Robin Hargreaves, president of the BVA.

But it welcomes move to regulate veterinary nurses

A charter to regulate the role of veterinary nurses is too broad and needs to be more tightly defined, the BVA has said.

The proposed new RCVS Royal charter has been welcomed by the BVA.

Consultation on the draft document finished on Friday.

The BVÅ said it welcomed the changes that will provide for the regulation of veterinary nurses.

But it says the wording on the draft gives too broad a scope to the college.

BVA president Robin Hargreaves, said: "BVA has long supported the recognition of the role of veterinary nurses, who are an essential part of the veterinary team, and we welcome the proposals to provide a mechanism for regulation of the veterinary nursing profession.

"We also welcome the opportunity to update the Charter and clearly define the roles and responsibilities of the RCVS as the regulatory body for the veterinary profession.

"However, we have identified a number of areas in the draft Charter which we believe are too broad and which need to be discussed further and more narrowly defined.

"Although we have been assured informally that it is not the intention of the college to redefine its activities in a way that would encroach on the remit of BVA and our divisions, this is not explicitly reflected in the draft of the new charter.

"While we accept that it is not the purpose of a charter to define what an organisation will not do, clearer and more constrained aims in the activity areas outlined would help to reinforce the trust that the college enjoys with its members.

"Any blurring of the line between regulating veterinary surgeons and advocating for the veterinary profession could undermine public trust in our regulatory system, and so we are asking the college to discuss with us our areas of concern so that we can frame the new charter more clearly in everyone's interests."

The BVA response comes just days after the charter proposal was criticised by the union Unite and the British Veterinary Union (BVU). The RCVS responded by saying the unions responses were outdated and misguided.