CVS' 2023 Quality Improvement Report, which is published today, highlights how teams around the company are driving clinical improvement.

It includes significant progress in the farm practice where QI leads have been driving improvement in the use of diagnostic testing, including improving the use of nasopharyngeal swabbing in respiratory disease in calves and improving the use of bacteria identification and antibiotic sensitivity testing in mastitis cases. These campaigns are featured in the report here which includes the key areas of clinical improvement in CVS.

Topics such as the revitalisation of the company’s antimicrobial stewardship programme; and the way ethical issues have been handled in 2023 are featured.

The report also includes the programme to represent the views of nurses and those of support colleagues more clearly. The 12-strong Nursing Advisory Committee of 12 people from different backgrounds and talents has been up and running since September 2023 and is evaluating new knowledge, research, treatment and equipment from nurses’ perspective.

In addition, this QI report follows the recent publication of CVS’ Clinical Governance Framework, which illustrates the essential ingredients to cultivate a culture of continuous improvement. You can read more about the framework here.

Each improvement project outlined in this report includes the guiding elements of the clinical governance framework.

Paul Higgs, Chief Veterinary Officer, said: “Our Quality Improvement Report this year now focusses around how the framework positively influences our decision making, collaboration and learning.

“We believe that this framework is useful for everybody in our profession as it promotes the benefits of robust clinical governance and a psychologically safe culture. It offers a structured approach to assess current practices, drive positive change and enhance the wellbeing of our profession, clients and patients.”

Angela Rayner, Quality Improvement Director, said: “QI progressed significantly in our practice divisions in 2023. The breadth and depth of clinical improvement projects expanded in the small animal teams, with progress achieved in a wider area of clinical subject matter.

“Equine teams chose to look locally at what was needed in their practice and our Farm teams have also grown their QI activity by leaps and bounds and have had a positive impact on animal welfare and public health by improving the use of diagnostic testing to guide appropriate treatment and management of respiratory disease and mastitis cases.”
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