RCVS guidance hub
RCVS veterinary professional conduct: guidance and solicitor matching
Guidance for veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses responding to an RCVS concern, Preliminary Investigation Committee process or Disciplinary Committee hearing.
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What this guidance covers
A stage-specific map for RCVS.
Guidance for veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses responding to an RCVS concern, Preliminary Investigation Committee process or Disciplinary Committee hearing.
Use the supporting guides to move from the first notice through evidence, hearings, outcomes and any review. Start with the question raised by the latest letter rather than trying to read the whole process at once.
Common entry points
- An RCVS concern has been raised: first steps
- Responding to an RCVS concern and preserving clinical records
- RCVS Stage 1 Preliminary Investigation Committee
- RCVS Stage 2 Preliminary Investigation Committee
- RCVS health and performance concerns
Guides for each stage
8 focused guides in procedural order.
Start with the guide matching the latest letter or decision. From there, you can move to the stages immediately before and after it, or return to this overview.
An RCVS concern has been raised: first steps
RCVS concerns may involve professional conduct, clinical performance, health, convictions or record keeping. The first response should identify the stage and requested information while keeping any client, employment or criminal matter distinct.
Read the guide Guide 02Responding to an RCVS concern and preserving clinical records
A response should address the stated concern with accurate clinical records and a clear chronology. Later explanation must remain separate from original entries, and a negligence or fee dispute should not be treated as identical to serious professional misconduct.
Read the guide Guide 03RCVS Stage 1 Preliminary Investigation Committee
Stage 1 PIC gathers and assesses information to decide whether a concern can close, close with advice or requires Stage 2 consideration. It is a screening and investigation decision rather than a Disciplinary Committee finding.
Read the guide Guide 04RCVS Stage 2 Preliminary Investigation Committee
Stage 2 PIC considers whether there is a realistic prospect of proving the relevant serious case and whether referral is in the public interest. It does not itself conduct the final disciplinary hearing.
Read the guide Guide 05RCVS health and performance concerns
Health and performance information may prompt investigation or supportive safeguards, depending on seriousness and current risk. Diagnosis, workplace capability and serious professional misconduct are different questions that require relevant evidence and careful confidentiality.
Read the guide Guide 06Preparing for an RCVS Disciplinary Committee hearing
The Disciplinary Committee hears referred charges and determines facts, the statutory professional threshold and any sanction. Preparation should follow those separate stages and should not assume that the Preliminary Investigation Committee referral proves the case.
Read the guide Guide 07RCVS sanctions, publication and return to practice
RCVS outcomes can affect registration, publication and future work. The decision, any suspension or removal and the practical route back to safe practice should be read precisely rather than inferred from a press summary.
Read the guide Guide 08RCVS appeals and restoration to the Register
An appeal against a Disciplinary Committee outcome and an application for restoration are different routes. Each has its own jurisdiction, timing and evidential focus, and neither is a general rerun of the Preliminary Investigation Committee process.
Read the guideHow an introduction works
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- 01Choose your regulator and current stage.
- 02Provide only basic contact, stage and deadline information.
- 03Review the named recipient and referral disclosure before sharing.
- 04The independent firm decides whether to offer a consultation or accept the matter.
Primary-source register
Built from current regulator material.
Sources checked 19 September 2026. Check the linked regulator material for later amendments and use the corrections route if a source or summary needs attention.
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