From the anti-vax movement and large-scale puppy farming to bad workplaces and the profession’s role in sustainability, this year’s agenda aims to exceed expectations with a range of thought-provoking presentations and panel discussions.
The full programme for BVA Congress – a highlight of the London Vet Show (14-15 November 2019) – has been unveiled today and includes:
- Costing the earth? Now is the time to green the vet profession With 89 percent of vets saying that they would like to play a more active role in the sustainability agenda, and as the climate crisis continues to hit the headlines, we will open the Congress with pioneering “green” vet Ellie West and the founder of the NHS Sustainable Development Unit David Pencheon in this timely session.
- The rise of “anti-vaxxers”: how should vets respond? With increasing concern that the anti-vax sentiment is moving into animal health, we will hear from an Associate Professor in Sociology, Pru Hobson-West, on what is driving these attitudes.
- Veterinary Workplaces: the good, the bad and the ugly We lift the lid on what’s happening in veterinary workplaces with a unique insight from locums with experience of every shape and size of practice and get an update on BVA’s Good Workplace Working Group.
- Will the EMS bubble burst? With new vet schools on the horizon and growing intake, we’ll hear different perspectives from students, academics and practitioners on the critical question of whether the current system is truly sustainable.
- The value of difference: why we should all care about diversity and inclusion in the workplace
Following the launch of BVA’s discrimination report, we are delighted to welcome leading diversity expert and senior psychologist Laura Haycock from Pearn Kandola for insights on this critical issue.
BVA is delighted to be working alongside our partners to deliver sessions on the ethics of large-scale puppy farming in association with AWF, on the future of veterinary nursing with BVNA, and on pet obesity with Mars Petcare.
The much-anticipated Wooldridge Memorial Lecture will be given by Dr Temple Grandin, Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University and named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people. Dr Grandin is a pioneering animal scientist, best-selling author and autism spokesperson. She will be giving a “unique insight” into the minds of animals.
Launching the programme, BVA President Simon Doherty said:
“This year’s BVA Congress will provide a platform for delegates to come together to lift the lid and debate issues such as sustainability within the profession, pet obesity, diversity within the profession, anti-vax attitudes, and EMS. It’s an opportunity for vets of all career stages to take time out of clinical CPD and sink their teeth into wider issues that we all feel passionately about.”
BVA Congress sits among an array of educational sessions from BVA and the RVC including the BVA Farm Animal stream, the BVA/BEVA Equine stream, the BVA Career Development stream and the RVC companion animal clinical streams. There is a total of 150+ hours of veterinary CPD to be gained from attending the show. BVA members can get access to the full BVA offering, as well as the usual London Vet Show programme, for 15 percent less than the lowest advertised price, using their BVA number and the code BVA8 here.
