Under care review summary expected ‘soon’

Initial findings from a review of changes to the veterinary profession’s “under care” rules are likely to be released soon, an RCVS council meeting heard today (3 September).

Final recommendations are now expected to be made next year, following a forthcoming survey of clinicians that officials say will be influenced by the new data.

Meanwhile, details of the survey are set to be reviewed when the college’s standards committee meets later this month.

Prescribing practices

Plans for the college to work with the VetCompass project on research examining how prescribing practices have changed since the implementation of revised rules relating to POM-V products were first outlined in the spring of last year. The rules have been in force since early 2024.

Standards committee chair Sam Bescoby said that process was now drawing to a close having analysed around eight million patient records.

He said: “We’ve been kept up to date with progress and hopefully we’ll have an executive summary of the findings to publicise soon.

“It is in its early drafting phase and we have seen some of that already.”

Member survey

The council was also told it is hoped that plans for the survey of professionals will be approved at the standards committee’s meeting on 16 September.

Moves to delay that project, which college leaders had initially hoped to run alongside the VetCompass review, were revealed earlier this year.

But Dr Bescoby said work on drafting the survey had been continuing during the summer and its content was “being informed” by the VetCompass data.

‘Priority’

He added: “It is a priority of this committee. We’re working hard to get into an implementation stage.”

The survey is part of a wider second phase of the review, which will also include stakeholder engagement and analysis of college concerns and advice data.

Dr Bescoby said the committee hoped to be able to finalise its report and recommendations in the spring of 2027.