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CQ hosts annual VN Symposium
CQ logo
Jacqui Garrett, head of CQ commented: “We really appreciate the efforts of all those who helped make the symposium a great success."
Education professionals gather to share views and knowledge

Awarding body and exam board Central Qualifications (CQ) hosted its annual Veterinary Nursing Symposium this month, providing an opportunity for those involved in veterinary nurse education to develop skills and share views and experiences.

Taking place at CQ headquarters in Suffolk, the two-day event brought together college principals and heads of centres, senior management from CQ , IT staff, internal and external verifiers, head nurses as well as clinical coaches and a representative from the RCVS.

Jacqui Garrett, head of CQ commented: “We really appreciate the efforts of all those who helped make the symposium a great success. The feedback we receive is used to enhance education and training and will help develop programmes for the next generation of veterinary nurses.”

One of the key discussions on Friday, 5 June involved new features added to the Central Skills Log (CSL) - a custom-written electronic system for recording and verifying practical skills.

Other hot topics were effective communication and how to deal with malpractice and maladministration should it occur.

A series of rotating sessions included a communication workshop, IT training sessions and a quality assurance Q&A session. Delegates were also able to spend individual time with the CQ senior management team.

During day two of the event (6 June), the focus was on practical assessments and OSCEs (Objective Structured Clinical Examinations). Examiners were able to review and debate newly constructed scenarios and their suitability for assessments.

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Applications open for MMI research grants

News Story 1
 RCVS' Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) has launched round two of its veterinary mental health research grants.

Researchers have until 11.59pm on Wednesday, 28 May 2025 to apply for a grant for research which reflects MMI's 2025 focus areas.

Only one Impact Grant was awarded last year, and so this year there are two Discovery Grants and one Impact Grants available. Each Discovery Grant is worth £5,000 and the Impact Grant is worth £15,000.

For more information or to apply, email researchgrants@rcvs.org.uk to contact the MMI team.

 

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News Shorts
BBC Radio 4 documentary addresses corporate fees

BBC Radio 4's File on 4 Investigates has released a documentary exploring how corporate-owned veterinary practices may be inflating bills to increase profit.

Released on 15 April, 'What's Happening To Your Vet Bills?' revealed the policies which many corporate groups have in place to increase their profits. This included targets and upgrades which veterinary teams are tasked with meeting on a regular basis.

It also features Anrich Vets, an independently-owned practice based in Wigan. Following the case of Staffordshire terrier Benjy, who is diagnosed with a tumour, the documentary shares how the team were able to offer contextualised care and advice to make the procedure as affordable as possible for his owners.

The documentary can be heard on demand on BBC iPlayer.