RCVS council elections could be scrapped in a governance shake-up that may help to secure long-sought reform of veterinary sector legislation.

The idea, which would see an independent appointment system adopted in its place, was widely supported by current council members during their first meeting of 2024 on 18 January.

But, while the issues will be subject to wider consultation, the body was more split on other potential changes, including whether the college’s president should chair the council, too.

Although the college finalised its recommendations for the content of a new law to replace the current Veterinary Surgeons Act three years ago, questions about its own governance have remained largely outstanding until now.

A report, published ahead of the meeting, cautioned that the college’s governance models are “strongly at variance with regulatory best practice” and reforms could be “insisted upon” as a condition of new legislation.

Implications

While council members voted 16 to 5 in favour of an appointment-based system, a range of concerns were raised about its potential implications, however.

Stephen May said he was worried about the risk of a lack of accountability and understanding, arguing that the present governance model had evolved over a long period of time and served the professions well, while Olivia Cook warned that it could also reinforce perceptions of a college “ivory tower”.

Will Wilkinson urged colleagues to “follow the evidence and not the trend”, suggesting that elections already provided a wide cross-section of expertise for the council, while Tim Hutchinson cautioned that the polls provide an opportunity for wider engagement and asked for evidence that an alternative model would be more effective.

Meanwhile, Alice McLeish hinted at the possibility of limiting representation as she said: “People like me are not the type who would be appointed.”

Engagement

However, registrar Eleanor Ferguson insisted appointments would not enable the college to simply choose who it wanted, while chief executive Lizzie Lockett said consultation exercises often achieved greater levels of engagement than the annual elections.

Education committee chairperson Kate Richards suggested that co-option on to committees could be a means of developing a “pipeline” of future council members, while her VN council counterpart Belinda Andrews-Jones urged colleagues to be mindful of their wider responsibilities.

She said: “What are we here for? We’re here for animal welfare and the public.”

The meeting had earlier heard that the idea of moving to an appointment system was supported by both the BVA and the Veterinary Schools Council (VSC), the latter of which could lose the three places it has on the current council as a result.

Greater clarity

But, in a presentation to members, BVA senior vice-president Malcolm Morley argued greater clarity was needed on the college’s functions and suggested that a separate council with elected members might be formed to consider Royal College matters.

However, he also stressed that the association was not advocating the development of separate bodies and regulatory functions.

The meeting was also told that VSC support for change was subject to it having 50 per cent representation on the college’s education committee.

Reform

While much of the discussion focused on the question of appointment or election, members were more even on other aspects of the possible reform agenda.

Votes on whether the presidential role should be separated from that of chairing the council, plus the question of numerical parity between registered and lay members, were tied 11-11. President Sue Paterson declined to apply a casting vote in both cases.

However, further votes did show a majority in favour of retaining a slight majority of veterinary professionals as council members. Each of the alternative models presented to the meeting also envisaged no reduction to the council’s current 24-strong membership.

Nominations for candidates to stand in this year’s elections remain open until 5pm 31 January.