FAQs

Hearings are normally held at locations in London (although occasionally hearings are remote where necessary) and in most cases witnesses are required to attend in person. If you will have difficulties attending in person, remote attendance may be possible. In order to attend remotely, we will need you to supply evidence to explain why you cannot attend in person. There is a formal legal procedure to go through to permit a witness to give their evidence remotely. Therefore, if you think you may need to attend remotely, please contact us immediately so this can be discussed further.

• Harper Adams University - You can find out more about Harper Adams University’s postgraduate courses on their website.
• Glasgow University - You can find out more about Glasgow University’s postgraduate courses on their website.
• Royal Veterinary College - You can find out more about the Royal Veterinary College's postgraduate courses on their website.
• University of Central Lancashire in conjunction with Myerscough College - You can find out more about the University of Central Lancashire in conjunction with Myerscough College's postgraduate courses on their website.
• Hartpury University - You can find out more about Hartpury University's postgraduate courses on their website.

It is expected that further providers and subject areas will become available over the coming months.

You can access further information on the CertAVN, and VN Futures, on the VN Futures website.

All of them. If your employment requires you to use your Veterinary degree and/or be MRCVS then you should participate in the VetGDP. If you are not sure how it would apply then please contact [email protected]

The CertAVN has allowed the providers to develop niche areas for further training and development, so you now have the option to train in the specific area of your choosing. The programme subjects will be available on the providers’ websites.

Module content will be released to you upon enrolment to the programme.

To become a VetGDP Adviser you need to be a veterinary surgeon and have been on the UK-Practising Register for a minimum of three years.

If you wish to discuss your eligibility, please contact us by emailing [email protected].

RCVS Education Department

T 020 7202 0702 or 020 7202 0791

E [email protected]

Information on who has access to PDP records is included under ‘Terms and Conditions of use of the Professional Development Record’. It is up to the graduate to decide whether they want to give their employer access to their online record. There is no compulsion to do so, as some may feel inhibited from recording their personal notes and reflections in their PDP record if they think their employer has unrestricted access. However, they can email a link to any page of their PDP or CPD record to anyone else of their choosing. This email link provides third-party access to a non-editable ‘snap shot’ page of the record, so could be useful when preparing for an appraisal meeting or other performance review. 

Currently, all veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses can access the Academy. Towards the end of this year, our student veterinary surgeons, nurses and those who are moving to the UK will also be provided with access to support their preparation to be UK-registered professionals.

Once a veterinary surgeon has met their ‘under care’ obligations pursuant to the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013, and Chapter 4 of the supporting guidance to the Code of Conduct, they may delegate the dispensing/supply of those POM-Vs to a team member.  They must be satisfied that the person handing it over to the client, is competent to do so. For the veterinary surgeon  to be satisfied the person dispensing must have knowledge of practice protocols (i.e. trained) and there must an SOP in place.

The prescribing and delegating veterinary surgeon will remain ultimately responsible, and their responsibilities associated with the prescription and supply of POM-Vs, is set out at paragraphs 4.32 - 4.34 of Chapter 4, as follows:

4.32  A veterinary surgeon or SQP who prescribes POM-VPS veterinary medicinal product, or supplies a NFA-VPS veterinary medicinal product, and a veterinary surgeon who prescribes a POM-V veterinary medicinal product must:

1. before s/he does so, be satisfied that the person who will use the product is competent to use it safely and intends to use it for a use for which it is authorised;
2. when s/he does so, advise on the safe administration of the veterinary medicinal product;
3. when s/he does so, advise as necessary on any warnings or contra-indications on the label or package leaflet; and
4. not prescribe (or in the case of a NFA-VPS product, supply) more than the minimum quantity required for the treatment.

4.33  The Veterinary Medicines Regulations do not define 'minimum amount' and the RCVS considers this must be a matter for the professional judgement of the veterinary surgeon in the individual case.

4.34  Veterinary medicinal products must be supplied in appropriate containers and with appropriate labelling.

Schedule 2 Controlled Drugs (CD) must be destroyed in the presence of a witness. A witness can be a veterinary surgeon who is independent from the practice where the CD is destroyed. This also applies to Schedules 3 and 4 CDs that have been prepared extemporaneously for use under the Cascade. To be considered independent this vet:

• Must not demand or accept any form of payment, beyond that which is reasonable to cover travel costs.
• Must record their RCVS number and confirm their independence in the CD register.
• Must have no personal, professional, or financial interest in or relationship with the veterinary practice where the drug is being destroyed (for example, temporary staff and family members of staff are not considered to be independent; ‘family member’ refers to spouse, partners, parents, siblings, children or other relatives).
• Must not share stock with or provide services (with exception of the function as a witness to the destruction of CDs) to the practice where the drugs are being destroyed.
• May work for the same franchise or corporate group provided the practices have a different owner and are separate legal entities.

To maintain independence, the vet destroying the CDs should not use the same witness repeatedly for the destruction of CDs at their practice.

The VMD guidance on the disposal of controlled drugs provides further examples of when a vet would be considered “independent”.