There has been a fair amount to keep me occupied since taking over as BEVA President.
The flu vaccine shortage was already an issue when I took office and I hope that through working with several other organisations we have chartered a course through. Read my update here.
We continue to work collaboratively on projects to limit antimicrobial and anthelmintic resistance. There is a lot going on in this space. The BHS launched their "think before you worm” campaign at BEVA Congress which we have helped to develop and will continue to support. They are urging all horse owners to consult with their vets to develop sustainable strategies for parasite control that limit the use of anthelmintics. There are interesting discussions ahead on how anthelmintics are dispensed and it is essential that the veterinary profession leads by example. Moves to benchmark all antimicrobial use in equine practice are also underway and may become a legal requirement in the not too distant future. Having appropriate systems in place to ensure antimicrobials and anthelmintics are being dispensed appropriately and having an associated audit trail should be the norm. The actions of a few can easily undermine wider efforts so please review your practice policies around antimicrobial and anthelmintic use and update them if necessary. If you missed them, please look at the resources that accompanied World Antimicrobial Awareness Week. Please check out the antimicrobial amnesty which we hope practices will continue to take forward indefinitely.
Planning for BEVA Congress is well underway with an exciting programme having been developed by the congress committee led by Andy Fisk-Jackson of the RVC. Without wanting to tempt fate we are confident that the COVID shackles can be thrown off and we can organise a congress that celebrates personal interaction and face-to face discussion. We will be easing back on the virtual offering in 2023 and will be investing in a lot more practical and case-based elements of the programme. There will be a theme of implementing human behaviour change through Congress building on the recent Virtual Collection in EVJ on human behaviour change and how we have to understand our own species if we are to do a better job of treating the equine one. There will be all the usual clinical content but with some extra discussion of how we can translate our knowledge. Please get the dates in the diary now - 13 - 16 September, back at the ICC in Birmingham. It will be a belter, do what you can to get there.
Our new nurse committee have been very active in looking at how they can help and support equine veterinary nurses. A priority is to review and get clarity over the dispensation for nurses to perform procedures under schedule 3 of the veterinary medicines regulations. BEVA will be looking to promote the role of the equine veterinary nurse moving into 2023 and this will form an important part of the 2023 congress programme. We will look to celebrate those who are championing the roles of equine nurses and encourage everyone to empower veterinary nurses within the practice team, on the road as well as in the clinic. Please check that the nurses and support staff in your practice are BEVA members and if they aren’t please encourage and facilitate their membership. Nurse membership is £52, every practice should be able to make that a benefit that is commensurate with employment.
We have newly appointed co-opted representatives on BEVA Council to ensure we hear a range of views and work on behalf of the breadth of our membership. We have two new representatives for students and new graduates, and Chris Akari will speak for members in Northern Ireland as we face a range of challenges on the other side of the Irish Sea. There is much to be done building on the recruitment and retention survey and promoting the equine profession. For all the doom and gloom we often hear the survey highlights that most of us have no plans to leave the profession and this is exactly where most of us would be if we had our time again. Let’s make some noise about the positives, particularly around impressionable younger colleagues or want-to-be colleagues.
There is much to be done building on the recruitment and retention survey and promoting the equine profession. For all the doom and gloom we often hear, the survey highlights that most of us have no plans to leave the profession and this is exactly where most of us would be if we had our time again. Let’s make some noise about the positives, particularly around impressionable younger colleagues or want-to-be colleagues.
One of my aims this year is to develop and build on the incredible relationships we have internationally. We already have a string international membership but there is tremendous scope for it to be stronger and for international collaborations to bear greater fruit. In the last four months I have been busy travelling to our partner associations to understand how and where we can work together more effectively. I have visited UK association events, meeting with the BVA, BVNA, SVS and BCVA as well as travelling further afield to meet with our international partners in Italy, Portugal, Ireland and the USA. We all face similar challenges and every meeting I go to provides a different angle or perspective that we can use to our advantage.
One thing that hit home to me when talking about BEVA at international meetings is the amount we do and the amount we offer our members. Clearly I am biased but membership offers ridiculous value for money. Please encourage colleagues who are not members to join wherever you are in the world. For overseas members do find out about our affiliate programme.
The latest member benefit is the BEVA buddy app, if you haven’t already downloaded it then I would encourage you to do so - and I look forward to chatting to you on the discussion boards soon.
If you have any feedback please contact me or any of the BEVA team. We are here for you and we can all be reached by email on membership@beva.org.uk.