British Veterinary Association

The British Veterinary Association is the national body for veterinary surgeons in the United Kingdom and is a not-for-profit organisation. Its purpose is that of knowledge dissemination, and not professional validation or academic competence. Knowledge dissemination is important in the veterinary profession to prevent a knowledge divide.

History

National Veterinary Association

A preceding organisation started out as the National Veterinary Association in 1882 after the first ever British National Veterinary Congress in July 1881. A vet, George Banham, had suggested the idea of a national veterinary association. George Fleming, the principal vet to the Armed Forces, was the first elected President. The Association was open to any vet, no matter which country they were from, on the payment of half a guinea. Other previous veterinary associations still co-existed though. It had an informal organisation and meetings across the country were arranged on an ad hoc basis. This style of organisation did not suit many vets, who wanted an organisation where they could discuss matters which did not or could not be discussed by the RCVS. In 1909 at a meeting of the Scottish Metropolitan Veterinary Association, Professor Orlando Charnock Bradley of the Edinburgh Veterinary College, called for a 'one single British veterinary association'. The idea was generally accepted, but the First World War stopped anything from happening.

National Veterinary Medical Association

At a meeting on October 31, 1919, the National Veterinary Medical Association was formed. Charnock Bradley became this association's first president. The co-existent veterinary associations no longer continued. The NVMA became a coherent regulated organisation and started to achieve things for vets, the country, and not-least the world. It has profoundly helped animal welfare and food production.

In 1952 it became the BVA.

In 1984, it founded the BVA Animal Welfare Foundation. In 2008, it launched the Vets.TV online television channel, with help from the Ten Alps company. The World Veterinary Association was formed in 1959 in Madrid.

Activities

It issues advice and the consensus of professional opinion to members and to the general public about veterinary issues as they arise in current events or trends, such as bird flu^[1] and foot and mouth.^[2]

It publishes The Veterinary Record (first published 1920) and In Practice. The organisation has over 15,000 members.

Structure

The current President is Mr John Blackwell. The current Past-President is Mr Robin Hargreaves and the current President-Elect is Mr Sean Wensley. The association's headquarters is situated near Queen's College, London.

See also

• Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (Professional body)
• Veterinary medicine
• British Medical Association
• Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists
• British Veterinary Hospitals Association
• British Video Association
• Association of Veterinary Students

References

External links

• Veterinary Job Shop - Related Website
• British Veterinary Association
• Vets Online - related website
• Vetclick - related website
• British Veterinary Nursing Association
• BVA Animal Welfare Foundation
• Publications
• Association of Veterinary Students
• International Veterinary Students Association

Video clips

• Vets.TV