Month: January 2019

Congratulations to our winners

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Congratulations to our winners

Everyone who ordered products from our Select from NVS range during December 2018 had a chance of winning on of 24 “Love from Santa” hampers.

Here are just a few of those lucky winners

The-Hackney-Vet

A. Drape roll, swabs and surgical
gloves

A. I went into the prep room
singing “I’ve got a golden ticket”

A. WOW bandage – strong,
reliable and cost effective

A. I felt like Charlie winning his
ticket to the chocolate factory.
I never win anything! Really
pleased!

A. We love the NVS lint rollers
because the sticky sheets
actually come off in an easy and
sensible way – not like trying
to find the end of a chewed
up roll of sticky tape, like other
brands

A. The nurses were really excited
and spent the morning singing
“I’ve got a golden ticket” – a
la Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory!

Look out for more campaigns from NVS throughout 2019.

Royal Canin announces Healthy Weight Competition winners

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Royal Canin announces Healthy Weight Competition winners

Following an impressive number of entries, Royal Canin announced their six finalists and the overall winner of the 2018 Healthy Weight Competition at an awards ceremony held on Monday 14th January.

The Healthy Weight Competition aims to promote a healthy body shape for cats and dogs and, recognises the hard work of pet owners and Veterinary Nurses for achieving and maintain a pet’s healthy weight.

With a combined weight loss of nearly 51kg, the finalists included both cats and dogs who are healthier and more active following their weight loss journey. 

The lucky finalists were awarded with a choice of a pet portrait or pet photo shoot and trophy for the pet owner and £100 shopping vouchers for the Veterinary Nurse.

The finalists for the 2018 Healthy Weight Competition were:

  • Coco Perry – A 6-year-old chocolate Labrador, entered by Vet Nurse Anna Wright of Mimram Vets. Coco had a starting weight of 55kg and has lost 10kg to date.
  • Ringo Flowers – An 8-year-old Bengal X Siamese, entered by Vet Nurse Katie Hartnoll of the Willows Vet Group. Ringo had a starting weight of 8.9kg, he lost 5.72kg and is now as his ideal weight and shape.
  •  Max Jones – A 13-year-old Border Collie, entered by Vet Nurse Hazel Campbell of Cater Vets. Max had a starting weight of 45kg and lost 15.9kg.
  • Mimi Fyfe – An 8-year-old British Shorthair, also entered by Vet Nurse Katie Hartnoll of the Willows Vet Group. Mimi had a starting weight of 9.82kg and has lost 2kg to date.
  • Archie Wooldridge – A 12-year-old Bichon Frise, also entered by Vet Nurse Anna Wright of Mimram Vets.  Archie had a starting weight of 12kg he lost 3.9kg and is now at his ideal weight and shape. 

The prize on offer for the overall winner was a £1000 holiday voucher and trophy for the pet owner and Vet Nurse, as well as a £500 J.A.K Marketing Ltd Voucher for the Vet Practice. Scooping the top prize was Vet Nurse Anna Wright from Mimram Vets with her entry Archie Wooldridge.

Mrs Wooldridge, Archie’s owner, said: “Since meeting Anna at DogFest last July, Archie has lost 4kg and has now reached his target weight. He has so much more energy and is always making us run after him on walks. It’s like having a puppy again when in reality he’s 12 years old!”

Commenting on the competition, Caroline Burke, Weight Management Specialist at Royal Canin said: “We have seen some astounding weight loss journeys during this year’s competition, with our six winners losing an average of 33% of their bodyweight. 

“Royal Canin is committed to supporting veterinary practices across the UK and Ireland with weight management programmes and specifically formulated diets and we look forward to seeing all six finalists’ continued journeys to a healthier lifestyle.”

Vetstream Steps Up to Support Veterinary Wellness

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Vetstream Steps Up to Support Veterinary Wellness

Veterinary digital content specialist Vetstream has announced a range of initiatives to support the mental wellness of veterinarians.  They include adding a range of new content on managing stress and depression, together with tools to support affected veterinary professionals to its Vetlexicon clinical resources.  The content includes reference material on identifying mental health issues and sources of help. Subscribers simply add the keyword ‘stress’ into the keyword search to access the information.

Vetstream is also working closely with Vetlife, a charity providing support to the veterinary community and the Samaritans to signpost subscribers to Vetlexicon to sources of help and support and promoting the availability of Moodscope, a community-driven online service to help people to manage their mood.  Finally, it has partnered with mental health training specialist EF Training to bring its training on compassion fatigue to its Vetacademy online learning platform. 

Dr Mark Johnston, CEO of Vetstream, explained: “We are delighted support the great work of Vetlife, the Samaritans and Moodscope which are all working in different ways to help colleagues in distress.  I think the work being carried out by Moodscope to help colleagues to monitor their own mood, and to help alert friends or colleagues if a user is having a difficult time, is particularly exciting.

“Taking a stronger stance on supporting veterinary wellness is particularly important to me as I lost my own father to suicide.  As a company, we already focus on supporting veterinary professionals around the world by offering them easy access to the clinical resources they need to offer the highest standard of care to their patients.  Given the challenges many colleagues face in terms of stress, depression and other mental health issues, however, we are now extending our services to ensure that we are also offering resources to help them care for themselves.”

Brexit Statement – National Veterinary Services

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Brexit Statement – National Veterinary Services

28 October 2019

The UK was set to leave the EU following the referendum in 2016, however the departure date has been delayed.

Today it’s been reported that EU leaders have agreed in principle to delay the UK’s departure date until 31 January 2020 to avoid a no-deal Brexit, meaning the UK will not leave as planned on 31 October. The EU said it is a ‘flextension’, meaning the UK could leave before this date if a deal is approved by Parliament.

As the UK’s Market Leader in Veterinary wholesaling and distribution we take our role very seriously in supporting continuity of supply during any post Brexit changes and we have been monitoring the situation closely as I’m sure other companies are too. We started to assess plans and actions well in advance of the original proposed date, which was March this year.

Through our widespread distribution centres across the UK and our central facility in Stoke on Trent we have taken a number of proactive actions including carrying extra stock and increasing our capacity. We continue to work with manufacturers and all our supply chain partners to mitigate risks as we identify them. A collaborative approach continues to be the most effective plan of action during this everchanging situation.

We continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure we can minimise disruption to our customers and will update you as more information comes to light.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Martin Riley – MD, National Veterinary Services

Successful CVPM Candidates Announced

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Successful CVPM Candidates Announced

Three practice managers have been awarded the Veterinary Management Group’s Certificate in Veterinary Practice Management (CVPM), a respected qualification awarded to individuals working in veterinary management.  The successful candidates, who completed their studies during 2018 and passed the examination, are:

  • Mrs Michelle (Mimi) Machin RVN, the Bredy Veterinary Centre in Bridport
  • Miss Gemma Taylor RVN, Abbeymoor Veterinary Centres in Sheffield
  • Miss Emma Hollingworth RVN, The Park Vet Group in Cardiff

The CVPM, developed by the Veterinary Management Group (VMG), provides a benchmark for veterinary employers seeking veterinary management expertise and covers six core areas:  strategic management; general management; personnel; communications; financial planning and marketing.   The CVPM examination consists of a written 3,000-word report and the examination itself which consists of a ten-minute presentation on a subject supplied by the examining board; a 15-minute discussion of the submitted report and two further 30-minute oral exams on related topics.

Two further candidates are finalising their submissions and all successful candidates will be presented with their CVPM during VMG-SPVS Congress in January 2019.

Mimi Machin said: “I would recommend the CVPM to anyone looking to further their understanding and career in veterinary management. I have a veterinary nursing background so studying for the Certificate helped me develop the additional skills I need to fulfil the role of Practice Manager.”

Emma Hollingworth said: “Coming from a nursing background where much of my knowledge was gained through experience, the CVPM required me to research and develop skills which are not taught to all veterinary nurses and I feel it has given me a strong platform from which to develop my career.  The VMG provides excellent preparation days and I highly recommend attending one to those sitting the exam.”

VMG Director Ms Georgina Hills added: “Effective management has never been more important in today’s competitive veterinary industry. Those involved in practice management require expertise in all the key aspects of running a successful business, as well as a deep understanding of the veterinary sector.  The CVPM is, quite rightly, a testing qualification and we are pleased to see that it is increasingly becoming recognised as a benchmark for excellence. We congratulate our successful candidates this year and believe that the investment they have made in their career will reap dividends for them and their practice in the months ahead.”

The VMG is the lead representative body for veterinary professionals working in leadership and management roles within veterinary practice. It provides training, promotes best practice and lobbies on a range of practice management issues. It also offers a forum in which managers and others in a lead role within practice can learn, collaborate and network with colleagues across the UK.

Improve International’s new GPAdvCert to help General Practitioners advance diagnostic skills and CT knowledge

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Improve International’s new GPAdvCert to help General Practitioners advance diagnostic skills and CT knowledge

Diagnostic Imaging (Computed Tomography – CT) is the latest in a series of General Practitioner Advanced Certificates (GPAdvCert) announced by veterinary CPD specialist Improve International.

The 12-module programme is aimed at European veterinary professionals who have completed their General Practitioner Certificate in Diagnostic Imaging (GPCertDIIM) or Postgraduate Certificate (PgC) in Diagnostic Imaging and who wish to advance their diagnostic imaging skills further and enhance their academic qualifications. 

Improve’s GPAdvCert in Diagnostic Imaging (CT) will be delivered in three blocks of four days in three European cities and will be led by Course Director Tim Trevail BVetMed, CertVDI, DipECVDI, MRCVS. It will commence in May 2019 with training taking place in Vienna (Austria), Porto (Portugal) and Limassol (Cyprus).  Each module will be led by ECVS or ACVS Diplomates and will be supported by an online learning platform providing notes, additional resources and the ability for delegates to discuss clinical cases in a closed forum.  The programme has received conditional validation from Harper Adams University pending full approval early next year and is accredited by the European School of Veterinary Postgraduate Studies (ESVPS).

Commenting on the launch of the new GPAdvCert, Mr David Babington MRCVS, Business Development Director at Improve International, said: “Diagnostic Imaging (CT) is already widely available in many veterinary practices, with Diagnostic Imaging and CT studies becoming more and more common for veterinary practitioners as a result.  Each module of this advanced programme has been designed to progress delegates’ knowledge beyond Postgraduate Certificate level with more in-depth and advanced content. The programme focuses on practical training and includes CT scan reading sessions and case discussions.”

He added: “Improve’s GPAdvCert programmes help vets in practice to reduce the number of patients they refer, enabling them to retain a higher level of income for their practice.  The programme will also provide them with skills which they can pass onto their team.” 

According to Improve, the successful achievement of a GPAdvCert enables delegates to progress from a Postgraduate Certificate (or equivalent) to the Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Veterinary Practice Sciences in the UK, which is awarded by Harper Adams University.  This can, in turn, be used towards the award of a Master’s Degree (MSc) in Advanced Veterinary Practice Sciences.

Part of Benchmark and based in Swindon, Improve International provides high quality CPD in a range of formats for veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses, receptionists and practice managers to help them to develop their skills and knowledge, using a combination of review lectures, case-based discussion and where, applicable, hands-on practical sessions.

For further information visit www.improveinternational.com or email enquiries@improveinternational.com or call 01793 759159.