The importance of clinical governance in the vet sector

CVS, one of the biggest vet care providers in the UK, recently created a new Clinical Governance Framework to ensure constant improvement in the quality of its services.

The company says, “It represents the first dedicated veterinary clinical governance framework for those involved in animal healthcare in the UK.”

The framework is based on six pillars: clinical effectiveness, research and development, ethical integrity and sustainability, information sharing and collaboration, education and training, quality improvement and patient safety.

According to the company’s Chief Veterinary Officer Paul Higgs, this new tool provides “a safe way” for the business to understand the current working practices and identify change where needed.

CVS points out that similar frameworks have been adopted in human healthcare – including the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) – but that the veterinary professional required “a different approach.”

The group operates over 500 vet practices across the UK, Netherlands and Ireland.

Vets for Pets

British pet retailer Pets at Home, which runs its vet business under a joint venture model, created the role of Veterinary Officer in early 2023.

According to the company, this role, filled by Gudrun Ravetz, will be “pivotal” in delivering its pet care strategy by putting clinical expertise and pet welfare at the very heart of the business.

The retailer also introduced Clinical Development Manager (CDM) roles to provide quality assurance across its vet practices and promote clinical excellence and best practices.

In addition, the group’s CDMs are conducting what it calls Aspiring to Clinical Excellence audits across its existing 443 First Opinion practices. “These audits review 20 critical areas of practice process and policy and will be updated regularly to drive continual improvement,” says the company.