do better, changes to be made, and rules to be reinforced, updated or scrapped. One of the prongs of the CMA investigation is the contention that the regulatory framework is preventing the veterinary market from functioning as well as it could. We agree.

“’A new Veterinary Surgeons Act!’ It’s a clarion call that we, alongside our colleagues in the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and other veterinary groups, have been making for some time. Perhaps the CMA inquiry will be the burning platform that catalyses change. At last.

“And, of course, we have a new government this morning, with, hopefully, new energy, resource and impetus to help us make the change we so desperately need on behalf of the nation’s animals and those who provide veterinary care for them.”

The full text of Lizzie’s speech is available to view on our Features page. 

RCVS awards ceremony

Following a lunchbreak, Royal College Day reconvened for the bestowal of awards by the RCVS and its charity partner RCVS Knowledge.

The full list of awards are as follows:

• RCVS Knowledge Awards for Quality Improvement: CVS Hub Clinical Leadership Team, White Lodge Veterinary Surgery and Yorkshire Vets
• RCVS Knowledge Award for Antimicrobial Stewardship: CVS South 4 Region
• RCVS Knowledge Plowright Prize: Professor Fiona Tomley CBE
• RCVS Compassion Award: Timothy Sandys MRCVS
• RCVS International Award: Dr Nancy de Briyne and Professor Susan Mbugua
• RCVS Impact Award: Dr Eve Hanks MRCVS, Dr Mark Morton MRCVS and Dr Thom Jenkins MRCVS
• RCVS Inspiration Award: Alexandra Taylor RVN
• RCVS Honorary Associates: Professor Diana Williams, Dr Iain Berrill and Jim Ferrie
• RCVS VN Golden Jubilee Award: Andrea Jeffery RVN
• RCVS Queen’s Medal: Professor Stuart Reid CBE FRCVS

As the recipients of two of the College’s most prestigious awards, both Andrea and Stuart had the opportunity to make short speeches in which they spoke about their careers and thanked those who had supported and helped them.

Further information about each of the awards, as well as detailed citations about each of the award winners, can be found in the Royal College Day Programme. 

VN Council Chair address

Following the bestowal of the RCVS and RCVS Knowledge awards came the address from VN Council Chair Belinda Andrews-Jones RVN (pictured) on her first year in the role which she took over from Matthew Rendle RVN in 2023.

She said that legislative reform, which would protect the title veterinary nurse, enhance the veterinary nursing role and lead to other broader changes within the veterinary team was still top of her regulatory wishlist.  

Belinda said: “With a fresh administration entering Downing Street and the Houses of Parliament, this really is the perfect time to be banging the legislative reform drum – to ensure our voice can be heard. While many of these discussions with veterinary nurses revolve around the need to finally get legal protection for the title ‘veterinary nurse’, the legislative reform proposals are much wider than this.

“Of course, from a professional pride point of view, ensuring that only those of us who have done the relevant education and training, do our annual continuing professional development and are on a publicly-available Register of Veterinary Nurses can actually be called veterinary nurses is very important. But the legislative reform proposals will also offer not only some very specific examples of an expanded role for veterinary nurses – for example, we are suggesting a greater role for VNs in anaesthesia, and regaining the ability to carry out cat castrations – but broad principles-based changes that could lead to an enhanced VN profession of the future.

“For example, via the decoupling of delegating tasks to a veterinary nurse from employment which means VNs have the choice to work ‘with’ rather than just ‘for’ a veterinary practice, meaning our skills and potential can be better used in the cause of animal health and welfare. And of course, some of the legislative changes we are proposing that go beyond the scope of veterinary nurse – like mandatory practice regulation and regulation of the wider vet-led team – would also be of benefit for veterinary nurses. Like an economy, when it comes to professional standards, a rising tide lifts all boats.”

Belinda’s speech is available to read in full on our Features page. 

Outgoing President’s address

Before the formal investiture of Linda as RCVS President for 2024-25, Sue (pictured) gave her final address as RCVS President.

She started by saying that she had made sustainability, antimicrobial resistance and widening participation some of the key themes of her presidential year and was able to attend events and carry out work related to these throughout the year. For example, continuing as the RCVS representative on UK Health Alliance on Climate Change (UKHACC) and attending events that support the wide variety of career options open to vets, for example, the Association of Government Vets and Veterinary Public Health Association Congress

She said: “I spoke at my investiture about the wide range of career options available to people with veterinary science degrees and I have tried hard this year to throw presidential weight behind some of the smaller sectors of our profession, using the wider officer team to ensure that RCVS support has been provided to the widest possible range of events.”

Sue also spoke about how the CMA investigation, as well as opening up opportunities regarding legislative reform, was also useful for catalysing wider discussions around contextualised care, saying: “There is no doubt that the Competition and Markets Authority review, first announced in September last year, sent shock waves through the professions. However, despite the fact we have work to do, I really believe it has raised awareness of our need to offer contextualised or spectrum of care. Contextualised care is already very much part of our RCVS guidance as veterinary professionals… Increased awareness of our guidance, together with resources like the RCVS Knowledge contextualised care hub and BVA’s recent literature, have helped empower vets to feel confident to offer, and for clients to ask for, a wider range of treatment options.”

Finally, on widening participation, she added: “Widening participation has been something I took as a Presidential theme and have looked to champion this year. As part of a wider RCVS ambition to increase awareness of the role of the College as both a regulator and a Royal College, I have visited every vet school at least once and most two or three times.

“Chatting to students at induction days, final-year sessions and graduations, it has been great to see how the vet schools and nursing colleges are working hard to increase the inclusivity and diversity of our professions.

“The President’s Christmas donation this year was to Villiers Park Educational Trust to support their work. Villiers Park delivers evidence-informed programmes that develop personal and employability skills, and raise academic outcomes for young people aged 11 to 19 from under-represented backgrounds. I have stayed in contact with them since our donation and will support their work going forward. 

“I have also had several meetings this year with the Association of Veterinary Students (AVS) and the Animal Aspirations Group. The Animal Aspirations Group, founded in 2019 with the help of the Royal Veterinary College widening participation team, is made up of a diverse group of veterinary students. These undergraduates visit local schools to engage with students from similar backgrounds to provide interactive animal- and science-focused workshops.

“The inspirational London group, which I believe has more than 80 members, has run literally 100s of sessions in local schools. Working with AVS and with input from the College’s newly-appointed Outreach and Engagement Manager, I am confident that the RCVS can support this group to further develop these important networks at all of our schools.”

Sue’s full speech is available to read in full on our Features page. 

New Officer Team

After thanking her friends and family, Sue moved on to pay tribute to her predecessor Melissa Donald on her retirement from both the Officer Team and Council.

Speaking of Melissa, she said that she is ‘a perfect mix of fun and seriousness, a consummate professional who gets down to business and knows her stuff’. She went on to praise Melissa for steering the College through the under care consultation and discussions which was ‘no easy task’ and that she ‘handled it all with care, charm and not a little courage.’

Sue then said a few words about her successor Linda Belton, saying she ‘lived and breathed veterinary standards’, recognised the value of standards and regulation for public trust in the profession, and praised her honesty and integrity. She then invited Linda up on stage to be formally invested as RCVS President with the presidential gown and chain of office.

In her first official duty as RCVS President, Linda acknowledged Sue’s achievements in her presidential year, saying she brought energy and passion to the role and had been a great ambassador for the RCVS and the professions, speaking at events, panels and to the press on important and sometimes controversial issues.

Her second duty was to welcome Tim Parkin, who was not able to be present on the day, to the role of Junior Vice-President, saying she looked forward to working with him particularly on educational issues and advocating for a new Veterinary Surgeons Act.

Guest speaker

Following Linda’s inaugural presidential address, she handed back to Sue to introduce her choice of guest speaker for RCVS Day, Professor Susan Jebb, Chair of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and a renowned public health nutritionist.  In her address to RCVS Day, Susan spoke about the importance of veterinary surgeons in the work of the FSA through their critical, but often unsung, role in food safety, disease control and the welfare of animals at slaughter. She said that Covid and other pandemics had really brought the One Health model to the forefront from a public health point of view because of the risk of transfer of animal disease to human, a risk that veterinary surgeons played a big part in mitigating.

Likewise, she praised the progress that the veterinary sector had played in the use of antimicrobials, particularly in the livestock industry, and was keen that the FSA worked with farm vets and across the food industry to continue to improve biosecurity and antimicrobial stewardship.

Another core area of work for the FSA was on developing sustainable food systems, here she spoke about the sometimes polarised debates, for example, around decreasing meat consumption and the health and environmental impacts of the meat and dairy industries. However, she said that veterinary surgeons, along with other scientists, could play a role in ensuring that debates on these issues were nuanced and grounded in scientific evidence.

Following Susan’s guest speech, Sue formally closed Royal College Day 2024.