Continuing professional development (CPD)

Whether you're a veterinary surgeon or veterinary nurse, find everything you need to plan, record, and reflect on your professional development.

On this page

All veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses on the RCVS Register must complete continuing professional development (CPD). Not only is this a requirement of your registration, but it is also your opportunity to grow professionally and provide the best care for animals.

If you've learnt something new that you didn't know yesterday, that counts as CPD.

The information on this page explains how our flexible, outcomes-focused system works and how you can easily complete and log your activities.

CPD requirements

CPD is compulsory for everyone on the RCVS Register.

Your annual CPD requirements

Veterinary surgeons: 35 hours plus reflection on your activities
Veterinary nurses: 15 hours plus reflection on your activities

These requirements apply whether you work full-time or part-time. You can’t carry over hours from year to year and activities only count as CPD when you've reflected on them.

Exemptions

You do not have to do CPD if you're a vet on the non-practising register.

Plan : Identify your learning needs and set objectives.

Do : Undertake learning activities.

Record : Log your activities on 1CPD.

Reflect : Consider what you've learned and how it applies to your work.

How to access 1CPD

1CPD is our platform for managing your CPD. You can access 1CPD by:

Using the 1CPD website.
Downloading the app on the Apple Store or Google Play. The mobile app lets you record CPD on the go, enabling you to capture learning moments as they happen.

How to log in to 1CPD

You log in to 1CPD with the same username and password you use for My Account.

If you’ve forgotten your My Account username or password: You can find your username and reset your password via the My Account sign in page.

Getting help using 1CPD

There is a ‘Help’ section on 1CPD that gives you step-by-step instructions on how to plan, record and reflect.

How to access 1CPD help:

On the app: click on the menu at the top left of the screen and click ‘Help’.
On desktop: click ‘Help’ in the main navigation menu.

Using 1CPD for beginners

This webinar will help familiarise you with 1CPD and how to get the best out of it.

Using 1CPD for experienced users

1CPD

We've recently updated the 1CPD homepage to show your compliance status more clearly, making it easier to track your progress throughout the year.

Visit the 1CPD website

Planning your CPD

Good planning makes CPD more effective. It ensures you’re making the most of learning opportunities as they come up and taking part in relevant, cost-effective activities.

Setting your objectives

You can have up to 10 active objectives at any time.
Focus on areas where you want to develop or improve.
Link objectives to your daily work and career goals.
Review and update your objectives regularly.

How to set your objectives on 1CPD

Select 'Plan' in the menu.
Select ‘Add Objective’.
When you record a CPD activity, select which of your objectives this activity helps you meet.
Once you complete an objective, mark it as complete so you can add more.

What counts as CPD

Anything that's relevant to your role counts as CPD. Examples include:

Formal training: Courses, conferences, workshops
Self-directed learning: Reading, online research, webinars
Work-based learning: New procedures, case discussions, mentoring others
Professional activities: Committee work, writing articles, giving presentations

You may find opportunities for CPD in your day-to-day work. If you've learnt something new that you didn't know yesterday, that counts as CPD.

There's more to CPD than courses. This webinar is designed to clear up any confusion about what counts towards your CPD target.

Workplace-based CPD

There can be a misconception that only courses count towards your annual CPD target. In this webinar you'll hear about the key principles of CPD and how to plan it so that it's meaningful to you. You'll also learn how to recognise learning opportunities in your day-to-day work.

Recording your CPD

You must record your activities on 1CPD, unless you’re an RCVS-registered vet working overseas. In this case, you can use whatever platform is available in the country where you work.

Recording an activity on 1CPD is simple:

Click ‘Record’ on the main menu.
Enter the details of your activity and the dates you completed it.

You can also connect your activities to your objectives.

Reflecting on your CPD

While the learning itself is important, reflecting on how it makes you a better vet or vet nurse is what qualifies an activity as CPD. CPD activities don't count towards your yearly target until you've reflected on them.

For each CPD activity, you should think about:

What you learned and why it matters
How the learning connects to your objectives
How you’ll apply your new knowledge in practice

You might finish an activity and realise you haven't found it useful. That's ok - as long as you reflect on why this is the case.

Types of reflection

There are two ways you can log your reflections on 1CPD.

Guided reflection: Follow prompts to structure your thinking
Free reflection: Write your own thoughts and observations. You can also record a voice note or upload a document or photo.

Reflection is an important part of outcomes-focused CPD, but it doesn't have to be onerous. If you've yet to start reflecting on your CPD, this webinar will give you some direction on what you have to do. If you're already reflecting on your CPD, this webinar will give you some hints and tips on how to approach it.

Making time to reflect

Reflecting on your CPD doesn’t have to take up lots of time. It's important to remember:

You don't have to write an essay when reflecting on your CPD - a few notes will do.
You can upload a picture of any written notes you have, instead of typing them out.
You can add notes about recent CPD to an existing record as and when it's relevant.

There is no set time to undertake reflection on a particular piece of CPD. You can do so a day, a week, a month or even a year after doing it – as long as its impact is still relevant.

Pausing your CPD

If personal circumstances mean you need a break from CPD, you can request a pause.

Situations where you might need to pause your CPD include:

Having a baby and/or going on parental leave
Going on long-term sick leave (including for mental health problems)
Taking time off work to care for a loved one
A change in circumstances (personal or professional) that makes it difficult for you to meet your CPD target

How pausing your CPD works

You can pause your CPD for up to six months per calendar year.

If you pause your CPD, you only have to meet a portion of your yearly target. You won’t have to make up the hours.

For example, if you pause your CPD for six months, you’ll only have to do half of your usual hours of CPD:

17.5 hours for vets
7.5 hours for vet nurses.

How to pause your CPD

You can request to pause your CPD on the desktop version of 1CPD.
Select ‘Pause CPD’ on the main menu and fill in the form.
Once you’ve filled in this form, you’ll also be asked to complete a return to work plan.

Please let us know you want to pause your CPD as far in advance as you can. We understand this isn’t always possible.

It’s not possible to pause your CPD for previous years, but there are no restrictions on how many times you can apply for a pause.

Giving evidence when requesting a pause

When you fill in our request form to pause your CPD, you’ll be asked to select a reason from a dropdown menu. You don’t have to give us more information than this – our system is built on trust.

However, if a concern is raised about your request for a pause, we may ask for evidence as part of the concerns investigation process.

If you need to take longer than six months off

If you need to take longer than six months off work, it might be best to:

Join the non-practising register if you’re a vet, or
Remove yourself from the register if you’re a vet nurse.

If you do either of these, you won’t have to do CPD at all. Your CPD requirement will start again from the date you re-register.

Paying to re-register

If you’re a vet nurse and re-register after a period of six to 18 months, you won’t have to pay a fee.

How we can help you with CPD

We want to make sure you have the support you need to complete your CPD.

If you’ve got a question that we haven’t answered on this page, email us at [email protected] and we’d be happy to help.

Online CPD resources

Our RCVS Academy course is designed to help you better understand CPD requirements.

Our 1CPD demo video is a basic guide to using the 1CPD platform.

One-to-one support sessions

If you need extra support using 1CPD, you can book a one-to-one support session with our team. Email [email protected] for more information.