RCVS COUNCIL ELECTIONS

VOTE FOR BENJAMIN KENNEDY

Links:

https://www.rcvs.org.uk/who-we-are/rcvs-council/council-elections/dr-benjamin-kennedy/

Want to ask me a question:

Candidate biography

Benjamin is a companion animal and exotic veterinary surgeon based in Milton Keynes. He runs Invertivet Bearded Vets, a company focused on facilitating veterinary care, telemedicine, and research for invertebrate and exotic animals. He has worked for a large number of practices as a locum, providing standard and ECC veterinary care across companion and exotic species.

Benjamin’s academic background, with previous degrees in biochemistry and genetics and molecular biology and viral pathology, supports his interest in evidence-based medicine and proportionate regulation.

Benjamin is actively involved in professional societies and currently sits on the steering committees of the Veterinary Invertebrate Society and the British Bee Veterinary Association. He previously served as a council member of the British Veterinary Zoological Society, having input into several of the BVA committees. He regularly publishes articles and presents at conferences, helping to raise awareness of exotic and invertebrate medicine.

Please find my RCVS profile here: 

https://www.rcvs.org.uk/who-we-are/rcvs-council/council-elections/dr-benjamin-kennedy/

Why do you want to stand to be a member of RCVS Council?

I love being a vet. I love this profession. I care deeply about it and my colleagues who work so hard to deliver care. I think many of us are struggling with the state of the profession today; much of that struggle has been laid bare by the CMA review.

I put myself up for Council last year in response to the crises facing the veterinary profession, and wanting to ensure that regulation remains proportionate, transparent and supportive. I would like to thank everyone who stood behind me last year. Since then the situation has become more complicated, with greater disparity between what the profession needs and what it is being given, and I am committed to doing my part to continue advocating for the profession and our patients.

I believe strongly in effective self-regulation and in the importance of maintaining an elected veterinary presence on Council. Those working on the ground are best placed to understand how regulation affects animal welfare, professional standards, and public trust in the profession.

What is your understanding of the challenges that locum vets and locum nurses are currently facing?

Locum vets and nurses are facing many challenges especially as increasing vets and nurses are turning to locuming either due to childcare commitments or as they transition or because of the need for flexibility. The cost of living crisis is hitting this industry hard. Locums will always be the first to go so there are more extremes of when work is available! This is currently being felt hard but locum nurses in particular (many of whom are only trying to make ends meat!)
Many of the issues brought up by the CMA with respect to owners are also relevant to locums as big corporations attempt to manage and prevent competition with respect to where locums work and how much they charge. We think a lot about the customer’s issues but little about the issue of who is supplying veterinary services… which is also subject to pricing caps and pressure to engage under inequitable terms. Locums are getting better at speaking collectively (through the BVLA! and BVU) but it is still daunting to challenge large multi-million pound multinational companies that are trying to exert large levels of influence on the industry.
The fact that the RCVS specifically regulates individuals and doesn’t overtly regulate practices mean that in some respects locums take on the burden of responsibility for how a practice runs yet have little to no influence on what standards are in place.
I’ve been locuming on and off for my entire career and have working in over 80 practices so I have learned a lot about this industry and especially about the experiences that locums have. I think it is really important that we work together and learn to support each other. Collectively we are strong and we need that representation on council (definitely props to Will Wilkinson who has represented locums wonderfully!!!).

Given the huge variation in the needs of vets: in private practice, learning institutes, corporate owned practices, independent owned practices, employment, and differing models of ownership… how well equipped do you feel to listen to, and give a voice to, that whole population of vets experiencing such differing challenges?

As a locum vet who has supported over 80 practices, I have worked in diverse clinical settings across both corporate and independent environments – from general practice to referral and specialist centres. This is only one aspect of my career, as I have also undertaken, and continue to conduct, research into invertebrate medicine, regularly collaborating with academics. This research has even led me into various facets of farm medicine through insect farming. In addition, I have volunteered my time with organisations such as the BVZS, BVA, VIS and BBVA. These experiences have afforded me the privilege of engaging with many facets of the profession and establishing a wide range of contacts among vets from various backgrounds.

The variability and diversity of the veterinary experience is one of the reasons I advocate for an elected council. I believe that a good councillors can come from anywhere (to paraphrase Disney’s “Ratatouille”), and I trust my colleagues to identify where experience is needed on the council. We must tread carefully as we modernise our regulator, ensuring that we represent the entirety of veterinary medicine rather than only what is overtly visible.

I would consider a future role as an RCVS councillor an opportunity to represent my colleagues, their concerns, and their expertise. My primary role will be to listen carefully and ensure that their views are effectively represented on the council.

Given the rapid consolidation of veterinary practices by large corporate groups over the last 20 years (now upwards of 60% of the market), what role do you believe the RCVS should play in preserving market competition and ensuring that consumers have genuine choices in their local areas?

Corporisation is not inherently a bad thing! The consolidation of practices into larger groups has happened many times over the last 20 years (and this isn’t unique to the veterinary industry.)

I do think it should be clear when large corporations own practices so I would advocate for the PSS to require practices to display prominently when a practice is affilitated with a larger group. Many practices act under the veneer of a mum and pop independent practice without consumers being aware that they are run by large corporations. This was one of many issues brought up by the CMA investigation. The RCVS should regulate to allow customers to make informed choices about the veterinary services they are engaging with.
 
From a more birds eye view, Some of these issues are due to limitiations of the RCVS to regulate veterinary practices as the RCVS currently regulates MRCVS vets only. I would advocate that we should be moving to
regulating not only individuals but also practices as this would allow the RCVS to meaningfully influence the behaviour of practices where non-vets may have significant authority and influence.

If elected, would you work to reverse proposed changes to an all-appointed council, and seek to maintain democratic elections for RCVS council?

If Elected i would seek to reverse the proposed changes and seek to maintain democratic elections for RCVS council.

I along with other candidates have penned a letter to the Vet Record indicating our stance on keeping democratic elections. There is a need for the RCVS to modernise its governing structure, but this doesn’t mean we should lose an elected component to council, nor does it mean we should move to an all-appointed council.

I don’t think that means we must continue with what we have already and suspect there could be a level of compromise and progression but a fully nominated council has some serious flaws.

Publications

Benjamin has published several articles, chapters and other publications on invertebrate medicine which can be found below.

Learn More

Invertebrate Medicine

Invertebrate medicine is one of Benjamin’s passions and something he can go on about for hours. To find out more then click below.

Learn More