The candidate nomination period for the 2025 RCVS Council and VN Council elections has now opened, with veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses able to put themselves forward as a candidate in their respective elections.
With elections to RCVS Council and VN Council due to take place next spring, veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses who wish to stand as election candidates must submit their nomination forms by 5pm on Friday 31 January 2025. Next year’s RCVS Council election will have four elected veterinary surgeon places available, while VN Council will have two elected veterinary nurse places available.
RCVS Council is the College’s governing body with its members having responsibility for approving major policy decisions concerning both the regulation and advancement of the professions, in addition to approving strategic and financial plans as well as annual budgets. Council members also sit on a number of committees and subcommittees responsible for areas such as standards, education, registration, finance, and the advancement of the professions, as well as ad hoc working groups set up to look at particular issues in detail.
VN Council and its members are responsible for all matters concerning veterinary nurse education and training standards, post-qualification awards and the registration of qualified veterinary nurses. In addition, VN Council has oversight over the joint British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) and RCVS VN Futures project and its members may also be asked to sit on the VN Education Committee, other RCVS committees/ subcommittees or ad hoc working groups.
This year, the RCVS has updated its downloadable information packs for prospective candidates to either RCVS Council or VN Council. Each pack sets out further information about the role of an RCVS Council or VN Council member and the candidate nomination process, as well as containing the candidate nomination and candidate information forms.
The elections are also taking place under a newly-amended RCVS Election Scheme, which was recently approved by the Privy Council, and allows for greater flexibility in how the College runs its elections, and in the information it asks from those standing for elected positions on RCVS and VN Councils.
Simon Wiklund, Assistant Registrar for the RCVS and Returning Officer for both elections, said: “We’re delighted that the Privy Council has approved a new election scheme, allowing us to formally bring in some of the changes we have been looking to make for some time. The greater flexibility within the election scheme means we can change the candidate information forms so that they have a greater focus on what the prospective candidates can bring to their role on either council, and allow for online-only elections going forward.”
The RCVS Council and VN Council candidate information packs are available to download from our Publications page.
Veterinary surgeons who are interested in standing for RCVS Council and who have any further queries should contact Dawn Wiggins, RCVS Council Secretary, on d.wiggins@rcvs.org.uk
Veterinary nurses who are interested in standing for VN Council and who have further queries about the candidacy and election process should contact Annette Amato, VN Council Secretary, on a.amato@rcvs.org.uk