With less than a year to go before the microchipping of dogs in England, Scotland and Wales becomes mandatory, vets across the country are getting set to help dog owners prepare for the new regulations.
DEFRA has agreed that registered veterinary nurses are already sufficiently qualified to implant microchips, and will therefore be exempt from further training requirements when new legislation comes in for England. Wales and Scotland are currently considering the details of implementation.
These changes in regulation follow the introduction of compulsory microchipping in Northern Ireland in 2012. This means that from spring 2016 there will be compulsory microchipping of dogs across the entire UK and veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses across the country are preparing to make sure owners know their obligations and that their pets are safely microchipped.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has now finalised the new reguations for England, which include a provision that dog breeders and other individuals who wish to implant microchips and have no previous approved training, must undergo a compulsory training course.
While veterinary surgeons were exempted from this training, DEFRA initially envisaged that veterinary nurses would be required to undertake it. In a joint letter, that followed by negotiations with DEFRA, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, the British Veterinary Association and the British Veterinary Nursing Association, stressed that registered veterinary nurses are already sufficiently trained to be able to safely implant a microchip, and would be doing so under the direction of a veterinary surgeon.
RCVS Vice-President Neil Smith, who met with DEFRA officials alongside RCVS Head of Veterinary Nursing Julie Dugmore, said: “As RVNs are regulated by the RCVS, compulsory microchipping training would have been an unnecessary regulatory burden. It would have also been an additional financial burden to practices, which would have had to be passed on to clients. I am very pleased that DEFRA recognised this and agreed to exempt veterinary nurses from further training so long as they are under the direction of a veterinary surgeon.”
BVNA President Fiona Andrew added: “We would take this opportunity to remind our RVN colleagues that in order to be deemed competent under the terms of the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct they should be able to provide details of the previous training they have taken part in or should update their skills to comply with the Code.”
A spokesperson for DEFRA added: “DEFRA is very keen to avoid imposing any unnecessary burdens; our discussions with the RCVS, BVA and BVNA are a good example of the sort of collaborative working that helps to ensure we get the most workable legislation possible.”
For more information and to download posters promoting the new legislation click here