The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Professional Standards Advice Team will be trialing extended hours, meaning that a member of staff will be available to answer calls about the Code of Professional Conduct and it’s supporting guidance until 7pm.
The trial will last for 3 months starting in June, which calls will be taken between 9.15am and 7pm, Monday to Friday.
On average the Professional Conduct Department deals with 7,500 calls a year as well as around 2,000 written requests.
Laura McClintock, Standards and Advisory Manager, says: “The aim of the trial is to determine if the profession would take advantage of these extended hours and, therefore, if our team should permanently extend it’s operating hours to provide a better service to the profession.”
The team aims to provide clear, concise and consistent advice to help veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses understand their professional responsibilities and support compliance with the code. It also clearly distinguishes between professional requirements, legal requirements and suggested good practice and may offer suggestions about how professional responsibilities can be applied in practice.
The Professional Standards Advice Team can be contacted on 020 7202 0789 or, alternatively, email profcon@rcvs.org.uk