The College is planning a power grab - should we be worried (yes).

We need a new Veterinary Surgeons Act - apparently. Time has moved on and the old one (1966) is no longer serviceable. It's hard to disagree, and if that was what it was about, simply updating, then I wouldn't object. But we're dealing with the RCVS here so it's always wise to look for the ulterior motive. In this case it's in plain sight - they want to use a new Veterinary Surgeons Act to abolish elections and move to an appointed council. It's a power grab pure and simple. The last vestiges of democratic accountability would finally be gone and we'd move to an 'independently appointed' (laff laff) Council, stuffed with the great and the good, all bristling with the relevant skill sets and just itching to get on with advancing the interests of the corporates promoting the best interests of the profession. Does anyone seriously believe the big players (you know who I'm talking about) wouldn't move heaven and earth to get their people 'independently' selected and appointed to the Council ?

The new Act (as they have envisaged it) would also give the College the right to regulate practices not just practitioners. Again, not much to quibble with there, but you need to be blind to not to see where it's leading. Endless regulation (just look where the PS Scheme is going), easily handled by large companies with entire departments devoted to compliance, but crippling to the smaller independents focused on patient care (have you a written DEI policy, what's your carbon footprint, how many of your staff take public transport to work, are you sourcing your exotic's bedding from a sustainable source ? etc. etc.). An endless raising of the administrative bar, making new start-ups more difficult while the big players just rub their hands. If the College is not held to account, they will use a new Veterinary Surgeon's Act to Trojan Horse more of their non-clinical, non-patient focused, progressive activism onto the practicing profession, to the detriment of smaller practices and the advantage of the big, corporate players. 

But is a new Act needed - yes undoubtedly. If for no other reason than to break up the current ungainly mess that is the RCVS. The College needs a radical overhaul with a separate, truly independent organisation (in a separate building, preferably in a separate city) dealing exclusively with discipline. A new, slimmer College could then devote itself (guided by an expanded Council comprising a healthy majority of elected vets) to get on with the business of, 'setting, upholding and advancing veterinary standards, and promoting, encouraging and advancing the study and practice of the art and science of veterinary medicine,’  It would allow us to take back control of the College from the LAGs (Lawyers and Arts Grads) who currently run things, and return it to the practicing profession. Staffing numbers at the RCVS could be reduced and their ludicrously expensive new offices here (into which, after two years, they still haven't moved) sold off.

In last year's Council elections the membership resoundingly rejected the RCVS establishment (including a former President no less) and voted for candidates, most of whom clearly stated their support for an elected Council. Did this make any difference to the ruling clique ? Absolutely not. Here, a few months later, is an ex-President, completely out of touch, ignoring the result and just ploughing on ... and on ... and on ... Not Listening - not even a bit! 

But it gets worse. Tucked away in the candidate information pack for this year's election is this 'reassuring' little nugget; 

'While you may have read or heard that the RCVS is ending its elections and moving to an appointment-only system, this is not happening in the short term. It’s a proposal from RCVS to be included within new legislation, and is dependent on a future new Veterinary Surgeons Act.' 

You read that correctly, 'dependent on a future new Veterinary Surgeons Act,' not dependent on the will or agreement of a majority of the profession, because what you think little vet person doesn't count, not even a wee bit. 

If they feel they can treat us with this level of contempt after losing an election, what will it be like when the elections have been abolished. It’s your vote ... use it or lose it !


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