The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) has now announced the results of the RCVS Council and VN Council elections. The results saw an even split of new faces elected and existing members reinstated to both Councils. The elections which saw a record number of women standing in 2014, half of the successful RCVS Council candidates this year were women, two of whom being elected for the first time.
Re-elected to three of the six seats available on RCVS Council were current President Neil Smith (1,687 votes), incoming Standards Committee Chairman David Catlow (1,656) and Vice-President Jacqui Molyneux (1,304); and, from RCVS Day on 11 July 2014, they will be joined by new members David Bartram (1,674), Susan Paterson (1,496) and Mandisa Greene (1,296). The two available places on VN Council were taken by existing member Hilary Orpet (611 votes) and new member Amber Richards (371).
Unfortunately, overall turnouts in both elections fell, with 4,137 (16.1%) veterinary surgeons and 1,157 (10%) veterinary nurses voting. These turnouts and voter numbers compare with 4,661 (18.8%) and 1,329 (12.5%) last year, and ten-year averages of 3,927 (17.4%) and 869 (9.9%), respectively.
Commenting on the results, RCVS Registrar Gordon Hockey, says: “It was always going to be tough to beat last year’s record turnout, even with a record number of candidates standing this year, but it’s encouraging that voter numbers are still the third highest in the last ten years. “I’d like to be amongst the first to publicly congratulate all the successful candidates this year, and to encourage those who weren’t successful this time to stand again in the future. I’m very much looking forward to working with our three new RCVS Council members whilst, at the same time, delighted that the profession has returned three existing members to their seats, enabling them to continue their work for the College.”
For more information visit the RCVS website