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Vet professionals invited to mental health training
The course will be held on 7-8 March 2024.
Two-day course to be held in Nottingham.

The Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) will host a two-day mental health first aid training course for veterinary professionals in Nottingham in March.

Providing a qualification in Mental Health First Aid, the in-person course will look at how to identify signs of poor mental health in others, how to direct people to appropriate support, and how to confidently begin conversations about mental health.

The training, provided in collaboration with Mental Health First Aid England, will take place at Antenna, Nottingham on Thursday, 7 March 2024 and Friday, 8 March 2024. It will cost £80 per person.

Any member of the veterinary profession can attend, including veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses, practice managers, receptionists, and students.

The MMI was set up by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2015 to improve mental health and wellbeing in the veterinary sector by providing training and resources.

Angharad Belcher, Advancement of the Professions and MMI director, said: “Having worked with Mental Health First Aid England in the past to provide these valuable training courses, we are really pleased to see the network of veterinary Mental Health First Aiders continue to grow, particularly in more rural areas where access to mental health support is often more difficult to come by.

“The aim is to create a ripple effect, whereby Mental Health First Aiders within the veterinary community can then support others to feel confident in speaking out about how they feel and to reach out for appropriate support if required.”

Places on the course can be booked on the MMI website.

Image © Shutterstock

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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.