Mental health on the agenda at SPVS VPMA Congress

Later this month we will be putting mental health on the agenda at this year’s joint Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS) and Veterinary Practice Management Association (VPMA) Congress.

RCVS staff will be on stand 35 of the exhibition area at the Congress, which takes place at the Celtic Manor Resort on Friday 29 and Saturday 30 January, where they will be available to answer any queries.

The main focus on Friday will be our Mind Matters Initiative, which has collaborated with SPVS and the VPMA to support a stream on mental health and wellbeing which will be chaired by Claudia Hammond, presenter of BBC Radio 4’s ‘All in the Mind’.

The stream will start at 10.40am with a panel session chaired by Claudia Hammond with Alastair Campbell, whose father was a vet and has candidly spoken about his own mental health problems, entitled ‘The Dangers of Stigma’.

At 1.45pm, Claudia Hammond will give a talk called ‘Emotional Rollercoaster’, looking at different emotions and how our brain produces them, followed at 3.30pm by a presentation on ‘Mental Health in Practice’ by Emma Mamo, Head of Workplace Wellbeing at the mental health charity Mind.

On Saturday, we will be giving two talks about our concerns investigation process and the Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) respectively.

At 11.15am Eleanor Ferguson (pictured above right), our Head of Professional Conduct , will be leading a session on the ‘Team Approach to RCVS Complaints Procedures’ looking at what practices can do to reduce the chance of complaints being made and how they can engage with the process when a concern has been raised.

At 12.15pm Pam Mosedale, the Practice Standards Team Acting Lead Assessor, will be running a session called ‘Do you offer ‘Outstanding’ Client Service?’ which will be looking at the new PSS Awards and how practices can prepare for them, with a focus on the Client Service Award.

On the morning of the same day, between 9.40am and 10.40am, Pam will also be holding workshops for equine and large animal practices on preparing for the new awards and assessment process for the PSS.