VetNI

Veterinary Northern Ireland

VETS FOR UKRAINE – Hosting Refugee Families

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NI vet associations wish to support vet colleagues and their families fleeing Ukraine.  A number of initiatives are being explored and more information should be available shortly but in the meantime, we are building a database of potential homes for vets, vet nurses and their families here in NI.

The Government Homes for Ukraine scheme requires you to know the name of the Ukrainian to whom you wish to offer accommodation so we are establishing links that will allow the NI vet community to connect those fleeing Ukraine who also have a vet connection (vets, vets’ families, vet nurses etc.)

The hope is that the common ground shared by vets, wherever they are from, will in some small way smooth a desperate process and provide some reassurance.

If you think you may be able to offer accommodation, please drop us an e-mail to info@vetni.co.uk. We will add you to our database without obligation and share further information as soon as we can.

AVSPNI Spring Conference – LOCAL and LIVE!

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We’re pretty proud of the lecture programme for Spring Conference at La Mon Hotel, 1st & 2nd of April but mostly we are just looking forward to some great face-to-face CPD again! A chance to chat, catch up, swap news and stories, see colleagues from trade and other practices . . . a chance to dress up 70s style and PARTY!!! We can’t wait . . .

NIVA AGM – a great start to 2022

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Yet again this year COVID played havoc with the best-laid plans and NIVA held its second successive Virtual AGM on Wednesday 9th February.

Outgoing President Mark Little welcomed a pleasingly large crowd and summarised the variety of NIVA’s activities for the year – providing input to a plethora of consultations, engaging with issues affecting animal welfare and the interests of the profession, providing representation and support for members, raising money for local charities (£1470 for Vet Support NI and almost £3000 for Air Ambulance NI), and seeking out creative hybrid ways to provide CPD, craic and convivial company when circumstances allowed. Mark thanked all those who had helped him in achieving his aims for a phenomenally busy year (members, sponsors, Council, the officer team, his family and the tireless team at VetNI), before handing over the reins and the very impressive NIVA Chain to new President Fiona McFarland.

Fiona graduated from Bristol in 2004 and started her career in farm practice in Somerset before returning to NI in 2011 to work in Earlswood Veterinary Hospital, where the legendary Des Thompson first encouraged her to become involved with NIVA Council. Fiona has an enormous amount of experience to bring to the twin roles of NIVA and BVA(NI) President. In addition to years on NIVA Council she has served on BVA Policy Committee, been instrumental in setting up Young Vet Network and Vet Support NI, and worked as a locum in over 45 practices in Northern Ireland before taking up her current role in industry as Account Manager Ireland North for IMV Imaging. 

Fiona is looking forward to a busy year as we (hopefully) emerge from the pandemic and get to grips with Brexit, workforce issues, climate change and sustainability. She will be ably assisted by Mark, who continues as SVP, and Esther Skelly-Smith, whose election as JVP was ratified by the membership. Susan Cunningham was elected as Public Relations Officer, and Seamus O’Kane and Rachel Davies continue as Treasurer and Secretary respectively. Council members Sean Rooney, Kirsten Dunbar, William Sherrard, Lara Wilson and Ed Taylor are stepping down this year, and were thanked for their hard work. New Council members Aoife Ferris, Patricia Van Veen, Ruth Moreno, Roisin Dickinson, Sharon Verner, Orla McAlister, and an impressive 59 new ordinary members were ratified by the membership and welcomed.

The business part of the meeting being concluded, Fiona introduced the evening’s speaker  – Professor Michael Doherty, Dean of UCD Veterinary School, who provided an Educational Perspective on Future Challenges for the Veterinary Profession.

NIVA is extremely grateful to Boehringer Ingelheim for their ongoing support, and particularly sponsorship of this year’s NIVA AGM.

Vet education – a very current topic to be addressed at NIVA AGM

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Professor Michael Doherty

The NIVA Annual general meeting on Wednesday 9th February 2022 will include a presentation by guest speaker Professor Michael Doherty, Dean and Head of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Professor of Veterinary Clinical Studies in the School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin. Who better to help us understand the “Future Challenges for the Veterinary Profession – an Educational Perspective“?

NIVA members and non-members can register for this talk via the entry for the event on the VetNI calendar.

Members can nomination fellow members for the role of Junior Vice President by e-mailing info@vetni.co.uk

This event has been generously sponsored by our colleagues at  Boehringer Ingelheim 

Congratulations to Bronach McClean who was awarded the VSSCo Educational Bursary

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The adjudication panel have awarded this year’s VSSCo Educational Bursary to Bronach McClean from Northern Ireland Veterinary Specialists. Bronach’s project is Ovariectomy (OE) vs ovariohysterectomy (OHE)- what is being performed in Northern Ireland and why. Bronach received her bursary from Mark Kellett, VSSCo’s Head of Sales & Marketing. VSSCo would like to thank all this year’s applicants for their submissions and congratulate Bronach on her award.

VSSCo Educational Bursary 2021

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Your local veterinary wholesaler has been supporting practice in NI for 65 years but did you know that VSSCo also supports individual vets in practice by offering a sizeable annual bursary to further educational or research ambitions? If you are still learning and striving to improve your clinical practice, take a closer look!

NIVAs “Step out to help out!” challenge – 2021

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Just a few pics of SOME of the NIVA “Step Out to Help Out” walks

Answers to some FAQs:

Yes, doing the walks on horseback is allowed!

Our charities? NI Air Ambulance and Vet Support NI.

No, its not too late to join in – these walks will continue all year. Drop VetNI a line if you can’t find the details. We’ll get you signed up and send you a very desirable NIVA snood/buff/neck gaiter thingy so you too can make jokes about walking in the buff!

Submitting photos of your walks isn’t compulsory but it does give you the chance to win a prize 🙂

If you want to join in whilst pushing a lawnmower, who are we to stop you.

Can’t manage the walking? Why not sponsor other walkers instead? the JustGiving page is here.

Yes, group walks with NIVA colleagues are now being planned. Watch your e-mails for details!

RCVS review of ‘under care’ and 24/7 emergency cover

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What are the implications of new technologies for both animal health and welfare and veterinary regulation?

What are your views on the provision of 24/7 emergency cover?

How should we interpret an animal being under the care of a veterinary surgeon?

Where does remote consulting (vet-to-client telemedicine) fit into current practice and what are its limitations?

The RCVS launched an online qualitative survey to gain the views and feedback of UK-based veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses on 19 May 2021 so its YOUR turn to have your say!

An email containing a personalised link to the survey has been sent to rgeistered vets and vet nurses. If you can’t see yours, you can apply to complete the survey by sending an e-mail to RCVSsurvey@accent-mr.com.

The survey closes at 5pm on Wednesday, 16 June 2021. It should take 15-20 minutes to complete, but can be returned to and completed in stages if preferred.

Targeted assitance for vet practices reporting antimicrobial usage on farms

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Veterinary practices can benefit from funding to install a new software that makes it simpler to report antibiotic usage on farms across Northern Ireland. Thanks to a research initiative in Northern Ireland entitled ‘STrategic AntiMicrobial use in Dairy, Beef and Lamb Production’ (STAMP), a software application to benchmark antibiotic use is now widely available. The Livestock and Meat Commission for Northern Ireland (LMC) will fund the installation cost of the ‘STAMP AMU Benchmarking Tool’ in practices across Northern Ireland between 1st April 2021 and 31st March 2022. The tool can also be used to report antibiotic usage for the purposes of the Northern Ireland Beef and Lamb Farm Quality Assurance Scheme (NIBL FQAS), thereby replacing the need for vets to fill out the existing paper form.
Demonstrating the responsible use of antibiotics is a critical component of food production. The beef, sheep and dairy industry must respond to the needs of its customers. However, a key challenge faced by vets and producers is gathering accurate information on the purchase and use of medicines on farms. The benchmarking tool developed in partnership with the STAMP project partners and Farmvet Systems is a user-friendly web-based platform that captures and monitors antibiotic prescription use at farm level. With the appropriate permissions in place, the tool aggregates and standardises existing data sets from vet practices, APHIS or vet entered records in VetIMPRESS to produce AMU reports in a few simple steps; with significant savings made on the time it takes to produce reports manually. The tool also provides producers with key information that supports decisions to improve animal health and enables vets to have effective discussions with their clients on how best to optimise the use of antibiotics.
Commenting on the funding opportunity, Colin Smith, Industry Development Manager at The Livestock and Meat Commission for Northern Ireland said: “LMC is delighted to confirm it will fund the installation cost of the STAMP AMU Benchmarking Tool. The funding provides a one-off opportunity to help the industry meet the challenges ahead around strategic use of antibiotics. The application offers a quick and easy way to monitor antibiotic use with minimal data input and we are delighted to support the adoption of this tool in practices across Northern Ireland.”
George Brownlee, CEO of Farmvet Systems, continues: “The important area of antibiotic use in livestock production is increasingly coming under the spotlight. A capability of our VetIMPRESS platform is the capacity for vets to effectively monitor medicine usage. We are pleased to put our expertise towards the development of this industry-wide platform, which will lead to more responsible use of antibiotics for the long-term benefit of farmers, their animals and the public. The STAMP AMU Benchmarking Tool will enable vets to make informed decisions as advisors and provide an effective means for vets and producers to work together.”
Funding will be available to veterinary practices in Northern Ireland from 1st April 2021 to 31st March 2022 and will cover the cost of the software installation. Vets who wish to use the tool should contact Farmvet Systems Ltd directly to organise installation on 028 8674 7378 or visit www.vetimpress.com/stampni.