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Royal charter changes approved by RCVS council
The RCVS Council has approved changes to its proposed Royal Charter. A final draft will be considered in June.
The RCVS Council has approved changes to its proposed Royal Charter. A final draft will be considered in June.

Amendments follow BVA concerns

Changes to the proposed new Royal Charter have been agreed by the RCVS Council.

The council has approved amendments following concerns by the BVA that some of the wording was "too broad".

A spokesman for the RCVS said: "The changes, which reflect responses to a consultation, give greater clarity on the role of the College in post-registration education and training, the provision of information services and the monitoring of developments in the profession."

All of the amendments relate to article five of the new charter.  The BVA had raised concerns that the RCVS might intend to become a CPD provider. The council approved wording to clarify that this is not the case.

Legal advice is also being sought in relation to articles 21 to 25 of the draft charter which would allow the college to carry out financial transactions to set up and support bodies with similar aims to its own. The BVA sought clarification over the remit of these powers.

A final draft of the charter will be discussed by council at its June meeting, with a resolution being put before the AGM in July. The charter will then go before the Privy Council and could be in operation by next March.

The RCVS meanwhile is about to begin another two-month consultation, this time over the creation of a new fellowship.
 

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Equine Disease Surveillance report released for Q4 2025

News Story 1
 The latest Equine Disease Surveillance report has been released, with details on equine disease from Q4 of 2025.

The report, produced by Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance, includes advice on rule changes for equine influenza vaccination.

Statistics and maps detail recent outbreaks of equine herpes virus, equine influenza, equine strangles and equine grass sickness. A series of laboratory reports provides data on virology, bacteriology, parasitology and toxicosis.

This issue also features a case study of orthoflavivus-associated neurological disease in a horse in the UK. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NSA webinar explores sheep tailing and castration

The National Sheep Association (NSA) is to host a free webinar on the castration and tail docking of lambs.

The webinar, 'Understanding the tailing and castration consultation: A guide for sheep farmers', will be hosted online on Monday, 2 March 2026 at 7.30pm.

It comes during a government consultation into the methods used for these procedures. Farmers are encouraged to engage before the consultation period closes on Monday, 9 March 2026.

The webinar offers clear and actionable guidance to support farmers to contribute meaningfully to the consultation and prepare for potential changes.

On the panel will be former SVS president Kate Hovers, farmer and vet Ann Van Eetvelt and SRUC professor in Animal Health and Veterinary Sciences Cathy Dwyer. Each panel member will utilise their own specialism and expertise to evaluate risks and outcomes to sheep farming.

Find out more about the webinar on the NSA website.