The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Council is the governing body for the RCVS responsible for deciding on major issues relating to the regulation of the veterinary professions including strategy, professional standards, education, registration, and projects to help advance the professions. There are 13 candidates standing in this year’s election for RCVS Council, the voting period for which will open on the week commencing Monday 14 March and close at 5pm on Friday 22 April 2022.
The candidates are:
- Dr Jason Aldiss, MRCVS
- Professor David Barrett, FRCVS
- Dr Mark Bowen, FRCVS
- Dr Abbie Calow, MRCVS
- Olivia Cook, MRCVS
- Edward Davies, MRCVS
- Thomas Gliddon, MRCVS
- Dr Ian McKelvie, MRCVS
- Dr Susan Paterson, FRCVS
- Dr Gonzalo Sanchez-Cabezudo Perez, MRCVS
- Radu Sirbu, MRCVS
- Dr Huw Stacey, MRCVS
- Dr Samantha Webster, MRCVS
The full biographies and manifesto statements for each candidate are available to read. The three candidates who receive the most votes will take up their four-year terms on RCVS Council at the College’s Annual General Meeting on Friday 8 July 2022.
The VN Council election will be taking place over the same timeframe. VN Council has the overall responsibility for all matters concerning veterinary nurse training, post-qualification awards and the registration of qualified veterinary nurses.
The nine candidates who are standing in this year’s election are:
- Samantha Jayne Anderson, RVN
- Teri-Ann Baldwin, RVN
- Jessica Louise Beckett, RVN
- Kirsten Cavill, RVN
- Sophie Louise Connolly, RVN
- Jane Davidson, RVN
- Olivia Jade Dunlop, RVN
- Sarah Amanda Scholes, RVN
- Holly Witchell, RVN
The two candidates with the most votes will join VN Council for their three-year terms at the College’s AGM in July.
As with the 2021 elections, voting this year will take place completely online with Civica Election Services, which runs the elections on behalf of the RCVS, sending emails containing links to a unique voting website to each veterinary surgeon and veterinary nurse eligible to vote in their respective elections.
Ahead of the start of both elections in mid-March, the RCVS is again encouraging veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses to submit questions to the candidates in their relevant election. Candidates will then be asked to record a short video of themselves answering two of the submitted questions of their choice which will be published when the election starts.
Only one question should be submitted per person. Veterinary surgeons can submit a question to the RCVS Council candidates by emailing in or via the RCVS Twitter account (@theRCVS) using the hashtag #vetvote22.
Veterinary nurses can submit a question to the VN Council candidates by emailing in or via Twitter using the hashtag #vnvote22.
Members of the profession have until Monday 21 February 2022 to submit their question for the RCVS Council and Veterinary Nurses Council election candidates.
