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Nominations open for RCVS Council elections
Council members will now only be able to serve a total of three consecutive four-year terms.
Nomination period runs until 31 January 2019

Nominations for the 2019 RCVS Council and Veterinary Nurses (VN) Council elections are now open.

The elections will be the first to be affected by the recent changes to the College’s governance structure, which received ministerial approval in May. This means there will only be three seats available, instead of the previous six.

Council members will now only be able to serve a total of three consecutive four-year terms and, once these have ended, will need to wait at least two years before standing for Council again.

VN Council has also recently agreed changes to its governance and composition, reducing the number of elected members from eight to six. The term of office for VN Council members has been reduced from four to three years and the same three-term limit also applies.

The nomination period for both RCVS and VN Councils runs until 5pm on Thursday 31 January 2019. Candidates for either Council will need to complete a nomination form, submit a short biography and personal statement and supply a high resolution digital photo. Each candidate will also need to have two nominators.

”As always, we would encourage those who are interested in playing a part in some of the current debates around veterinary regulation – whether that’s in regards to telemedicine, the impact of Brexit, the future of veterinary education or professional standards – to consider putting themselves forward for their relevant Council,” said Eleanor Ferguson.

“There are many important issues coming up to be debated and decided upon and we appreciate knowledge, expertise, constructive criticism and insight from a broad range of people from all parts of the veterinary profession.

Guidance notes, frequently asked questions and nominations forms for prospective RCVS Council Candidates can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/rcvscouncil19 and www.rcvs.org.uk/vncouncil19.

 

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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.