The voting period for the 2023 elections for RCVS Council and Veterinary Nurses (VN) Council has now opened and veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses have the opportunity to cast votes for their preferred candidates in their respective elections.
Voting emails were sent by Civica Election Services (CES), which runs the elections on behalf of the College, on Friday 17 March 2023. Each email contains a secure link to the voting websites containing pre-filled codes which are unique to each individual veterinary surgeon and veterinary nurse. Permission for the RCVS to hold an online-only election this year was granted once again by the Privy Council. The few veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses for whom the RCVS holds no unique email address will be sent an instruction letter by post on how to vote.
For the RCVS Council election, there are 10 candidates standing this year and veterinary surgeons can now cast their votes for up to three of them by 5pm on Friday 21 April 2023. The candidates are:
• Professor David Barrett FRCVS
• Linda Belton MRCVS - BEVA Member
• Dr Martin Chamberlain MRCVS
• Daniel Doherty MRCVS
• James Gartside MRCVS
• Steven Howard MRCVS
• Tim Hutchinson MRCVS
• Dr Alice McLeish MRCVS
• Professor Chris Proudman FRCVS - BEVA Member
• Dr Peter Robinson MRCVS
The full biographies and statements for each candidate are available to read here where each candidate has also answered two questions of their choice submitted by members of the profession.
The three candidates who receive the most votes will take up their four-year terms on RCVS Council at our Annual General Meeting on Friday 7 July 2023.
Veterinary nurses will also now have until 5pm on Friday 21 April to cast their votes for up to two of the five candidates standing in this year’s VN Council election. The five candidates who are standing in this year’s election are:
• Sarah Jane Batt-Williams RVN
• Heather Jane Mathieson Kirkness RVN
• Katherine Ann Mortimer RVN
• Matthew Edwin Rendle RVN
• Simon Peter Williams RVN
The two candidates with the most votes will join VN Council for their three-year terms at the College’s AGM in July. The individual candidate profiles are available to view at here where you can also read the candidates’ answers to two questions of their choice submitted by the profession.
As well as the initial voting email, CES will also send regular reminder emails to those veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses who have not yet voted in their respective elections.
Any veterinary surgeons or veterinary nurses who have not received their voting email should contact CES directly on support@cesvotes.com stating which election they intend to vote in.