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Disciplinary Committee hearings

Disciplinary Hearings are the culmination of the RCVS concerns procedure.

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee (DC) hear cases relating to registered veterinary surgeons and the Veterinary Nurse Disciplinary Committee (VN DC) hear cases relating to registered veterinary nurses both follow court procedures. Complaints must be proven to the highest civil standard of proof ie the Committee must be satisfied 'so as to be sure' the facts have occurred as alleged by the College. The Committee must also be satisfied that the facts as proved amount to serious professional misconduct.

Guidance on the Disciplinary Committee’s functions, decision-making, and approach to sanctions can be found in the “Disciplinary Committee Sanctions Guidance for Veterinary Surgeons cases” which was re-issued in August 2020 and is used as an aid to decision making at Disciplinary Hearings. This guidance document (available to download from the bottom of this page) should be read in conjunction with the 'Disciplinary Committee Manual,' re-issued in September 2013.

If you are attending a hearing as a witness, or would like an overview of the procedure of a Disciplinary Hearing you can read our section on 'Being a witness at a Disciplinary Committee hearing – frequently asked questions' for further information.

If found guilty of serious professional misconduct and ordered to be suspended or struck off the Register, a veterinary surgeon may appeal to the Privy Council within 28 days. If appealed, the order does not take effect unless and until it is upheld by the Privy Council.

If found guilty of serious professional misconduct and ordered to be suspended or struck off the Register, a registered veterinary nurse may at any time within 28 days from the notice of direction, lodge an appeal which will be considered in accordance with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Veterinary Nurse Conduct and Discipline Rules 2014.

Disciplinary Committee hearings are generally conducted in public although some evidence may be heard in private where the Committee consider it appropriate.

Veterinary surgeons and RVNs who have appeared before the DC during the last 3 years are as follows:

2024

Date Respondent Documents Notes
12/03/24 Russell, Robert William

Decision on Finding of Facts and Fitness to Practice

Decision on Sanction

 
19/02/24 Francis, Jemma Louise

Decision on Findings of Facts and Disgraceful Conduct

Press Release

 
12/02/24 Kettle, Michael James

Decision on Sanction

Decision on Finding of Facts and Disgraceful Conduct

Press Release

 
       

2023

Date Respondent Documents Notes
18/12/23

Butnaru, Vlad

Decision on Sanction

Decision on Findings of Fact

Press Release

 
30/11/23

Briggs, Amelia

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee

Press Release

 
06/11/23

B, a Registered Veterinary Nurse

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee

Press release

The Disciplinary Committee's findings and decisions have been anonymised due to exceptional circumstances
09/10/23

Kalisz, Sylwia

Decision on Sanction

Decision on Disgraceful Conduct in a Professional Respect

Decision on Facts

Press Release

 
28/09/23

Wood, Simon Peter

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on the Application of the Applicant for Restoration to the Register

Press release

 
18/09/23

Grecko, Alina

Charges

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Sanction

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Disgraceful Conduct in a Professional Respect

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Facts

Press Release

 
04/09/23

Butnaru, Vlad

 

The hearing has been adjourned and will shortly be re-listed.
31/07/23

Herdman, Melanie

Charges

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee

Press Release

 
20/07/23

Dobson, Andrew

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on the Application of the Applicant for Restoration to the Register

Press Release

 
03/07/23

Paschalidis, Stavros

Charges

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Sanction

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Disgraceful Conduct in a Professional Respect

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Findings of Fact

Press release

 
29/06/23

Seymour-Hamilton, Warwick John

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on the Application of the Applicant for Registration to the Register

Press release

 
19/06/23

Antonovs, Pavels

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Disgraceful Conduct 

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Sanction

Press release

 
24/04/23

Wicksteed, Joanna

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Finding of Facts

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Fitness to Practice and Disgraceful Conduct in a Professional Respect

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Sanction

Press release

 
27/03/23

Morris, Libby

Charges

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Finding of Facts

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Disgraceful Conduct in a Professional Respect

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Sanction

Press release

 
20/03/23 Power, Katharine

Charges

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Findings of Fact

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Disgraceful Conduct in a Professional Respect

Press release

This hearing covered proceedings from the adjourned hearings on 28 November 2022 and 20 February 2023.
09/03/23

Burrows, Nicola

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on the Application of the Applicant for Restoration to the Register

Press release

 
20/02/23

Hutton, Simon

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Facts and Disgraceful Conduct in a Professional Respect

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Sanction

Press release

 

2022

Date Respondent Documents Notes
01/12/22 Gracey, James

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on abuse of process and admissibility

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Findings of Fact

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Disgraceful Conduct in a Professional Respect

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Sanction

Press release

This hearing covered proceedings from the adjourned hearing on 22 July 2022.
01/11/22 Johnston, Donal

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Facts and Disgraceful Conduct in a Professional Respect

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Sanction

Press release 

This hearing covered proceedings from the adjourned hearing on 28 April 2022.
25/10/22 A, a Registered Veterinary Nurse

Annex A

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee

Press release

The Disciplinary Committee’s findings and decisions have been anonymised due to exceptional circumstances.
27/09/22 Heyes, Katherine

Charge

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee

Press release

 
22/09/22 Prichard, Stephen

Charges

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee

Press release

 
21/09/22 Strangeway, Chelsea Jade

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Proceeding in Absence

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Facts and Disgraceful Conduct in a Professional Respect

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Sanction

Press release

 
02/09/22 Dyson, Sue

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on the Application of the Applicant for Restoration to the Register

Press release

 
22/08/22 Hazelwood, Stephanie

Charges

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee

Press release

 
14/06/22

McKinstry, Alexander

Rutherford, Andrew

Inman, Rebecca

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Facts and Disgraceful Conduct in a Professional Respect

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Sanctions

Press release

 
08/06/22

Seymour-Hamilton, Warwick John

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on the Application of the Applicant for Restoration to the Register

Press release

 
25/05/22

Doherty, Daniel

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Facts and Unfitness to Practise

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Respondent's Application for Recusal

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Sanction

Press release

This hearing covered proceedings from the adjourned hearing on 6 April 2022.
25/04/22 Roger, Paul Anderson

Charges

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Disgraceful Conduct in a Professional Respect

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Facts

Press release

This hearing covered proceedings from the adjourned hearing on 19 November 2021.
24/03/22 Registered Nurse

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Proceeding in Absence and Finding of Facts

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Disgraceful Conduct in a Professional Respect and Sanction

Due to exceptional circumstances, the Disciplinary Committee's findings and decisions in this case have been anonymised, and no press release has been issued.
23/03/22 Mostert, Dr Craig

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee

Press release

Mr Mostert lodged an appeal against the Disciplinary Committee decision with the Privy Council on 28 April 2022 and he remained on the Register pending the outcome of the appeal. The appeal has now been withdrawn.
10/03/22 Surdila, Dr Claudia Elena

Charges

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee

Press release

 
07/03/22 Hill, Dr Anke

Charges

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee

Press release

 
14/02/22 Dingemanse, Dr Walter

Charges

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee

Press release

 
31/01/22 Mullen, Anne Mary

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Proceeding in Absence

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Facts

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee as to Disgraceful Conduct

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on Sanction

Press release

 
12/01/22 Botes, Marthinus Ryk

Decision of Finding Facts and Disgraceful Conduct in a Professional Respect

Decision on Sanction

Press release

Dr Botes lodged an appeal against the Disciplinary Committee decision with the Privy Council on 10 February 2022 and he remained on the Register pending the outcome of the appeal. The appeal has now been withdrawn.

2021

Date Respondent Documents Notes
17/12/21 Samuel, Gary James Cassius

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee

Press release

 
04/08/21 Dobson, Andrew Michael

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee 

Press release

 
21/07/21 Padron Vega, Laura

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee on the Application of the Applicant for Restoration to the Register

Press release

 
09/07/21 Dyson, Sue

Decision of Finding of Facts, Disgraceful Conduct in a Professional Respect and Sanction

Press release

This hearing covered proceedings from the adjourned hearing on 13 November 2020.
25/06/21  Seymour-Hamilton, Warwick J.

Decision of the Committee on Application for Restoration

Press release

 
22/06/21 Henry, Louise

Charges

Decision on Finding of Facts, Disgraceful Conduct and Sanction

Press release

 
16/06/21 Benson, Laura

Decision on Facts and on Disgraceful Conduct in a Professional Respect

Decision on Sanction

Press release 

 
26/05/21 Eccles, David Henry

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee at the Resumed Hearing Following Postponement of Judgement

Press release

A judgement was postponed by the Disciplinary Committee on 6 November 2018. The hearing resumed on 26 May 2021.
18/05/21 Chalkley, David

Decision

Press release

 
11/05/21 Burrows, Nicola Jade

Charges

Decision on Sanction

Decision on Facts and on Disgraceful Conduct in a Professional Respect 

Press release

 

 

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