Review of the Veterinary Surgeons Act - Please sign the petition
On average, the Royal College of Veterinary Sugeons (RCVS) receives about 800 complaints against veterinary surgeons annually (about 15 per week). Most of us hope that we will never have cause to complain to the RCVS and that if we do, our complaint will be dealt with fairly.
The RCVS is a self-governing body, there is increasing evidence that the present RCVS disciplinary system does not protect animals and that complaints are NOT dealt with fairly.
Slowly but surely other self-governing professions are being made more accountable. A report by Dame Janet Smith criticised the General Medical Council (GMC) for "looking after its own" and recommended a radical shake-up in its structure. Shipman report demands GMC reform [BBC - 9 December 2004]
Lawyers too are to lose the power of self-regulation. Under Lord Falconer's proposals, there will be a new Legal Services Board with statutory powers to regulate the professions. No longer a law over themselves [The Telegraph - 8 December 2005 ]
The late Dame Sheila McKechnie is quoted as once having said "Vets still function in the dark ages. I will continue to campaign, until we, the consumer have some redress against this profession when things go wrong."
The Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 is currently under review by our government (Defra). This includes a complete review of the arrangements for managing complaints against veterinary surgeons.
Please take the time to think about what is being said here and sign the following petition to the Prime Minister.
Help bring the veterinary profession out of the "dark ages" and here into 2006.
If you need help, here are some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about signing this petition.
Even
if you do not live in the UK, please feel free to sign the petition. Our Prime
Minister, Tony Blair spends a lot of time on the world stage letting people
in other countries know his opinions, I therefore think it is fitting that he
should reciprocate and listen to what you have to say for a change!
Petition to the Prime Minister, 10 Downing Street, London SW1A 2AA
We, the undersigned, petition the UK Government for:
· An independent ombudsman to deal with complaints concerning veterinary negligence and misconduct
· Continuous supervision by qualified staff for pets hospitalised at veterinary surgeries overnight
· Veterinary fees to be regulated by the Department of Trade
·
The veterinary code of conduct to be made statutory - any breaches of the code
to be made public in the interest of the consumer
It is necessary to complete all fields on this form (with the exception of comments) in order to meet the criteria for an e-petition to Downing Street. Data received from this form is confidential, will not be published on the internet and not passed on to third parties.
The comments part of this form will not be included in the petition to the Prime Minister.
Thank you for signing the petition.
If you haven't signed the petition yet and would like further convincing that you should, please click through to the Vet Watch page.