Council go-ahead for new veterinary regulation

The RCVS Council has today given the green light for new arrangements for regulating providers of veterinary services.

In June every RCVS registered veterinary surgeon and listed veterinary nurse was sent a consultation paper setting out the direction in which Council had in mind to move.

The paper discussed how veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and a range of other providers of veterinary services might be regulated within a common framework, presenting a single point of entry to clients and the general public.

It also considered a number of outstanding questions about the supervision of professional conduct and competence and other issues, notably the separation of membership from licensing to practise.

Council decisions

Council has now taken stock of the responses to the consultation paper. Thirty-six organisations responded, together with 86 individual veterinary surgeons and four veterinary nurses. There were 40 other responses from members of the public.

Most of the respondents agreed that there was advantage in the different groups of providers of veterinary services being regulated side by side. There was general support for the structure suggested in the consultation paper. This envisaged two or more councils to set standards for veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and other groups, and a separate board to consider complaints and decide whether to refer them to an independent Conduct and Competence Committee.

Some of the responses did, however, raise concerns about the possible costs, particularly for those practitioners who are not currently subject to professional regulation. There was also a question of how practitioners such as physiotherapists who treat people as well as animals should best be regulated in respect of their work with animals. When treating human patients they are already subject to professional regulation.

Council has now decided to pursue the regulatory structure proposed in the consultation paper, but in a more flexible form. There would be a council for veterinary surgeons - the RCVS Council - as proposed, an autonomous council for veterinary nurses and a separate board to enforce the standards set by the councils.

There could also be a third standard-setting council for farriers, who are already regulated by the Farriers Registration Council but might see benefit in joining the new veterinary structure. Other groups, however, would be invited to discuss a range of options for regulation. The options could include recognition of qualifications by the RCVS and endorsement of non-statutory schemes for regulation of conduct.

Controversial

The most controversial of the other proposals in the consultation paper concerned interim orders by the Conduct and Competence Committee.

Where a practitioner was to appear before the Committee following a complaint, an interim order could suspend the respondent from the register, or impose conditions, pending the proceedings. Such an order would only be made in exceptional circumstances, in the public interest or in the best interests of the respondent.

The consultation paper also proposed that the Committee should have power to suspend or impose conditions with immediate effect following proceedings but pending any appeal. This is a sensitive question, because the public interest has to be balanced against fairness to the individual.

A number of respondents to the consultation expressed serious concerns about the proposal. Council has nevertheless decided that it is right for the power to make interim orders to be available, subject to proper safeguards for the individual concerned.

What happens next?

Most of the changes envisaged call for new legislation, and it is not yet clear when the Government will allocate space for this in its legislative programme.

In the meantime RCVS will need to explain and justify its proposals, demonstrating that the costs will be outweighed by benefits, and discuss them further with the various groups of practitioners who would be affected.