Practice Standards Scheme
The RCVS has a statutory duty to maintain a Register of veterinary surgeons eligible to practise in the UK and to regulate professional conduct and through its Royal Charter powers to regulate registered veterinary nurses. It has no statutory powers to regulate others who may be involved in running veterinary practices and has introduced a voluntary accreditation scheme.
What is the Practice Standards Scheme?
The RCVS Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) is a voluntary initiative to accredit veterinary practices in the UK. Through setting standards and carrying out regular inspections, the Scheme aims to promote and maintain the highest standards of veterinary care.
It offers peace of mind to clients of accredited practices and more informed choice to the animal-owning public.
To become accredited, practices volunteer for rigorous inspection every four years and will have met a range of minimum standards including hygiene, 24-hour emergency cover, staff training, certain types of equipment and cost estimation procedures. They may also be subject to spot-checks between inspections.
Practices accredited through the PSS can gain different types of accreditation based on the facilities and services they offer, and the types of animals they treat.
Practices in the PSS can use this logo.
They can also put what type of PSS accreditation they have onto the logo.
What do the different accreditations mean?
The different types of accreditations are:
Core standard
This covers mainly legal and health and safety requirements and minimum standards of hygiene and cleanliness. It provides 24-hour emergency cover for patients either itself, or by arrangements with another practice or emergency service provider. Practice staff are appropriately qualified and trained for the work they do. The practice makes clients aware what arrangements there are to check and monitor patients kept in overnight. Clients receive estimates of costs of treatments and procedures are done with the client’s consent. The practice has basic diagnostic equipment for the work it does and has an effective policy for communication with clients.
General Practice
General Practices will also be accredited on the basis of the animals they treat as either small animal, farm animal, equine (horse) or as an Emergency Service Clinic or any combination of these.
As well as meeting core standards, a PSS General Practice has a policy for communicating with clients, and a system for monitoring the outcome of treatments. The practice must have access to laboratory facilities for diagnostic testing and show an ongoing commitment to education and training of staff.
Emergency Service Clinics
RCVS accredited Emergency Service Clinics for small animal practices, as well as meeting core and general practice standards, must meet additional requirements as a designated out of hours service provider, including nursing staff available on the premises, and having a broad range of diagnostic and laboratory equipment such as ECG /Ultrasound.
Veterinary Hospital
RCVS-accredited Veterinary Hospitals are also accredited according to which animals they treat as either small animal or equine (horse).
As well as meeting the requirements of core standards and general practice, RCVS Veterinary Hospitals have specific requirements including; nursing staff to be present on the premises at all times, a veterinary surgeon available at all time if needed to attend in-patients, a system for checking that clinical standards are maintained and improved by monitoring performance and the outcome of treatments, a high quality and broad range of equipment available, for example diagnostic equipment such as ECG and ultrasound, and premises and facilities that meet rigorous standards of cleanliness and sterility.
How does the scheme work?
Veterinary practices apply for accreditation and they are inspected by the RCVS. This means an RCVS Inspector visits and makes thorough checks. If practices have branches these are inspected too.
If the practice is successful and becomes PSS-accredited, the practice will normally be inspected by the RCVS every four years. The practice also has to certify each year that it continued to meet the standards. It can be spot-checked between inspections.
How can my constituent find a PSS-accredited practice?
You can search for PSS accredited practices in our online Find-A-Vet service. Around half of veterinary practices have PSS-accreditation.
PSS practices can also use the PSS logo on signs, leaflets and stationery.
Does this mean practices that are not PSS-accredited are no good?
No. Practices do not have to be in the Practice Standards Scheme and just because a veterinary surgery is not accredited does not mean that it is not a good practice.
The regulatory function of the RCVS has always meant that users of veterinary services could be assured that their veterinary surgeon was properly qualified and fit to practise.
The RCVS can now offer reassurance that those practice premises which it accredits as part of the Practice Standards Scheme also meet stringent standards.
