Providing 24-hour cover in remote regions?

Help us to develop a pragmatic approach to additional guidance
At its meeting earlier this year, our 24-hour Emergency Cover Working Party (24/7 WP) decided to request comments from the profession about the realities of providing out-of-hours emergency cover in remote regions of the country.

Although the 24/7 WP confirmed that veterinary surgeons in practice must provide, or make provision for, 24-hour emergency cover, it decided that those working in remote areas of the UK, who are forced by circumstances to take a pragmatic approach to the provision of cover, could benefit from additional supporting guidance.

It is from these members in particular that feedback on this draft guidance is now sought.

Veterinary surgeons' responsibilities to provide 24-hour emergency cover, as currently set out in the RCVS Guide to Professional Conduct 2006, are in two parts. First, that if in practice, veterinary surgeons must:

'…take steps to provide 24-hour emergency cover for the care of animals of those species treated by the practice during normal working hours.'  (see Guide)

And second, that veterinary surgeons must:

'…when on duty providing 24-hour emergency cover:

i. not unreasonably refuse to provide first aid and pain relief for any animal of a species treated by the practice during normal working hours

ii. not unreasonably refuse to provide first aid and pain relief for all other species until such time as a more appropriate emergency veterinary service accepts responsibility for the animal

iii. not unreasonably refuse to accept responsibility for an animal from a colleague, in order to provide first aid and pain relief for that animal' (see Guide)

We already accept, however, that there may be insufficient veterinary 'manpower' in remote regions to enable members to comply with this guidance, indeed the Guide's annex on 24-hour emergency cover states:

'In isolated communities there may be a need for a pragmatic approach to the provision of 24-hour emergency cover, provided that clients and the nearest veterinary practice are fully informed of the arrangements.' (see Guide, paragraph 27)

The 24/7 WP decided that additional guidance might help veterinary surgeons in remote regions to develop such an approach, and suggested a number of factors (see below) that members might take into account when commenting on the guidance drafted so far.

Factors to consider…

• stock/animal density in the region
• remoteness of the region
• proximity of other veterinary surgeons in practice in the region providing 24-hour emergency cover
• co-operation between veterinary surgeons in practice to provide 24-hour emergency cover in the region
• veterinary services in the region that are available for a particular species
• whether animals are owned as part of a business
• the business client's knowledge and experience of handling and caring for the animals
• compliance with the Working Time Regulations
• client/patient numbers
• distance between the veterinary surgeon in practice and the client/patient

Dr Jerry Davies, Chairman of the Working Party, said: "Whilst I would welcome views from any member on this issue, this additional guidance would only be applicable to remote areas of the UK, such as some of the Scottish islands, so I am particularly keen to hear whether members in these regions would find this helpful."

Further details and the draft additional guidance are available in our consultations section or may be requested in writing. Please email your comments to [email protected], or write to Lucy Evans in the Professional Conduct Department, by Friday, 13 April 2007.