The number of complaints made by pet owners regarding veterinary surgeons.

The request was successful.

Joan Clarke-Marsh

Dear Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons,

This request is partially based on a previously one made by an S Rhosier.

Please would you provide the numbers of complaints made to you by pet owners regarding veterinary surgeons between 1st April 2014 and 31st March 2018, broken down by month and by nature of complaint.

Please clearly state in your response: 

1) How many complaints were investigated and by whom (i.e. RCVS personnel or independent investigators) 

2) How many complaints reached Stage 2 (Preliminary Investigation
Committee)

3) How many complaints reached Stage 3 (Disciplinary Committee)

4) How many of the above complaints led to disciplinary action in which;

     i) The veterinary surgeon was struck off.

     ii) The veterinary surgeon was suspended for a period of up to two 
      years.
   
     iii) The veterinary surgeon was given a formal reprimand.

Yours faithfully,
J Clarke.

Gemma Kingswell, Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons


Thank you for your email.

I am now on maternity leave, starting Monday 28 August 2017. Emails to my inbox are not being automatically forwarded and so you will need to re-direct your email as follows:

If your query relates to the Practice Standards Scheme, please forward your email to Lisa Grannell ([email address]).

If your email is a request for information under the Data Protection Act 1998 or the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please forward your email to Sandra Neary ([email address]).

If your query is in relation to anything else, please forward your email to Chloe Newbold ([email address]).

Kind regards,

Gemma

Sandra Neary, Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons

Dear Ms Clarke-Marsh

Thank you for your request for information, made via the What Do They Know? Website.

As you may have seen from an out of office reply, requests via that website are directed to a colleague who is currently on maternity leave. Because of that, we have just picked up your request; we will respond as we can, but it may not be within 20 working days of your request on the website.

Yours sincerely.

Sandra Neary
Professional Conduct Officer

Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
Belgravia House
62-64 Horseferry Road
London
SW1P 2AF

T 020 7202 0730
F 020 7202 0740
www.rcvs.org.uk

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Dear Sandra Neary,

I have recieved a message to say that your response to my request for 'The number of complaints made by pet owners regarding veterinary sugeons' has been delayed.
As you are no doubt aware, you should have replied within 20 days by law.
Please can you respond to my request at your earliest possible convenience.

Yours sincerely,

Joan Clarke-Marsh

Sandra Neary, Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons

I am currently out of the office returning on Tuesday 11 September 2018.

If your query is urgent, please email [email address]

This e-mail and any attachments are confidential. If you are not the named recipient, or responsible for delivering the message to the named recipient, you must not use this e-mail or its attachments in any manner. If you have received this communication in error, please inform the sender and immediately delete this message. Thank you.

Sandra Neary, Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons

1 Attachment

Dear Ms Clarke-Marsh

 

I write further to your request for information under the Freedom of
Information (FOI) Act in which you requested the following information:

 

'Please would you provide the numbers of complaints made to you by pet
owners regarding veterinary surgeons between 1st April 2014 and 31st March
2018, broken down by month and by nature of complaint.'

 

'Please clearly state in your response:

 

1) How many complaints were investigated and by whom (i.e. RCVS personnel
or independent investigators)

2) How many complaints reached Stage 2 (Preliminary Investigation
Committee)

3) How many complaints reached Stage 3 (Disciplinary Committee)

4) How many of the above complaints led to disciplinary action in which;

 

     i) The veterinary surgeon was struck off.

 

     ii) The veterinary surgeon was suspended for a period of up to two
years.         

    

     iii) The veterinary surgeon was given a formal reprimand.'

 

 

Our response is set out below with links to the relevant RCVS
publications. Please note that the information is published by reference
to annual statistics, and covers all complaints, not just those from pet
owners (though the majority do come from owners).  Please also see the
information on our website about how we assess and investigate concerns
raised about a veterinary surgeon: 
[1]https://animalowners.rcvs.org.uk/concern....

 

Annual figures

 

1 April 2014 – 31 March 2015

 

890 complaints against veterinary surgeons.

 

All complaints were investigated by RCVS personnel with 39 of these then
being referred to external Solicitors (including formal witness statements
taken). For figures relating to visits ** undertaken during this period
(announced and unannounced), see table 13 (on page 18 of the RCVS FACTS
2015 –
[2]https://www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/p... ).

 

**  All visits that are undertaken involve the Chief Investigator and
occasionally the senior Case Manager. They are always accompanied by one
of four independent veterinary investigators who are independent of the
RCVS. 

 

The nature (category) of complaints registered between 1 April 2014 and 31
March 2015 can be viewed on page 17 (Figure 11) of the RCVS Facts 2015.

 

103 complaints reached stage 2 (Preliminary Investigation Committee)

 

2 complaints reached stage 3 (Disciplinary Committee). 1 veterinary
surgeon was struck off and 1 veterinary surgeon was given a reprimand. A
summary of disciplinary hearings can be found on page 18 (table 14) of the
RCVS FACTS 2015.

 

 

 

1 April 2015 – 31 March 2016

 

976 complaints against veterinary surgeons.

 

All complaints were investigated by RCVS personnel with 46 of these then
being referred to external Solicitors (including formal witness statements
taken). For figures relating to visits ** undertaken during this period
(announced and unannounced), see table 13 (on page 22 of the RCVS FACTS
2016 –
[3]https://www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/p... ).

 

The nature (category) of complaints registered between 1 April 2015 and 31
March 2016 can be viewed on page 21 (Figure 13) of the RCVS Facts 2016.

 

137 complaints reached stage 2 (Preliminary Investigation Committee)

 

10 complaints reached stage 3 (Disciplinary Committee). 2 veterinary
surgeons were stuck off. 1 veterinary surgeon was removed from the
Register on the basis of Undertakings given by her never to be restored to
the Register in any category. 4 veterinary surgeons were suspended. 1
veterinary surgeon received a reprimand. In addition, 2 cases were
dismissed by the Disciplinary Committee. A summary of disciplinary
hearings can be found on page 22 and 23 (table 14 & table 15) of the RCVS
FACTS 2016.

 

 

1 April 2016 – 31 March 2017

 

843 complaints against veterinary surgeons.

 

Please note that following commencement of the second ADR trial on 3
October 2016, the concerns process changed with the introduction of an
Enquiries Stage. This allows the public to access information about the
sort of cases that the RCVS deals with and those that could appropriately
be referred to the Veterinary Client Mediation Service (VCMS). This new
stage allows Case Managers to advise and to signpost the most appropriate
way of dealing with a concern. However, if a member of the public
(notwithstanding signposting advice) insists that they wish the RCVS to
deal with their complaint, then the concern goes through the RCVS process
in the normal way.

 

All complaints were investigated by RCVS personnel with 37 of these then
being referred to external Solicitors (including formal witness statements
taken). During this year, there were 20 announced visits to veterinary
practices and those raising concerns and 9 unannounced visits to
veterinary practices.

 

The nature (category) of complaints registered between 1 April 2016 and 31
March 2017 (see table below). * Please note that the table includes
figures for concerns raised against veterinary nurses. 35 concerns were
registered against veterinary nurses during this period.

 

 

Disclosure of Information 33
Fees and related matters 55
Promoting the practice 16
Practice standards (general) 25
Practice standards (24hour emergency cover) 26
Practice standards (euthanasia) 22
Practice standards (general communication) 91
Running the business 6
Treatment of animals by non-veterinary surgeons  

4
Certification 40
The use of veterinary medicinal products 36
Alleged inadequate care 459
Others 31
Convictions 18
Health Protocol 8
Unclassified 3
Restoration 5

 

 

149 complaints reached stage 2 (Preliminary Investigation Committee)

 

7 complaints reached stage 3 (Disciplinary Committee). 1 veterinary
surgeon was struck off. 2 veterinary surgeons received a reprimand. In 1
case judgement was postponed for a period of two years with Undertakings.
1 hearing was adjourned indefinitely following the Respondent entering
undertakings with the College. 1 case was dismissed and in 1 case,
misconduct was found but no further action was taken. Further details of
the Disciplinary hearings can be accessed on the RCVS website at this
link: [4]https://www.rcvs.org.uk/concerns/discipl...

 

 

1 April 2017 – 31 March 2018

 

539 complaints against veterinary surgeons.

 

All complaints were investigated by RCVS personnel with 29 of these then
being referred to external Solicitors (including formal witness statements
taken). During this year, there were 26 announced visits to veterinary
practices and those raising concerns and 20 unannounced visits to
veterinary practices.

 

The nature (category) of complaints registered between 1 April 2017 and 31
March 2018 (see table below). * Please note that the table includes
figures for concerns raised against veterinary nurses. 30 concerns were
registered against veterinary nurses during this period.

 

 

Disclosure of Information 46
Fees and related matters 11
Promoting the practice 1
Practice standards (general) 18
Practice standards (24hour emergency cover) 8
Practice standards (euthanasia) 5
Practice standards (general communication) 52
Running the business 2
Treatment of animals by non-veterinary surgeons 2
Certification 8
The use of veterinary medicinal products 10
Alleged inadequate care 348
Others 14
Convictions 38
Health 3
Appeal 1
Unclassified 1
Restoration 1

 

 

133 complaints reached stage 2 (Preliminary Investigation Committee)

 

16 complaints reached stage 3 (Disciplinary Committee). 4 veterinary
surgeons were struck off. (Of these, 2 veterinary surgeons have lodged an
appeal against the Disciplinary Committee’s decision. They remain on the
register of veterinary surgeons pending the outcome of the appeal). 2
veterinary surgeons were removed from the register on the basis of
Undertakings given by them to never apply to be restored to it. 3
veterinary surgeons were suspended. 3 veterinary surgeons received a
reprimand. In 3 cases, the Disciplinary Committee concluded that the
actions of the veterinary surgeon did not amount to disgraceful conduct in
a professional respect. In 1 case, the Disciplinary Committee found
misconduct but decided that taking no “further action” was appropriate and
proportionate having considered the history of the case. Further details
of the Disciplinary hearings can be accessed on the RCVS website at this
link: [5]https://www.rcvs.org.uk/concerns/discipl...

 

 

If you are not happy with the handling of your request you may:

 

a. Write to Eleanor Ferguson, Registrar of the RCVS, at the RCVS offices
(or email: [6][email address])

 

b. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, you may
write to the Information Commissioner, who is appointed to consider such
complaints at the address shown below:

 

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

[7]https://ico.org.uk/

 

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

Sandra Neary

Professional Conduct Officer

 

Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons

Belgravia House

62-64 Horseferry Road

London

SW1P 2AF

 

T 020 7202 0730

F 020 7202 0740

www.rcvs.org.uk

 

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