Memorandum submitted by Patrick J Burke
and Janet I Burke (Vet 43)
The Veterinary Record's report of the
evidence provided to the EFRA Committee by officers of the Royal
College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) raises several issues in
relation to continuing professional development (CPD):[27]
1. The RCVS's call for legislation to require
its members to complete CPD appears excessive, given that this
is already an administrative requirement of the RCVS Guide to
Professional Conduct[28]
(the Guide), to which all veterinary surgeons are professionally
obliged to adhere:
"Veterinary surgeons must continue their
professional education by keeping up to date with the general
developments in veterinary science, particularly in their area
of professional activity and must maintain a record of continuing
professional development (CPD) as evidence of so doing".
There is a further requirement in the Guide
that "employers should encourage and facilitate participation
in CPD programmes".
A series of substantiated failures to adhere
to the Guide may lead to a charge of "disgraceful professional
conduct", which the RCVS has the authority to deal with under
the current Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966.
2. The RCVS currently recommends a minimum
of 105 hours CPD over three years (average 35 hours per year)
of which up to 10 hours per year may be undocumented private study.
3. The RCVS officer's reported claim that
mandatory CPD "would not mean any extra cost for veterinary
surgeons" is incorrect. Veterinary surgeons may meet the
obligation of the current Guide by undertaking a limited amount
of CPD below the minimum recommendation, and may incur significant
additional costs if there was a statutory obligation for the current
minimum recommendation:
(i) The demography of the veterinary profession
is changing with increasing numbers of female veterinary surgeons.
This is creating an increasing demand for more flexible working
practices. Whilst the benefits of an appropriate amount of CPD
are unquestionable, a statutory obligation for the current minimum
recommendation of CPD per year, will place self-employed veterinary
surgeons at a significant financial disadvantage, particularly
if they are part-time workers. CPD costs are in addition to the
£285 annual RCVS membership fee payable by all practicing
veterinary surgeons. Additional work-related costs eg childcare
will compound the financial burden.
(ii) A statutory obligation upon veterinary
businesses to fund and facilitate (eg providing time-off, locum
cover etc.) a minimum duration of CPD for their employees, would
incur them additional costs which would be transferred to their
clients. These additional costs need to be weighted against the
resultant benefits of additional CPD.
4. Finally, the RCVS officers reportedly
acknowledged that "people do spend a lot of money already"
on CPD. In recent years the cost of CPD courses appears to have
increased[29]
and I believe that a statutory CPD obligation would further accelerate
this trend.
Patrick J Burke BVM&S. MRCVS
Janet I Burke BVM&S. MRCVS
February 2008
27 The Veterinary Record, 23 February 2008, pages 228-229. Back
28
http://www.rcvs.org.uk/Templates/Internal.asp?NodeID=89642 Back
29
Current fees for commercial CPD courses start from about £300
per day (seven hours CPD claimable) including VAT but excluding
travel and accommodation. To meet the requirement of 25 hours
CPD (less 10 hours private study) per year, the annual course
fees alone would exceed £1,000. Back
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