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RCVS and VN Councils election candidates announced
Vets and VNs eligible to vote in the elections will receive an email link to the relevant voting websites.
The successful candidates will take up their seats in July. 

The candidates for the 2022 RCVS Council and Veterinary Nurses (VN) Council elections have been announced.

This year there are 13 candidates standing for RCVS Council, competing for the three available places. They include one current member eligible for re-election and 12 candidates not currently on Council. 

The 13 candidates are:

Dr Jason Aldiss MRCVS
Professor David Barrett FRCVS
Dr Mark Bowen FRCVS
Dr Abbie Calow MRCVS
Olivia Cook MRCVS
Edward Davies MRCVS
Thomas Gliddon MRCVS
Dr Ian McKelvie MRCVS
Dr Susan Paterson FRCVS
Dr Gonzalo Sanchez-Cabezudo Perez MRCVS
Radu Sirbu MRCVS
Dr Huw Stacey MRCVS
Dr Samantha Webster MRCVS

For the VN Council election, nine candidates are standing for the two available places, including:

Samantha Jayne Anderson RVN
Teri-Ann Baldwin RVN
Jessica Louise Beckett RVN
Kirsten Cavill RVN
Sophie Louise Connolly RVN
Jane Davidson RVN
Olivia Jade Dunlop RVN
Sarah Amanda Scholes RVN
Holly Witchell RVN

As in 2021, all veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses eligible to vote in the elections will receive an email containing a link to a unique voting website. 

Ahead of the elections in March, eligible voters are encouraged to submit questions to the candidates using the hashtags #vetvote22 or #vnvote22, or emailing vetvote22@rcvs.org.uk or vnvote22@rcvs.org.uk. The candidates will then record a short video of themselves answering the questions for publication when the elections begin. 

The candidates with the most votes will take up their positions at the College’s Annual General Meeting in July. For more information about the elections, including the full biographies and manifesto statements, visit rcvs.co.uk/vetvote22

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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.