The role of the RCVS and VN Councils

1. The role of the RCVS is to protect the public interest by ensuring animal health and welfare, and public health, are advanced through thriving, world-class veterinary professions.
2. It is not the role of the RCVS to represent members of the professions individually or collectively, that is for other bodies. However, the RCVS does have a role in promoting high standards in the professions, particularly in relation to education and professional conduct.
3. Our mission ensures that the public can trust veterinary professionals and that the highest standards of care are maintained. Only those veterinary professionals listed on our registers can legally practise in the UK. This protects both animals and their owners. We achieve our mission through:
   • Fair and proportionate regulation of veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses 
   • Setting standards for education, training, and continuing professional development
   • Promoting professionalism, ethics, and accountability
   • Supporting animal welfare through effective oversight
   • Acting transparently and consistently when concerns about professional standards arise
   • Maintaining the official registers of vets and vet nurses
   • Investigating concerns about professional conduct
   • Developing policy to improve and advance veterinary standards, and
   • Sharing knowledge, embracing innovation and supporting better ways of working
4. The RCVS was established in 1844 by Royal Charter to be the governing body of the veterinary professions. As a Royal College that regulates, the RCVS is unique in terms of not only setting and upholding standards, but also being able to continually advance them, for the benefit of animal health and welfare, the public and the professions. We:
   • Undertake statutory responsibilities as set out in the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 – to maintain a Register, and to regulate veterinary education and the professional conduct of veterinary professionals
   • Exercise powers under the Royal Charter to award fellowships, diplomas and certificates to veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and others. We also run the voluntary Practice Standards Scheme and regulate veterinary nurses
   • Support RCVS Knowledge, our charity partner: which sits at the heart of the veterinary professions with a mission to advance the quality of care for the benefit of animals, the public and society, in particular evidence-based veterinary medicine
5. Currently, in order to carry out its statutory duties, a Council of 24 members governs the RCVS and meets between six and eight times a year. The breakdown of members is as follows:
   • 13 members: elected to Council by the profession itself,
   • three members: appointed by the Veterinary Schools Council to collectively represent the nine UK veterinary schools with an RCVS-accredited degree,
   • two members: appointed by the Veterinary Nurses Council, and
   • six members: appointed lay persons.
6. Three or four elected members of Council (depending on the rotation) retire each year, and elections are held to fill those elected positions.
7. Under the governance arrangements for RCVS Council, the Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) for the United Kingdom is entitled to attend meetings of Council as an Observer and receives the Council papers. The CVO is not, however, a voting member of the Council.
8. Under current governance arrangements, Council is supported by an Officer Team (president, two vice-Presidents, treasurer). There is also a structure of committees, subcommittees and working groups, to which Council agrees to delegate some of its work and decisions. The president, two vice-presidents and treasurer are elected by Council from within its number, as are the chairs of the Advancement of the Professions, Education, and Standards Committees.

Further information about what we do as well as our mission, vision and values is available on the ‘About us’ section of the website.