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RCVS and VN Councils’ 2025 elections open for nominations
The elections will take place under the newly-amended RCVS Election Scheme.
Nominations must be made by 31 January 2025.

The nominations for the 2025 elections for the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Council and Veterinary Nurses (VN) Council have officially opened.

Veterinary surgeons and nurses now have until 5pm on Friday, 31 January to submit their nomination forms to stand as election candidates. There are four elected veterinary surgeon places available on the RCVS Council and two elected veterinary nurse places available on the VN Council.

The elections will take place under the newly-amended RCVS Election Scheme, recently approved by the Privy Council. It will allow the college more flexibility in how it runs elections, and in the information it requests from candidates.

The college has also updated its downloadable information packs for prospective candidates for each election.

Each information pack sets out details on the roles of the members and the candidate nomination process. They also contain the nomination and information forms necessary for submission.

The RCVS Council is responsible for the governance of the veterinary profession, with its members involved with approving major policy decisions affecting the regulation and advancement of the profession. It also approves strategic and financial plans, as well as annual budgets.

Members sit on various committees and sub-committees relating to standards, education, registration, finance and the advancement of the professions, in addition to any ad hoc groups.

The VN Council represents the veterinary nursing sector, examining matters relating to education, training standards, post-qualification awards and the registration of new RVNs.

It has oversight over the joint British Veterinary Nursing Association and RCVS VN Futures project. Members may also be asked to sit on the VN Education Committee and other RCVS committees, sub-committees and ad hoc groups.

Candidates for each election will need to provide a biography (maximum 200 words) as well as a candidate statement (maximum 200 words).

Veterinary surgeons who are interested in standing for RCVS Council should contact Dawn Wiggins, RCVS Council secretary, on d.wiggins@rcvs.org.uk for more information. Candidates for the VN Council election should contact Annette Amato, VN Council secretary, on a.amato@rcvs.org.uk for details about their election.

The candidate information packs for each election can be found here.

Image © Shutterstock

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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.