The President's Message

Dear Colleagues,
The Veterinary Practice Act 2003 was tabled in the NSW Parliament on 28 October 2003 by the Hon. Ian Macdonald, Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries. Several years of planning, discussion and consultation involving the Board, the Department of Agriculture and the AVA (NSW Division) have resulted in an Act which will streamline many administrative processes but could have a very significant impact on the delivery of veterinary services in NSW. There are provisions that have the potential to cause an increase in the expenses of the Board and the Board will need to carefully consider the impact of the new Act on its finances.

One key element is the creation of an advisory committee, with members appointed by the Minister for Agriculture, that will have responsibility for creating a list of restricted acts of veterinary science that can be performed only by registered veterinarians. This will reverse the scheme of the current Act where all acts of veterinary science are restricted to veterinarians with specified exemptions to allow some acts to be performed by nonveterinarians. The Act allows the Board flexibility in relation to many of the decisions and processes involved in the administration of the Act

It is important that veterinarians take the time to read the Act and ensure they understand the obligations it will create. It is readily accessible at the following web site: www.parliament.nsw.gov.au and will be on the VSB website when available. The Act will become effective after regulations have been drafted.

The Board will be known as the Veterinary Practitioners Board and will consist of eight members: six veterinarians and two members who are non-veterinarians who will be selected by the Minister to represent the users of veterinary services. The functions of the Board are defined and it will have a broad range of responsibilities, including registration, complaint investigation, disciplinary action, continuing education issues and the furthering of a common approach to legislation relating to veterinary practitioners in Australasia.

The Veterinary Surgeons Investigating Committee will no longer exist. Complaints will be investigated and disciplinary action taken by the Board. The Board will have the power to establish committees to assist it with the exercise of any of its functions and membership of those committees is not restricted to Board members. This allows the potential to access a wider range of relevant expertise whenever it is considered appropriate by the Board.
Veterinary hospitals are be defined as places where ‘major surgery’ is conducted and there is a definition of major surgery in the Act. It will be possible to gain a hospital license for certain specified types of major surgery provided the applicant demonstrates to the Board that the hospital will be able to provide acceptable levels of care for animals before, during and after major surgery. In the December 2002 issue of Boardtalk, I took the opportunity to thank the Board members, Veterinary Surgeons Investigating Committee members and the staff for their effort and good work, as it was not clear who would be continuing on into the New Year. The Minister showed his confidence in the Board and Veterinary Surgeons Investigating Committee by reappointing the same members for a new term of three years. There will be a new Board appointed when the Veterinary Practice Act 2003 comes into effect. The regulations that will support the administration of the Act are yet to be drafted. I can assure you that in the meantime, the Board and its staff will continue to work hard to ensure the charter and aims of the Board are met.

It is very satisfying to be able to say that the Board is now in a sound financial position. Much of this is due to the commitment plus management and administrative skills of the Registrar, Maria Linkenbagh. As a result of this, it was possible to reduce the annual registration fee for 2004. I thank the members of the Finance Committee, Dick Jane and Tim Crisp, for their continued excellent work in this area.

During the last two years the Board’s records have been thoroughly reviewed and updated and the Board’s web site has been continuously upgraded and improved. The Roll is now accessible via the Web and this is updated daily. Anybody wishing to confirm that a veterinarian is registered in NSW can to do so via the Board’s website: www.vsb.nsw.gov.au.

I also wish to emphasise the following:

  • All veterinary hospitals in NSW have now been visited within the last 2 years by the Board’s Inspector.
  • The Veterinary Surgeons Investigating Committee has continued to process complaints in very timely and effective manner
  • Thank you to Ruth Thompson and Tanya Carter for their work as editors of Boardtalk, and to all Board members and the office staff for their input and support throughout the year.

Merry Christmas and a rewarding new year to all.

Have You Moved?
The Board’s office has had a number of reminder notices for the 2004 Roll fee returned.

A penalty fee will apply for any veterinarian who does not pay by 31 December 2003.

Please contact the Board’s office if you have not received your notice.

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