Following the 2024 RCVS elections, three veterinary surgeons and two veterinary nurses were elected to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Council and the Veterinary Nurses Council, respectively.
The RCVS Council is responsible for the governance of the college, for example, by setting veterinary professional and educational standards. In this year’s election, 14 veterinary surgeon candidates stood for the three available elected places on the body.
In total, 7,383 veterinary surgeons (representing 19.7 percent of those eligible to vote) cast their votes. This compares to turnouts of 16.7 percent in 2023, 18.6 percent in 2022, 24.5 percent in 2021, and 26.2 percent in 2020.
The three candidates elected for four-year terms, which will start at this year’s RCVS Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Friday 5 July 2024, were as follows:
- Dr Zara Kennedy MRCVS – 2,264 votes
- Dr Sinead Bennett MRCVS – 1,796 votes
- Professor David Barrett FRCVS – 1,747 votes
Also at this year’s AGM, Professor Christopher Loughrey FRCVS, Professor of Experimental Cardiology at the University of Glasgow School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, will be replacing Professor James Wood FRCVS as a Veterinary Schools Council appointee to RCVS Council.
In this year’s election for VN Council, which has the overall responsibility for all matters concerning veterinary nurse training, post-qualification awards and the registration of qualified veterinary nurses, there were three candidates standing for the two available elected places.
In total, 1,710 veterinary nurses (representing 7.4 precent of those eligible to vote) cast their votes. This compares to turnouts of 8.8 percent in 2023, 8.4 percent in 2022, 12.4 percent in 2021 and 17.1 percent in 2020.
The two candidates elected for three-year terms, which will also start at this year’s RCVS AGM, are as follows:
- Kirsty Young RVN – 995 votes
- Susan Howarth RVN – 923 votes
As with previous years, the 2024 elections were conducted entirely online with Civica Election Services, which runs elections on behalf of the RCVS, sending emails containing secure links to their respective voting websites to each eligible veterinary surgeon and veterinary nurse, along with reminders throughout the voting period.
The full voting report for the RCVS Council and VN Council elections can be found at the RCVS website, “Council elections” and “VN Council elections.”
Royal College Day on Friday 5 July takes place at the Royal Institute of British Architects and is open for all veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses to attend. Further information will be published in due course.
