Veterinary surgeons in the UK have been given permission to use the courtesy title ‘Doctor’, following a decision made by the Council of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

The decision follows a consultation, to which 11,202 responses were received, where 81% were in favour of the change, 13% against, and 6% did not mind either way.

The issue had been raised in a bid to align the UK with international practice, providing greater clarity for the profession and offering reassurance to clients and the animal-owning public that all veterinary surgeons registered with the RCVS, regardless of where they qualified, have veterinary degrees of an appropriate standard. Most international veterinary surgeons use the title and, in Australia and New Zealand, this is frequently tied to registration and professional standing, rather than necessarily academic attainment.

“I am very pleased that the response from the consultation gave Council such clear direction and has allowed us to bring UK vets in line with the majority of veterinarians worldwide. It was my privilege to pose the question, which has been well and truly answered by the profession and the public,” says RCVS President Professor Stuart Reid, who made a consideration of the use of the doctor title one of his commitments when he took office in July 2014.

Nearly 50% of respondents to the consultation were veterinary surgeons, 22% veterinary students, 21% animal-owning members of the public, and the rest were veterinary nurses, veterinary nurse students, practice managers and non-animal-owning members of the public.

“I am delighted that such a strong message came from both the public and the profession on this issue,” says RCVS CEO, Nick Stace. “We have a responsibility to maintain confidence in the veterinary profession and this move will help underline to the public in particular that veterinary surgeons work to very high standards, regardless of where they qualified.”

Use of the title is optional, and guidance has been produced to support the change. It stresses that veterinary surgeons using the title should be careful not to mislead the public, and that it is important that the use of ‘Doctor’ or ‘Dr’ by a veterinary surgeon does not suggest or imply that they hold a medical qualification or a PhD.

Veterinary surgeons may start using the title straight away; details about how their RCVS Register entry can be updated will be issued over the coming months.

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) and its Scottish Branch welcome the announcement from Richard Lochhead, Rural Affairs Secretary, that compulsory microchipping for all dogs will be introduced in Scotland from April 2016.

BVA and its Scottish Branch have consistently supported compulsory microchipping and are pleased that the Scottish Government has introduced a clear timetable following the strong support the new regulation received from its public consultation last year.

BVA also supports the Cabinet Secretary’s commitment to work towards a common approach with similar legislation being developed across the UK. BVA emphasises that it is crucial that microchips are only implanted by those trained to do so and that all databases should be properly coordinated with a single point of entry.

BVA President, John Blackwell, commented:
“We strongly welcome the introduction of compulsory microchipping in Scotland. It will help ensure that lost dogs can be reunited with their owners, which is a positive outcome that will affect many thousands each year. With a deadline set for introduction, the Scottish Government now has the time to work out the details of implementation before microchipping becomes compulsory – for example, it is essential that it is clear who can and cannot implant microchips. We also have to ensure that the details of implementation are effectively and positively communicated to members of the public. We look forward to working with our colleagues in Scotland and the Scottish Government to create a reliable and trusted system that works effectively for both dog owners and vets.”

Ronnie Soutar, BVA President Scotland Branch, commented:
“Our Scottish members will be delighted that the Scottish Government has now committed to a date to introduce compulsory microchipping for dogs. We will work with Richard Lochhead and his team over the next 12 months to spread the message to vets and their clients across Scotland about the introduction of these essential regulations in 2016, making sure that owners are well-prepared and know their responsibilities.”