British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) Woodrow House
1 Telford Way
Waterwells Business Park
Quedgeley
Gloucestershire GL2 2AB
United Kingdom
Tel:+44-1242 726700
Fax:+44-1242 726701
E-mail: customerservices@bsava.com
Website: www.bsava.com President: Dr. Grant Petrie
E-mail: president@bsava.com WSAVA Representative
Dr. Julian Wells
c/o BSAVA BRITISH SMALL ANIMAL VETERINARY ASSOCIATION (BSAVA)
E-mail: jwells@lonsdale.demon.co.uk Membership (June/06): 5747 ____________________________________________________ About BSAVA
The Association was founded in 1957 as a professional body to serve veterinary surgeons who treat companion animals. It now has over 5,500 members. The majority of our members work in practice, and represent over a third of the working veterinary surgeons in the UK. Benefits of Membership
� Get massive member discounts on CPD courses throughout the UK � Pay less for all BSAVA books, manuals, CD-ROMs and videos � plus a free copy of the BSAVA Small Animal Formulary � Receive significant reduction on Congress Registration � Subscription to monthly Journal of Small Animal Practice and The European Journal of Companion Animal Practice � Discounted Regional CPD Day Meetings � Access to members-only content at www.bsava.com � Help with health & safety issues, small animal pharmacy topics, veterinary nursing, attaining Practice Standards etc � National and international representation for your profession within government and other veterinary organisations Join Online - http://www.bsava.com/services_index.php?nav=187
Our regional committees also organise CPD for members and non-members. You can find out more online - http://www.bsava.com/mycpd_calendar.php?nav=235
Publications (link to http://www.bsava.com/shop/book_catalogue.php?nav=363)
BSAVA publishes manuals, CD-Roms, handbooks and Congress proceedings.
To buy online visit http://www.bsava.com/shop/book_catalogue.php?nav=363 British Veterinary Association Overseas Diary An update report on the BVA Overseas Group�s activities.
Please note that the BVA has not approved or assessed any of the organisations or projects listed but we may be able to put you in touch with previous volunteers for background information and advice. It may also be helpful to know that the Overseas Group has produced a basic guidance note on working overseas as a volunteer which is available on the BVA website http://www.bva.co.uk/profession/overseas/worldwide/bva_guidance_for_volunteers.pdf or from helenac@bva.co.uk. __________________________________________________________________________ BSAVA Secretary’s Annual Report (posted April 2010)
It is my privilege as the Honorary Secretary to provide you with an overview of the activities of the British Small Animal Veterinary Association over the past 12 months. I will start with a brief review of the work of each Standing Committee plus the Regions Coordinator and Public Relations Officer. Detailed reports are to be found in your AGM booklet.
Congress Committee
Yet again the commercial exhibition has grown in size with an unprecedented demand for exhibition space and we are grateful to the veterinary industry for their continuing support. The innovation of “chipped” delegate badges provides additional value to our exhibitors, accurate lecture attendance information and in time should allow members to create their own CPD record. Downloadable MP3 recordings of lectures continue to be available as a significant free member benefit and a charge is now made for non-members wishing to access this valuable resource.
Figures for attendance at Congress showed an slight increase from last year. Figures provided are “delegate days” for the first three days and exclude exhibitor numbers.
Delegates 2010 2009
Members 7188 7278
Overseas delegates 676 408
Non-members 1780 1150
Students 290 784
Veterinary nurses 3392 3689
Overall 13326 13309
Education
Under the new chairmanship of Michael Day, Education Committee has continued to work tirelessly to provide a varied selection of cost-effective courses this year. The modular medicine course continues to be popular and now runs at two venues, Woodrow House and Leeds, in addition to the spring and autumn programme of one day courses and the extremely popular dispensing course. A mini modular course has been introduced for 2010 plus practical haematology and cytology courses which are now available following the purchase of a high quality digital projecting microscope and student microscopes proving popular with delegates. Four regional road shows were organised for 2009-10 featuring cardiology, haematology, feline infectious disease and orthopaedics and provide a more even geographic spread of courses to members.
As well as this, the committee has embarked on a major new project during the year which has investigated the feasibility of the Association developing a university accredited qualification in small animal medicine in the future. A tremendous amount of time and effort has been provided by Mike and the Education subcommittee in developing this exciting project, over and above their normal committee work and we look forward to further progress in this arena.
International Affairs Committee
International Affairs Committee has continued to work tirelessly to represent BSAVA and the cause of companion animals on a worldwide level. This committee engages in international consultations and actively collates information for the Association via its representatives on most of the major European veterinary associations plus WSAVA. Probably the most important issue that has been dealt with this year was the extension of the rabies derogation. Once again this year the Committee has co-ordinated support for WSAVA organised CPD in sub-Saharan Africa and this week we have welcomed delegates from Slovenia to Congress as part of our efforts to support countries from developing small animal veterinary economies.
Journals Management Committee
JSAP and Companion now come under the remit of a single Journals Management Committee. A current list of members of both editorial boards can be found in the respective journals. JSAP continues to be the flagship scientific journal of the Association with an impact factor of 0.89 and a mid-term aim to increase the impact factor to above 1. Time from acceptance to publication remains stable at around 4-5 months and during the year 295 manuscripts were received from over 40 countries, representing an increase in submission rate and from a broader range of countries.
Petsavers
Petsavers is the BSAVA’s charity and raises money for research into clinical disease via the funding of clinical research projects and training programmes. This year a special £25,000 award to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Petsavers was used to fund three high quality research projects. Petsavers also provided an additional £125,803 funding for 4 small research grants, two residencies (one in Small Animal Clinical Oncology and one in Small Animal Zoonosis and Public Health) at the University of Liverpool with a further residency in Ophthalmology to be awarded to the Animal Health Trust. Publications Committee
Publications Committee continues to go from strength to strength with its successful “Manual” series and related products. Considerable effort has been made to increase the benefits that BSAVA Publications can bring to our members.
This Congress has seen the launch of the brand new BSAVA Guide to Procedures in Small Animal Practice which is free to all members and complements the Small Animal Formulary and I hope you have all had the opportunity to collect your copy!
In addition members attending regional meetings are now able to purchase manuals with a 10% discount off normal member prices.
Since April 2009 the following updated editions of manuals have been published: BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Behaviour 2nd edition which includes a CD ROM of client handouts, the BSAVA Manual of Exotic Pets 5th edition which is the first to be branded as a “Foundation Manual” and the BSAVA Manual of Cardiorespiratory Medicine 2nd edition.
The translation of manuals continues to be popular including German, Japanese and Portuguese translations and translations of 3 more manuals into the very popular Spanish market. The translations, contributions of overseas authors, presence of commercial stands at SEVC, Western States, NAVC and ECVIM plus increased overseas sales continue to raise the profile of the Association outside the UK.
Once again the Publications Stand for Congress 2010 on the balcony area has been a real showcase and sales of BSAVA Publications to 6.30pm last night were £63,162 compared with £71,427 last year.
Scientific Committee
Scientific committee are often the unsung heroes of the Association but their invaluable contribution often at short notice ensures that BSAVA provides factual information and advice based on current scientific knowledge.
John Innes took over the role of chair in May last year and has provided a great injection of enthusiasm with expansion of the committee to ensure a broader range of expertise. During the year the committee continued to work hard to provide the most up to date scientific evidence in policy statements and responses to consultations from a variety of sources. The committee also works closely with the Public Relations Officer to provide scientific information related to current areas of media interest. This year an updated policy statement on canine and feline vaccination has been developed to provide a guide to the WSAVA vaccination guidelines in a relevant UK context whilst respectful of UK datasheets. In addition discussions are underway to consider feline mycobacterial infections, pedigree dog breeding, behavioural therapies and the associated welfare implications. Whilst the committee holds 3 meetings a year, as ever much of its work is required at short notice via e-mail communications. A move towards online collaboration using secure web space is hoped to start in the near future. Membership
Full paying membership figures on 31st March 2010 were 5497 compared to 4281 last year.
Current association membership as of 31st March 2010 was 6820 compared to 5500 the same time last year. This represents a significant increase on last year’s figures and is a clear indicator that our strategies for membership recruitment/retention and marketing are yielding clear benefits.
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BSAVA 2008 Annual Report (posted May 2009)
Honorary Secretary's Report “President, members of the Association and distinguished guests:
It is indeed an “honour” for me to stand here at the end of my first year as Honorary Secretary and provide you with an overview of the activities of the British Small Animal Veterinary Association over the past 12 months. I will start by briefly reviewing the work of each Standing Committee whose full reports can be found starting on page 30 of your booklet. Congress Committee
Yet again the Congress Team have delivered another phenomenally successful Congress to reinforce its reputation as the best Small Animal Veterinary Congress in the world. The quality and diversity of the scientific programme has provided an outstanding choice of continuing education over the last four days rivalled only by the wide variety of social events which has kept us entertained into the early hours! Despite the current economic climate delegate numbers have increased this year and the commercial exhibition has grown again in size, highlighting the esteem in which Congress is held as a “not to be missed event” for the veterinary industry. The provision of downloadable MP3 format recordings of lectures free of charge continues to be a significant member benefit, allowing the impact of Congress to felt long after this week has ended.
On behalf of the Association and all delegates, I would like to thank Andrew Ash and the Congress Committee, Congress Programme Committee under the command of John Williams and all the staff of Woodrow House staff for their hard work and dedication that has delivered an outstanding 52nd BSAVA Congress. Education
Education Committee have continued to work hard in an increasingly competitive market to provide a cost-effective variety of courses this year. The modular medicine course which allows the option of attending single or multiple courses continues to be popular and a range of additional one day veterinary, nursing and the extremely popular dispensing course have also taken place. The new regional road show format was well received and a further four regional road shows are planned for this year providing a more even geographic spread of courses to members. There is a great deal of ongoing strategic planning to maintain the Association’s strong position within the CE arena and we look forward to the Committee continuing to move forward under the new chairmanship of Michael Day over the coming months and years. Susan Dawson has completed her term as Chair of this committee and on behalf of the Association I would like to thank Susan and her Committee for their efforts. International Affairs Committee
Under the leadership of Carole Clarke, International Affairs Committee has worked relentlessly to ensure that companion animals and BSAVA are represented around the world by actively collating information and participating in consultations via its representatives in a wide variety of international associations. Once again this year the Committee has co-ordinated support for WSAVA organised CPD in sub-Saharan Africa and we have welcomed delegates from the Ukraine to Congress this week as part of our efforts to support countries from developing small animal veterinary economies. Important issues that have been dealt with this year include discussions on the rabies derogation which were also highlighted during the PETS or Pests meeting on Friday, the European Animal Health Strategy, transport of companion animals, accreditation of European Veterinary Schools, cross border recognition of professional qualifications and medicines legislation to name but a few. Our thanks go to Carole, who also completes her term as Committee Chair, and her team for effectively dealing with such important and often difficult issues on our behalf. We look forward to welcoming Alistair Gibson back onto the A&M team as he takes over the hot-seat. JSAP Management Committee
Once again this year under the experienced guidance of Katie Dunn and her committee, the JSAP has continued to go from strength to strength. Thanks to stringent acceptance criteria for papers, the impact factor of the journal has increased for the second year running; a rise of 13 places in the veterinary journal ranking system. Submission rates and time from acceptance to publication remain stable and during the year manuscripts were received from over 30 countries, reflecting the high international reputation of the journal. One of the most significant achievements during the year has been the resounding success of “companion” magazine as a fully fledged membership magazine which celebrates its first anniversary this weekend. As a result of this success a dedicated Editorial Board for this publication is currently being recruited. Our thanks go to Mark Goodfellow and both the volunteers and Woodrow House staff who have worked tirelessly on this project. Membership Development Committee
This Committee was developed last year to act as a “think tank” to increase Association membership numbers and develop membership benefits. To enhance this process, regional representatives form part of the Committee structure. The Committee also acts as an interface between the Association and veterinary students, attending a very successful student weekend in Lancaster and producing a student edition of “companion” which significantly helped to highlight the Association and benefits of membership to students, in addition to the free copy of the Formulary that all final year students receive. This year there has been an increase in the discount available to members paying by direct debit and new membership categories have been introduced for members in their 2nd and 3rd year post-graduation. There are further initiatives being developed to increase membership benefits, attract new members and to encourage retention of existing members.
The committee also oversees the developments within veterinary nursing and gives valuable input to the Practice Standards Scheme. Congratulations to Patricia Colville and her team for the progress made in a relatively short period of time with this Committee. Petsavers Management Committee
Petsavers has continued to actively raise money for clinical research projects and training programmes. Gene Waterhouse was appointed as a full time fundraiser for the charity in October and we wish him well in his new role.
During 2008, a total of 11 clinical research projects were funded at a cost of £65,000 in addition to a Senior Clinical Training Scholarship in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Pain Management at the Unviersity of Cambridge.
In the coming year, a budget of £130,000 has been set aside for funding of clinical research projects and a clinical training programme. Four projects were approved at the March meeting of the Committee, further awards plus a one-off award of £25,000 advertised to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Petsavers will be considered by the Committee in September. Once again the Petsavers photography competition has been extremely well supported and has produced a wonderful array of pictures that have been on display for us all to enjoy during Congress. £2700 was raised in the London 10K run this year and a number of supporters also organised their own fundraising events including an American member who took part in the Ironman USA event. We are extremely grateful for all their efforts and hope that you will all continue to support Petsavers in the coming year. Our thanks go to Mark Pertwee and the Petsavers Management and Grant Awarding Committees for their hard work during the year. Publications Committee
Publications Committee have continued to develop new ideas for the production and marketing of the successful “Manual” series and related products.
Since April 2008 the following updated editions of manuals have been published: BSAVA Manual of Raptors, Pigeons and Passerine Birds (replacing the BSAVA Manual of Raptors, Pigeons and Waterfowl), BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Advanced Veterinary Nursing, 2nd edition, BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Wound Management and Reconstruction, 2nd edition. New titles included the BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Abdominal Imaging, the latest addition to the ‘Imaging series’, and the BSAVA Manual of Rodents and Ferrets.
There are now a variety of volumes translated into 9 different languages and Publications had successful commercial stands at WSAVA, SEVC and NAVC. The appointment of Ian Mellor as BSAVA Media Sales Manager in 2008 has begun to further the marketing of the Manuals both overseas and at home.
I am sure you will all agree that the new Publications Stand for Congress 2009 on the balcony area has been a real showcase and sales of BSAVA Publications to 6.30pm last night were £71,427 compared with £74,702 last year.
Liz Mullineaux is completing her term as Chair of Publications after this AGM and on behalf of the Association I thank Liz, her committee and members of Woodrow House staff working in the Publications department for their outstanding efforts which have ensured that BSAVA Manuals are considered an essential part of many practice libraries and personal collections. Penny Watson will move from vice-chair to take up the reins as chair after this meeting and we wish Penny every success in her new role. Scientific Committee
The role of the Scientific Committee is to provide the Association and its members with advice and information on matters of a scientific nature. During the year the committee continued to update policy statements and information documents that are available to members on the website. Four new policy statements are approaching completion (the use of animals in research, the use of cytotoxic drugs for chemotherapy, the responsible use of antimicrobials and the prevention/treatment of behavioural problems associated with firework anxiety). In addition new Guidelines on Standard Operating Procedures on Disinfection in Practice will be available for download in 2009. The Committee has an active role in representing BSAVA in ongoing discussions relating to the welfare of dogs bred in the UK and receives reports from representatives on the Dog Legislation Action Group and the Pet Advisory Committee. It also acts as a liaison between the Association and its affiliated groups. Whilst the committee holds 3 meetings a year, much of its work is reactive or responsive, often at very short notice and is accomplished by regular e-mail communication. On behalf of the Association I would like to thank Alan Radford and members of Scientific Committee for their invaluable contribution that ensures the BSAVA provides balanced and factual information based on up-to-date scientific knowledge. Regional Co-ordinator
The regions really represent the grass-roots of BSAVA and are a key factor in allowing our members local contact with, and a sense of belonging to the Association. There has been considerable restructuring of regional involvement this year to encourage participation of the regions in the decision-making processes as well as the activities of the Association. The regional officer meetings have changed from three regional officers meetings per year to two Regional Forums to which each region can send two representatives. The first Regional Forum was held in July in the north with a Saturday dinner and full day Sunday with the meeting themed around education and communication. The second Forum was in January in the south with a similar format which included a Treasurer’s meeting and a discussion on membership. Regional representation on Council has been increased with four nominated Regional Representatives sitting on Council in addition to the existing individual regional representation. This ensures that the regions have the majority vote and ultimate control on Council allowing the regions to have a clear voice within the Association. There are also plans in progress to recruit at least one Regional Representative to each Standing Committee, allowing further integration of volunteers across all areas of the BSAVA.
Each region has co-ordinated its own variety of CPD meetings during the year and four regions took part in the very successful first Continuing Education Roadshow series which will be continuing in 2009. Congratulations to Victoria Roberts for her enthusiastic work with the regions and to all the regional representatives for their hard work in bringing the Association locally to each of our members. Public Relations Officer
The role of Public Relations Officer is vital in ensuring that BSAVA is a recognised authority on issues affecting the small animal veterinary arena, proactively managing these issues and responding to the media and general public queries arising. Mark Johnston’s report at last year’s AGM recorded a relatively uneventful year, I am sure that this year he will agree that things have been a little more lively.
The major media story of the year followed the documentary “Pedigree Dogs Exposed” and resulted in a significant alteration in the media and public perception of the Kennel Club. BSAVA was heavily involved in the aftermath and has tried to present a factual and balanced view on dog breeding. We continue to be involved via the ongoing independent enquiries and communications with the Kennel Club. The other significant media interest has been the effect of the credit crunch on the finances of the pet-owning public in addition to numerous other requests varying from Prozac for depressed dogs and “serial killing cats” to name just a few.
As Mark has so rightly stated “If we learn one thing it is not to be complacent in our relationship with the media or general public. We need to be open, honest and pro-active in getting our message out to the media”. On behalf of the Association I would like to thank Mark for achieving this difficult remit in a most efficient and professional manner and particularly for achieving it in combination with his other role for the Association as Honorary Treasurer. Meetings
There have been nine Officers meetings during the year; five at Woodrow House and four in London at the Royal Society of Medicine and Chandos House. In February we crossed the border into Scotland for the annual Planning Weekend hosted by Richard Dixon in Edinburgh. Once again the weekend was extremely productive in reviewing and planning business and development strategies for the Association. Advisory and Management meetings continued to be held at Woodrow House to allow Standing Committee Chairs the opportunity to maintain effective contact with Woodrow House staff. Standing Committee and Council meetings were each held twice in London and once at Woodrow House in order to maintain the balance between contact with Woodrow House and allowing us to remain in contact with our parent body and hold joint meetings with other professional bodies. This year joint Officers meetings have been held with the RCVS, BVA, BEVA and BVNA Officers and these meetings will take place again during the 2009-10 Association year. The traditional meeting with Past Presidents was held in London in June and is scheduled for June 2009. Congress Attendance
Figures for attendance at Congress to 6.30pm last night were almost 1000 higher compared to last year. Figures provided are “delegate days” to last night and exclude exhibitor numbers.
Delegates: 2009/2008
Members: 7278/6,626
Overseas delegates: 408/434
Non-members: 1,150/1,379
Students: 784/604
Veterinary nurses: 3,689/3,315
Overall: 13,309/12,358 Membership
Full paying membership figures on 31st March 2009 were 4281 compared to 4996 last year.
Current association membership as of 31st March 2009 was 5500 compared to 5898 the same time last year. Whilst it is disappointing that there has been a decrease in numbers, it highlights the importance of our marketing as we try to determine the reasons for this decrease and aim to develop strategies to improve membership numbers and benefits in the coming months and years ahead. Conclusion
I hope that this report has provided an overview of the Association’s activities during the year and an appreciation of the immense amount of hard work and time that all our volunteers and permanent Woodrow House staff devote to the Association. On a personal note, I would like to say a huge thanks to my fellow officers and Woodrow House staff for providing guidance and friendship during the year, and a special note of thanks to Carole Haile (whose continued support, good humour and an unbelievable ability to multi-task on an extraordinary scale) has enabled me to fulfil my role during the last year.
Thank you all very much for your attention. I would like to propose the adoption of my report”.
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