Disciplinary shake-up call after vet’s ‘two-year hell’

A vet who describes her experience of going through the RCVS disciplinary process as a “two-year hell” has called for the system to change.

Elizabeth Law-Bartle spent almost two years going through the “ordeal” when an Irish wolfhound-cross died following an operation to correct a gastric dilatation-volvulus.

Mrs Law-Bartle successfully performed the operation, but the 11-year-old dog died overnight at the surgery where it was being kept to recover from the procedure.

This prompted a complaint from the owners, who were unhappy at the fact they had not been told the dog would be left alone.

But despite the initial complaint being made in November 2017, it was not until the summer of 2019 that Mrs Law-Bartle finally appeared before the RCVS disciplinary committee (DC), resulting in a reprimand for failing “to obtain informed consent to the entirety of the surgical process and management, to include postoperative aftercare.”

‘Incredibly stressful’

During the period between the first complaint and her appearance before the DC, the stress of the situation led Mrs Law-Bartle to call Vetlife and left her questioning her career in veterinary medicine.

She said: “It was not until 15 January 2019 I was told the case had been referred to the DC. A year after receiving the first letter from the RCVS, I still did not know the exact charges. It was incredibly stressful.

“Finally, on 29 April 2019, I received formal notice of the inquiry and the charges against me, which concerned aftercare and failure to inform the owners about the level of aftercare.

“We met with our defence team in London about a week before the hearing to go through the case in detail and decide how to plea to the charges. I broke down and cried in the meeting. Here I was fighting for my career – my livelihood.”

At the end of the hearing, Mrs Law-Bartle’s barrister summarised to the committee – based on the evidence – that she was an excellent vet with a nine-year unblemished career, and that she had accurately diagnosed and treated the patient.

She added: “The committee agreed I had shown insight. However, in my opinion, they still had to maintain public confidence, so they gave me a reprimand. Personally I felt that going through the hearing and process for nearly two years was more than punishment enough.

“I feel something needs to change regarding how complaints are handled by the RCVS. More complaints are going to hearings than ever before. No wonder there are less vets.

“This whole ordeal caused me to question my career and the only job I’ve ever wanted to do since I was little. Thankfully I survived the two-year RCVS hell.”

To help others going through the process, Mrs Law-Bartle has produced a booklet entitled “How to survive an RCVS hearing”, which can be downloaded for free.

‘Process must be thorough’

In response to Mrs Law-Bartle’s comments, the college released a statement in which it defended the length of time taken by the disciplinary process.

The college said: “We recognise that the disciplinary process can be stressful and upsetting for respondents, and we do all we can to ensure that communication with all parties is as effective as possible and that undue delays do not occur.

“It is vitally important that cases are investigated thoroughly, however, and this can take time – especially if, as in this case, there are a number of respondents, witnesses and issues to consider.

“We particularly appreciate the strain that respondents may feel during the DC hearings – particularly in the stages that involve consideration of misconduct and sanctions – and while we always endeavour to progress matters quickly, and to minimise adverse impacts on respondents, the process must be thorough.”

The college is consulting on possible changes to the disciplinary process that may have the effect of reducing investigation times for cases, including the development of “mini‑PICs” that can consider cases more rapidly, and the charter case protocol that can dispose of cases without a full public inquiry.

It continued: “If these proposed changes go ahead, there will be alternative means of addressing concerns that will reduce the length of time involved for some respondents. The consultation period has recently been extended and readers can contribute here: www.rcvs.org.uk/consultations

“We are glad that Vetlife, for which the RCVS is a substantial donor via its Mind Matters Initiative, provided support and assistance to the respondent in this case, and the RCVS is currently developing plans to provide additional support for all those involved in its concerns investigation and disciplinary processes.

“We would also like to highlight that any veterinary professional involved in the concerns process is always welcome to contact the RCVS professional conduct department, or the case manager or solicitor specifically allocated to their case, if they have any queries or concerns, or would like to check the progress of a case and its investigation.”