Angie Lloyd-Jones, who works for Linnaeus-owned Northwest Veterinary Specialists in Runcorn, is the driving force, alongside Julie Burnage, of the Small Animal Veterinary Guidelines for Professional Ultrasound Practice which has been published by The British Medical Ultrasound Society (BMUS).
Importantly, the paper, which focuses on abdominal ultrasound, is endorsed by The European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging.
The guideline for ultrasound practice is the first of its kind to act as a benchmark for best practice principles to help keep operators and patients safe.
Angie together with Julie (a partner at Aspire UCS) was shocked to discover that, unlike human medicine, there were no professional practice standards in veterinary ultrasound for her to work to.
She also found out that there are no competency-based standalone clinical ultrasound courses to attend.
Angie said: “I decided to start writing this document having transitioned from human into veterinary ultrasound. I was astounded that when I started there was nothing to help me.
“Guidelines are essential as ultrasound is so operator dependent. These operators need standards to keep both them and their patients safe.
“Just as importantly, I am especially passionate about empowering veterinary nurses to diversify their skillset into ultrasound and this document has been designed primarily to help them and other non-vet ultrasound operators to do so, within their well-defined scope of practice.”
Angie is keen to pass on her thanks to European Board of Veterinary Specialists member Dr Andrew Parry, head of diagnostic imaging at fellow Linnaeus hospital Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Centre in Solihull, for the support he has given her.
She is now working on three more sections for the document, focusing on cardiac, ECC and ultrasound-guided locoregional anaesthesia.
Angie added: “Our aim is these guidelines will help to keep our nurses, medical sonographers and, indeed, primary care vets safer when undertaking their ultrasound scans.”
To read the guideline for ultrasound practice, visit the BMUS website.
For more information on Northwest Veterinary Specialists, visit their website or search for Northwest Veterinary Specialists on social media.
