New British Veterinary Association President calls for animal welfare alongside client choice to be at the heart of CMA recommendations

Wildlife specialist vet Dr Elizabeth Mullineaux BVM&S, DVM&S, CertSHP, FRCVS has been elected President of the British Veterinary Association (BVA) for 2024-2025 at BVA Day in London today.

A 1988 graduate of the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh, Dr Mullineaux’s veterinary career has spanned clinical experience across small animal, farm and wildlife medicine, with written contributions to books, scientific papers, and policy documents. An RCVS Recognised Specialist in Wildlife Medicine (Mammalian), prior to her BVA role Dr Mullineaux juggled roles as a locum small animal vet in Edinburgh; an invited tutor on wildlife and conservation medicine courses at universities in England, Scotland and Italy; and Scientific Advisor to Secret World Wildlife Rescue. She is also a Past President of the British Veterinary Zoological Society (2021-2022).

In her first speech as President, East Lothian-based Dr Mullineaux introduced her presidential theme, ‘A profession that cares’.

Addressing members, she said:

“For me, this perfectly encapsulates what being a vet is all about. We get up in the middle of the night to calve a cow; support our clients as they say goodbye to their beloved dog; and share the excitement of a family with young children when they bring in their new kitten for the first vaccination. We do all this because we do really care. It’s therefore incredibly difficult to see our motivations questioned in the way we have seen as a result of the CMA’s investigation.

"In our interactions with the CMA we’re constantly reminding them that the veterinary profession puts the health and welfare of the animals we care for at the centre of everything we do. This is regardless of whether the animals are wild or domesticated, owned or unowned, or an owner’s financial position. Any recommendations coming out of the investigation must fully consider animal welfare as well as owner choice and ensuring that is understood by the CMA is a key priority for me in the year ahead.

"As a profession that cares, we also care about one another. The media reporting of the CMA investigation has portrayed vets in a way that is at odds with everything I understand and value about the profession, and it has put additional strain on people in practice who already feel overworked and undervalued.”

Dr Mullineaux also underlined the opportunities presented by the CMA investigation, especially the chance to secure a new Veterinary Surgeons Act that BVA has long lobbied for.

She said:

“I’m a bit of a glass half full person though, and the CMA investigation does present us with opportunities. One of these is an increased chance of securing a new Veterinary Surgeons Act in the next parliament. The 1966 Act is not surprisingly unfit for purpose for a modern profession. It’s about as old as I am. New legislation needs to include the regulation of those responsible for the veterinary industry - the businesses and the practises - as well as the professionals working within it. We also hope our colleagues who work alongside us, as part of a multidisciplinary team, will also become properly recognised, particularly important to me, our valued Registered Veterinary Nurses.”

Dr. Mullineaux also outlined other key priorities for her presidential year, including continued lobbying for a solution to the provision of veterinary medicines in Northern Ireland; an end to puppy smuggling; measures to improve dog breeding and responsible dog ownership; and a ban of snares in England to align with legislation in Wales and Scotland.

Read Dr Mullineaux’s speech in full here.

Outgoing BVA President and GP vet Dr Anna Judson will step into the post of BVA Senior Vice President. In her outgoing speech to members, she highlighted BVA’s lobbying and campaigning work in 2023/24, which included responding to the CMA investigation and ensuring that any recommendations were scrutinised for unintended consequences for both the profession and animal welfare; managing the timelines for the XL Bully ban across England and the devolved nations; and ongoing work to secure access to veterinary medicines in Northern Ireland.

Dr Rob Williams MVB MBA CMgr FCMI MCIPD MRCVS has been elected as the new BVA Junior Vice President. An experienced small animal vet having worked as a GP vet, referral surgeon, and clinical director of a large hospital practice, Dr Williams established and developed species-focused graduate programmes at VetPartners in 2016. He is also a qualified HR professional and works in a role focused on colleague engagement and career development. He had been a BVA volunteer for the past five years and recently contributed to the Vetlife Neurodiversity resource.

BVA Day (formerly BVA Member’s Day and AGM) is an annual event which includes the election of BVA’s President, Senior Vice President and Junior Vice President and the presentation of BVA’s prestigious awards: BVA Council Impact Award and the Harry Steele-Bodger Scholarship.