Concerns about veterinary care
Concerned about the care your pet received? Learn how to raise a concern, what the RCVS can investigate, and what other options are available to you.
Raise a concern about a veterinary professional
Veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses generally conduct themselves properly and have good working relationships with their colleagues and peers. However, if you’re concerned about a colleague’s fitness to practise, whether they are safe and suitable to work, this page explains how to raise it with us.
On this page
How to raise a concern
The simplest way to raise a concern is to download and fill out a concerns form. You can complete it electronically and return it by email or print it out and post it to us. You can also request a form over the phone.
The form asks for information including:
- Your details: name, address, email address, telephone number and whether you are a vet, vet nurse or other member of the practice team
- If relevant, details about any animal involved, including name, species, gender, age and details of their owner
- Details of the vet or vet nurse you wish to complain about
- Details about what happened and the reasons why you are concerned
- Copies of any supporting documents, including correspondence between you and the veterinary professional, or clinical records
If you’d prefer to discuss your concern with us before filling out the form, call us on 020 7227 3509 or email us at [email protected].
What happens once you’ve sent your concerns form
You should receive an acknowledgement within two working days of us receiving your completed form.
How to contact us anonymously or confidentially
Call our confidential reporting line on 020 3795 5600, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday or email [email protected].
There are limitations to what we can do if you don’t fill out a consent form, consent to your identity being disclosed and provide full details of the incident.
If you do give consent, all material you supply to us will be disclosed to those you’re raising the concern about.
Who can raise a concern
Anyone can raise a concern about a vet or a vet nurse, including clients and colleagues.
This page offers guidance to veterinary professionals.
What type of concerns the RCVS deals with
We only deal with the most serious concerns affecting a vet or vet nurse’s fitness to practise, that is, their right to work. This means behaviour that has fallen far short of what is expected, including:
- Very poor professional performance, where there are serious departures from the standards set out in the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct
- Fraud or dishonesty
- A criminal conviction or caution
- Physical or mental health problems affecting ability to work
The RCVS cannot:
- Fine a vet or vet nurse
- Resolve business disputes between practices
- Resolve employment issues
- Order an apology
- Resolve issues relating solely to negligence
Raising concerns about past events
We don’t ordinarily investigate concerns that are more than two years old.
If you’re raising a concern about something that took place over two years ago, the concern will be referred to the Chairman of the Preliminary Investigation Committee (PIC) and the Head of Conduct, who will decide if we can take it further.
Suspension during an investigation
We have no powers of interim suspension. A decision to stop a veterinary professional from working can only be made after a full Disciplinary Committee hearing.
How we assess and investigate concerns
A case manager will give you a call within two weeks to discuss your concerns and explain our three-stage investigation process:
Stage 1: Preliminary Investigation Committee (Stage 1 PIC)
We’ll investigate your concerns with a Stage 1 PIC. The Stage 1 PIC will ordinarily consist of at least three members: One vet or vet nurse, one lay member and one other.
The concern will be progressed to Stage 2 if it’s sufficiently serious.
During each stage, your case manager must collate information by speaking with:
- You
- The veterinary professional you’re concerned about
- Others at the vet practice
- Anyone you’ve told us may have witnessed the incident
They may also ask for copies of clinical records relating to any animal you’ve told us about.
If you wish to remain anonymous, we cannot complete this step. This may mean your concern can’t be taken further.
Stage 2: Preliminary Investigation Committee (Stage 2 PIC)
We’ll consider all available information at the Stage 2 PIC. We may also ask for more details on the case before deciding whether to refer it to Stage 3, a public Disciplinary Committee hearing.
The concern will be progressed to Stage 3 if there’s a realistic prospect that the veterinary professional’s conduct could affect their fitness to practise, and it’s in the public interest.
The case may also be referred to the Charter Case Committee. This happens when there’s a realistic prospect that the veterinary professional’s conduct could affect their fitness to practise, but it’s not in the public interest for it to progress to a full Disciplinary Committee.
Stage 3: Disciplinary Committee
A Disciplinary Committee hearing is ordinarily held in public, similar to a court, to decide whether the vet professional is guilty of serious professional misconduct and must face formal action. Relevant witnesses may need to give evidence.
If the veterinary professional is found guilty of serious professional misconduct, they may be:
- Removed from the register
- Suspended for up to two years
- Given a formal reprimand
The case can be held open for up to two years.
At all stages, if the concern is not taken forward, we’ll write to you to explain why. The case may be closed with no further action, or closed with formal advice issued to the vet or vet nurse.
Viewing previous decisions
All concerns raised with us are confidential, unless they reach Stage 3 of our investigation process. At this stage they’re referred to the RCVS Disciplinary Committee for a public hearing.
How the RCVS keeps you informed during the process
Your case manager will regularly update you. You can also contact them at any time, during normal office hours.