Not My College ?

A big thank you to the 1000 + vets who voted for me in the RCVS election. Not quite enough to get over the line but a respectable result. Meantime the campaign for common sense continues. 

So what's this election all about ? I think its about democracy and accountability; let's take accountability first. In June 2022 the College imposed a revised 'How we work' statement, effectively preventing Council members from publicly expressing opinions contrary to RCVS policy (Ball gag and no balls).  Since then the ability of the membership (that's you and me) to find out what is being said, planned, or agreed in our name has been relentlessly choked off. Nothing escapes the information black hole that is the RCVS. Occasionally a nicely polished PR piece might find its way into your inbox, but that's it.  In 2020, before the information blackout, 26% of the registered electorate voted in Council elections. In 2023 that number had fallen to 16%. As the membership is slowly pushed out of the information loop it feels alienated, loses  interest and eventually stops voting.   And the RCVS response ? Acknowledge their failure to engage the profession in the dem...

  Dr. Gerard Henry , a long time contributor to Samizdat is standing for election to the RCVS Council in March. This is his election statement, we wish him well. 'There comes a point when you think, enough is enough. Like most practitioners I've been too busy to involve myself with the College or with professional politics. For most of my life as a vet the RCVS didn't really feature on my horizon. Sometimes you'd see an old friend or mentor becoming President, a worthy end to a distinguished career. Local veterinary meetings might be attended by a Council member who would apprise us, informally, of what was going on or being said in London. That was then.  In June 2022 I was disturbed to read an elected member had resigned from Council because of the imposition of a new 'how we work' statement, which in essence forbad the informal exchange of information which had existed previously. This new imposed secrecy benefits neither the public nor the profession althou...

  So said the brilliant singer, song-writer, satirist and mathematician, Tom Lehrer ... well not quite Tom, not quite. On the 18th of January the RCVS voted by a majority of 16 to 5 to abolish  Council elections and replace them with an 'independent appointments system.' One of the sixteen who voted to end elections and move to an appointments based system is now standing for re-election  (here)   As they say, you really couldn't make this stuff up. This is excellent - The Elements by Tom Lehrer If you want to read more posts, click on the arrow 🠈 on the top left of the page or on the 'MORE POSTS' button at the bottom. If you want updates from NMC click on the menu top left and select follow.

Its March, spring is sprung, and with it comes the annual RCVS begging letter.  When many of the membership are struggling to cope with record costs-of-living, a demand for payment is never welcome, particularly when it has increased by 6%. Perhaps if the College hadn't splurged £20 million on the new headquarters, in the process emptying the contingency fund which was,  ' built up over a number of years for just such an eventuality,'   or so we're told, the increase might have been absorbed. With more of the profession practicing part-time, shouldn't we be looking at reducing the fees for those working shorter hours ? It would certainly be a more equitable way of doing things but I'm not holding my breath. Empires are being built even as we speak and empires need money ... i n this case, yours (So where are they putting the throne room?). .   Con·tin·gency fund  [contingency fund]  noun;  a reserve of money set aside to cover possible unforeseen fut...

  This is reprinted from a human medical publication.  IMHO it is just as applicable to vets. It's a longish read but well worth it. How Does Second Victim Syndrome Affect Surgeons? Joël Pitre, Dr | 04 April 20 24 Second victim syndrome  (SVS) refers to the trauma experienced by a healthcare provider following a  medical complication or error . It is estimated that nearly 50% of healthcare providers will face this syndrome at least once in their career. Moreover, as much as 20% of hospitalized patients may experience a complication. Some specialties are particularly exposed to SVS, including surgery, obstetrics and gynecology. Most published research does not focus on surgical specialties, even though surgeons face stressful situations and technical challenges daily, making them particularly susceptible to SVS. Strength and emotional control are part of the typical surgeon stereotype. Consequently, the occurrence of a surgical complication is most often approached on...