20 Oct 2025
Two clinicians have faced an RCVS panel over forms completed for farm visits that never took place.
Vet Times
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Two vets have been sanctioned after they admitted completing paperwork for bTB advisory visits to a farm that never happened.
An RCVS disciplinary committee was told Christopher Butterworth’s and Melissa Bexon’s actions only came to light when the farmer, who is now married to Dr Bexon, questioned a letter he had received on the subject.
Both respondents admitted signing the papers and being guilty of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect during a five-day hearing earlier this month.
Dr Butterworth was given a reprimand and formal warning as to his future conduct while Dr Bexon received a reprimand, which the committee said reflected her “lesser, albeit crucial, role in this unseemly enterprise”.
The pair had been working at Peakfield Farm Vets in Derbyshire when the initial form stating that a TB Advisory Service (TBAS) visit had taken place was completed in February 2023.
A similar document, relating to a follow-up visit, was completed in July of that year.
In each case, Dr Butterworth was named as the TBAS advisor, while Dr Bexon was listed as the farm representative.
But questions were raised in September 2023 when the farmer contacted TBAS to ask why he had received a letter stating he had been visited by a vet when that was not the case.
TBAS terminated its arrangement with the practice a few days later after both Dr Butterworth and Dr Bexon confirmed the forms were not based on physical visits – an action described as being “in clear breach” of its service agreement.
Dr Butterworth said it had been “assumed” that Dr Bexon could answer on the farmer’s behalf as she was engaged to him.
But Dr Bexon, who later left the practice following the incidents, said Dr Butterworth had approached her on at least three occasions about discussing the possibility of TBAS visits with the farmer.
She stressed that she had not found his actions intimidating but did regard them as “quite persistent” and later “irritating”.
In a supplementary statement, Dr Butterworth said he had never intended to make Dr Bexon feel uncomfortable and he was “truly sorry” if he had done so.
The panel also noted there had been “a clear imbalance of power” between the two given their status as employer and employee respectively.
Both respondents expressed shame at finding themselves before the committee and provided a total of 60 character references between them to the hearing.
Dr Butterworth was described as having “a strong drive to make a difference” while Dr Bexon was said to be “passionate” about TB work and “an example” of how to test for the disease.
Although their actions were considered serious, the committee said the extent of the testimonies presented showed their actions were “very much out of character”.
