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Practising vets 'must remain on RCVS Council'
Chris Barker
During his first term on the council, Chris has been a member of the standards committee and is currently sitting as chairman.

Re-election candidate hopes to continue work with standards committee

As the RCVS plans to shrink its council from 42 to 24 members, it is "important that interested, active practitioners remain on council," says councillor Chris Barker, who is hoping to be elected for a second term on council.

The changes will also see the number of university-appointed council members drop from 12 to three. Responding to concerns from the profession that there will remain too many academics and people with 'vested interests' on council, Mr Barker says it is important for members of the profession to vote in RCVS elections - "that is democracy in action".

Throughout his first term, he has been a member of the standards committee and is currently sitting as vice chairman. During his time in this role, he says he has sought to ensure that the demands made of practitioners are both reasonable and deliverable, something he hopes to continue if re-elected.

To read the full article, log in to VetCommunity: http://vetcommunity.com/vs/practising-vets-must-remain-on-rcvs-council/

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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.