Changes are in the pipeline. We are seeking power to appoint external members to our Preliminary Investigation and Disciplinary Committee, the statutory committees that deal with complaints about veterinary surgeons.
Currently the law (the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966) says that both Committees have to be composed of members of the RCVS Council. That goes against modern practice. One of the functions of the Council is to publish guidance on professional conduct. If it is alleged that a veterinary surgeon has fallen short of the mark, it is better if the case is considered by people who have not been involved in setting the standards.
We have asked the Government to change the law so that the Preliminary Investigation and Disciplinary Committees are made up of people (both veterinary surgeons and non-vets) who are not members of the RCVS Council. The necessary amendments to the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 can be made by means of a legislative reform order under the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006.
Such an order is under discussion between the RCVS and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and a formal public consultation is expected to take place in 2011.
More extensive changes in the Veterinary Surgeons Act have been under discussion for some years and are still under consideration within the RCVS.
Details of past consultations from 2003 onwards are available below: