The RCVS Podcast

The RCVS Podcast - Research with Purpose: An RCVS Perspective Oct 08, 2025

Summary

In this episode of The RCVS Podcast, ‘Research with Purpose: An RCVS Perspective’, the RCVS Team discuss various topics related to the veterinary profession, including the importance of workforce initiatives, insights from research, and why engagement is the key to progress. They explore the dynamics of vet retention, migration trends, and the myths surrounding the veterinary workforce. The conversation also touches on historical perspectives from figures like James Herriot and emphasises the need for continuous engagement and participation in research to inform future work.

Got a question about the podcast? Email podcast@rcvs.org.uk

Useful links

RCVS Workforce Ambitions Revisited – information on the Workforce project can be accessed here: https://www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/events/workforce-ambitions-sessions/

RCVS latest news: https://www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/news/

RCVS upcoming events: https://www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/events/

Ensuring good governance - a consultation on governance reform (part 2) Jun 21, 2024

We answer your questions about our consultation on governance reform and our recommendations for modernising our governance structure.

This is part two of two, using the audio taken from a webinar we ran on 11 June 2024.

Ensuring good governance - a consultation on governance reform (part 1) Jun 21, 2024

An introduction to the RCVS consultation on governance reform, providing on overview of our unique role as a Royal College that regulates, and the background to our recommendations for modernising our governance structure.

This is part one of two, using the audio taken from a webinar we ran on 11 June 2024.

ViVet - Innovation Workshop Series, Innovation Marketing Apr 14, 2021

Following on from our workshop which aimed to help veterinary innovators develop marketing tools and techniques for their products and services.

Anthony Roberts, former RCVS Director of Leadership and Innovation and Daniel Johnson, a consultant in marketing and growth, Discuss the importance of marketing in successful innovation and start-ups.

During the course of the workshop attendees will learn:

The principles of marketing and how to apply them in your business
How to identify and understand the needs of your target market
How to capture and communicate the value of your innovation
How to create messages that resonate with your audience
How to develop a brand and ensure lasting customer relationships
How to pitch your innovation to investors
How to develop a marketing strategy

We hope you find this discussion useful, you can find more resources on the ViVet website.

www.vivet.org.uk/resources

Stop talking, start doing Nov 25, 2020

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) innovation initiative ViVet has produced a new series of podcasts which aim to help veterinary professionals develop an innovative and entrepreneurial mindset and apply this in their everyday practice.

Developed as part of our ViVet initiative and designed to ensure veterinary professionals are at the centre of innovation in the animal health sector.

Episode 6 -

Stop talking, start doing. Identifying the actions to establish a successful, impactful innovation program. Brings the previous episodes together to create the roadmap for the innovation journey, and being able to measure the progress that is being made.

The six podcasts are presented by Harvey Wade, Founder and Managing Director of innovation consultancy Innovate21 which aims to help businesses, organisations and sectors embed innovation within their plans and strategies.

RCVS ViVet Podcast's can of course be counted towards your CPD targets if they align with your objectives for the year.

Creating supportive cultures Nov 25, 2020

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) innovation initiative ViVet has produced a new series of podcasts which aim to help veterinary professionals develop an innovative and entrepreneurial mindset and apply this in their everyday practice.

Developed as part of our ViVet initiative and designed to ensure veterinary professionals are at the centre of innovation in the animal health sector.

Episode 5 -

Creating supportive cultures. What are the outcomes and behaviours needed to create an innovative environment? Exploring what culture is needed to provide the right conditions for innovation to thrive and what behaviours support this environment.

The six podcasts are presented by Harvey Wade, Founder and Managing Director of innovation consultancy Innovate21 which aims to help businesses, organisations and sectors embed innovation within their plans and strategies.

RCVS ViVet Podcast's can of course be counted towards your CPD targets if they align with your objectives for the year.

Navigating the current environment. Nov 25, 2020

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) innovation initiative ViVet has produced a new series of podcasts which aim to help veterinary professionals develop an innovative and entrepreneurial mindset and apply this in their everyday practice.

Developed as part of our ViVet initiative and designed to ensure veterinary professionals are at the centre of innovation in the animal health sector.

Episode 4 -

Navigating the current environment. What currently stops or hinders ways how common barriers can be overcome. Exploring how innovation progress is hampered in an organisation and how common barriers can be overcome.

The six podcasts are presented by Harvey Wade, Founder and Managing Director of innovation consultancy Innovate21 which aims to help businesses, organisations and sectors embed innovation within their plans and strategies.

RCVS ViVet Podcast's can of course be counted towards your CPD targets if they align with your objectives for the year.

Near and far-sighted Nov 25, 2020

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) innovation initiative ViVet has produced a new series of podcasts which aim to help veterinary professionals develop an innovative and entrepreneurial mindset and apply this in their everyday practice.

Developed as part of our ViVet initiative and designed to ensure veterinary professionals are at the centre of innovation in the animal health sector.

Episode 3 -

Near and far-sighted. How to create success both today and for tomorrow.
The importance of having different innovation horizons to both improve today’s organisation and create the future organisation that will be successful.

The six podcasts are presented by Harvey Wade, Founder and Managing Director of innovation consultancy Innovate21 which aims to help businesses, organisations and sectors embed innovation within their plans and strategies.

RCVS ViVet Podcast's can of course be counted towards your CPD targets if they align with your objectives for the year.

An enabler, not an outcome. Nov 25, 2020

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) innovation initiative ViVet has produced a new series of podcasts which aim to help veterinary professionals develop an innovative and entrepreneurial mindset and apply this in their everyday practice.

Developed as part of our ViVet initiative and designed to ensure veterinary professionals are at the centre of innovation in the animal health sector.

Episode 2 -

An enabler, not an outcome. A tool to create the desired future.
Innovation must be aligned to vision, and being clear what it needs to achieve. Being it purpose-led ensures a better chance of innovation success.

The six podcasts are presented by Harvey Wade, Founder and Managing Director of innovation consultancy Innovate21 which aims to help businesses, organisations and sectors embed innovation within their plans and strategies.

RCVS ViVet Podcast's can of course be counted towards your CPD targets if they align with your objectives for the year.

Diverse mindsets needed Nov 25, 2020

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) innovation initiative ViVet has produced a new series of podcasts which aim to help veterinary professionals develop an innovative and entrepreneurial mindset and apply this in their everyday practice.

Developed as part of our ViVet initiative and designed to ensure veterinary professionals are at the centre of innovation in the animal health sector.

Episode 1 -

Diverse mindsets needed. The need to collaborate to achieve better outcomes.
Innovation is not an individual activity, a team is needed to provide thought diversity, missing skills and support when the journey is hard.

The six podcasts are presented by Harvey Wade, Founder and Managing Director of innovation consultancy Innovate21 which aims to help businesses, organisations and sectors embed innovation within their plans and strategies.

RCVS ViVet Podcast's can of course be counted towards your CPD targets if they align with your objectives for the year.

The Ethics Review Panel - what is it and how did come about? Mar 05, 2020

In this episode of the RCVS Podcast we talk to some of the members of the RCVS Ethics Review Panel (ERP). The ERP is a permanently established sub-committee reporting to the RCVS Standards Committee - looking at ethical review of practice-based research. Listen to this episode to learn more about ERP, what it does and how it came about, and hear from members of the panel.

Veterinary Wellbeing Award winner - Blacks Vets Oct 23, 2018

Dudley-based Blacks Vets was the joint winner, along with White Cross Vets, of the large practice category in the 2017 Vet Wellbeing Awards. In this podcast Anna Feeney speaks to staff at the practice about how they have aimed to enhance wellbeing in areas such as dealing with the demands of the job, fostering effective working relationships and supporting personal and career development.

Veterinary Wellbeing Award winner - Meadows Farm Vets Oct 23, 2018

Worcestershire-based Meadows Farm Vets is a farm animal-only practice and the winner of the small practice category in the 2017 Veterinary Wellbeing Awards. In this podcast Anna Feeney speaks to practice owners Sophie and Richard Aylett about how smaller practices can still invest time and effort into staff wellbeing, the kind of support that can be offered to staff when they spend most of their time on site visits and supporting work-life balance.

Veterinary Wellbeing Award winner - Viking Vets Oct 23, 2018

Bristol-based Viking Vets were the winners of the medium-sized practice category in 2017. In this podcast Anna Feeney speaks to members of staff at the practice, including its co-founder Maria Lowe, about why the practice was recognised for its focus on staff wellbeing in areas such as supporting staff, encouraging work-life balance, promoting effective communication and other such initiatives.

RCVS Awards - vetting in Ethiopia with Dr Alemayehu Hailemariam Sep 25, 2018

In another Awards episode we talk to Dr Alemayehu Hailemariam, one of the winners of this year's RCVS International Awards.

He leads the Brooke equine charity's animal health programme in Ethiopia, and across various roles has helped an estimated 600,000 animals across Ethiopia. This is one of the world’s largest populations of working equids, belonging to some of the world’s poorest communities, who often rely upon their animals for their livelihoods. Dr Hailemariam’s work is therefore one of the finest examples of how a vet can serve their whole community.

You can read more about Alemayehu and the other RCVS Award winners on our website: https://www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/news/college-announces-recipients-of-2018-rcvs-honours/.

RCVS Awards - working across the disciplines with Peter Clegg Sep 18, 2018

In this episode we talk to Professor Peter Clegg FRCVS, this year's winner of the Queen's Medal, the highest honour the College can bestow upon a veterinary surgeon.

Head of the Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease at the University of Liverpool, he works across the veterinary, medical and biomedical world, balancing both a clinical and an academic research career while supporting dozens of students through their degrees.

You can read more about Peter and the other RCVS Award winners on our website: https://www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/news/college-announces-recipients-of-2018-rcvs-honours/.

RCVS Awards - seizing the day with Derek Knottenbelt Sep 14, 2018

In this episode we talk to Professor Derek Knottenbelt OBE, one of the winners of this year's RCVS Inspiration Award. Emeritus Professor in Equine Internal Medicine at the University of Liverpool and Director of Equine Medical Solutions, he has been recognised for inspiring generations of veterinary students, residents and Specialists.

You can read more about Derek and the other RCVS Award winners on our website: https://www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/news/college-announces-recipients-of-2018-rcvs-honours/.

RCVS Awards - vet passports with Ebony Escalona Jul 16, 2018

Ebony Escalona, one of the winners of this year's RCVS Inspiration Award, leads us through the many doors that can be opened with a veterinary passport. We cover her Facebook Group 'Vets: Stay, Go or Diversify!', her time working as a veterinary advisor with Brooke: Action for Working Horses and Donkeys, and her collaboration with Learn Appeal to help spread veterinary knowledge to some of the most remote parts of the world.

You can read more about Ebony and the other RCVS Award winners on our website: https://www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/news/college-announces-recipients-of-2018-rcvs-honours/.

RCVS Awards - StreetVet with Jade Statt Jul 06, 2018

In this episode we talk to Jade Statt, co-founder of Street Vet and one of the winners of this year's RCVS Impact Award. Since starting StreetVet in October 2016 with fellow vet Sam Joseph, Jade has had an immeasurable impact on the homeless communities in some of the largest cities in England, as well as providing over 220 volunteer vet and vet nurses a chance to expand their skillset.

You can read more about Jade and the other RCVS Award winners on our website: https://www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/news/college-announces-recipients-of-2018-rcvs-honours/.

RCVS Awards - charity work in India with Rachel Wright Jul 05, 2018

Here we talk to Rachel Wright, one of the winner's of this year's RCVS International Award In 2005 she founded the charity TOLFA, the Tree of Life for Animals, and she talks us through some of the challenges she faced from being a veterinary nurse in the UK to growing a charity in the rabies capital of the world, Rajasthan in India.

You can read more about Rachel and the other Awards on our website: https://www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/news/college-announces-recipients-of-2018-rcvs-honours/.

Inspecting VN careers May 10, 2018

Here we talk to the veterinary nurses within the RCVS, looking at the twists and turns of their careers and discussing where a career as a veterinary nurse can take you. Download to hear from veterinary nurses Julie Dugmore, Director of Veterinary Nursing; Victoria Hedges, Examinations Manager; and Lily Lipman, Qualifications Manager.

Learning from the students with Vet Futures ambassadors May 02, 2018

How can veterinary students help to shape the profession? Here we talk with Eleanor Robertson, Senior Vice-President of the Association of Veterinary Students (AVS), about how students are becoming ambassadors for Vet Futures, working with us and the BVA to address such key issues as innovation, One Health, mental health awareness, veterinary societal outreach, and graduate outcomes.

If you're a student and would like to get involved please do follow the AVS Facebook page for updates (https://www.facebook.com/AVS.UK.Ireland/), or if you'd just like to learn more about Vet Futures please visit the website (https://www.vetfutures.org.uk/).

RCVS Council - why it matters Apr 09, 2018

Here we talk to Amanda Boag, RCVS Junior Vice President, about RCVS Council - what it does, why she ran to become a Council member six years ago, and why she'd encourage everyone to vote in this year's elections!

For more information on this year's RCVS Council election, please visit our website: https://www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/news/voting-opens-in-2018-rcvs-council-election/.

We all have mental health - the &me campaign Mar 27, 2018

In this episode we talk to Dr Louise Freeman, Co-chair of the Doctors' Support Network (DSN), about our joint mental health campaign, &me.

Launched in January 2017 by our own Mind Matters Initiative and the DSN, &me encourages prominent members of the healthcare profressions to speak out about their own experiences with mental ill health, demonstrating how they've recovered and gone on to a successful career.

To read the &me ambassadors' stories please visit our website (https://www.vetmindmatters.org/we-all-have-mental-health/) or follow the campaign on Twitter with the hashtag #AndMe.

Evolving CPD and VN Futures updates Mar 01, 2018

In this episode we discuss proposed changes to CPD to make it more focused on interactive, reflective learning, and talk to Dot Creighton, Chair of the VN Futures Post-registration Working Group, about the Group's progress over the past year.

If you're a vet or a VN who would like to take part in the CPD trial and help shape the future of CPD, please email cpd@rcvs.org.uk or visit our website for more information.

What will innovation mean for the veterinary profession? Feb 01, 2018

In this episode we talk with Chris Tufnell, RCVS Senior Vice President, and Anthony Roberts, our Director of Leadership and Innovation, about past and present veterinary innovation, the launch of our innovation hub, Vivet, and why we as regulators are getting involved.

Making the most of your PDP Nov 20, 2017

In this episode we talk to Shona McIntyre, one of our Postgraduate Deans, about how graduates can make the most of the Professional Development Phase (PDP). We cover how to involve those in your practice, how best to structure your learning, and how interns in specialist practices can cover the bases.

The year ahead - a talk with the President and the Chair of VN Council Oct 30, 2017

In the first ever episode of the RCVS podcast we talk to Professor Stephen May, RCVS President, and Liz Cox, Chair of Veterinary Nursing Council, about their priorities for the year head.

Download the episode to hear about plans for Brexit, Graduate Outcomes, Schedule 3 and the role of the veterinary nurse.

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