30 Sept 2022
All cases to go to a preliminary investigation committee to determine whether a realistic prospect exists that alleged conduct constitutes serious professional misconduct and evidence is sufficient to prove it.
Paul Imrie
Job Title
Image © RCVS / Flickr
The RCVS is tomorrow (1 October) bringing in what it terms “a streamlined” investigation process for concerns reported against veterinary professionals.
A structure that previously saw potential cases considered by a case examiner group to check for an “arguable case” of serious professional misconduct is being replaced by one where all cases go before a preliminary investigation committee (PIC).
Its members’ job will be to consider whether a realistic prospect exists that an alleged conduct amounts to serious professional misconduct – and whether evidence is sufficient to prove it.
The initial PIC will either close a case, or send it to a stage two PIC that will gather additional information and evidence. If there is a realistic prospect of finding serious professional misconduct and if it is in the public interest, the case will move to stage three – a full, public disciplinary committee hearing.
Laypeople and members of the professions will make up a PIC, with its members assisted by an RCVS case manager, who will be a first point of contact for anyone raising concerns, as well as for witnesses and respondents in the case.
The college said the scrapping of the case examiner group cuts a stage from proceedings.
Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS registrar and director of legal services, said: “By keeping to one consistent threshold for serious professional misconduct throughout the concerns investigation process, we hope that these changes will help to simplify our investigations, while still ensuring that the process remains robust and thorough.
“We also hope that, in time, and when the changes are fully bedded in, we may also see a swifter resolution to some cases, as concerns that may have previously been referred on to stage two of the process can now be closed at stage one.”
The college is making changes to the professions’ disciplinary processes in stages, with more coming in 2023.
Ms Ferguson added: “The introduction of these new stages is the first step in the programme of reform of our concerns investigation and disciplinary processes.
“Next year, we will be looking to introduce our charter case protocol, which will be a way of resolving some less serious cases of alleged misconduct where it would not necessarily be in the public interest to hold a full disciplinary committee hearing.”
Further information on the processes will be available from 1 October onwards on the RCVS website.
