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Our scrutineers
We have 10 Scrutineers for the Hip and Elbow Dysplasia Schemes, all of whom are experts in radiology and/or orthopaedic surgery and have many years of experience in assessing hip and elbow radiographs.
Our Chief Scrutineer is Mrs Elizabeth Baines MA VetMB DVR DipECVDI FHEA MRCVS.
Our Chief Scrutineer for the for the Chiari Malformation/ Syringomyelia Scheme is Professor Michael Herrtage MA BVSc DVSc DVR DVD DSAM FRCVS Dip ECVIM Dip. ECVDI
Members of our panel
Mrs Elizabeth A. Baines (Chief Scrutineer)
MA VetMB DVR DipECVDI FHEA MRCVS
Lizza graduated from the University of Cambridge in 1990 and, after 8 years in a variety of small animal practices, she returned to Cambridge to complete a residency programme in Diagnostic Imaging. Lizza became a Diplomate in Radiology of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2000 and a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging in 2001. She moved to the Royal Veterinary College in 2004 as a Lecturer and currently works as a Specialist in Diagnostic Imaging at Willows Veterinary Centre in the West Midlands. Outside work, Lizza is married to Stephen – an RCVS Specialist in Oncology – and has two daughters, five cats and a very energetic Springer spaniel. She enjoys walking, gardening, singing and reading, and is currently working towards her Grade 7 in Musical Theatre.
Dr Jerry V. Davies
BVetMed PhD DVR DipECVS DipECVDI FRCVS
Jerry graduated from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) in 1974. He has a PhD, DVR and is a Diplomate of ECVS and ECVDI. He received the BSAVA Simon Award in 2004. He is a Past Treasurer and President of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. Having spent 12 years in the Department of Surgery, RVC, he then worked in private small animal referral practice, culminating in establishing Davies Veterinary Specialists in 1998. He has now retired from DVS but reports practice and Guide Dogs radiographs daily and is Chief Scrutineer for the BVA/KC HD and ED panels. He has been a member of the HD and ED panels since 1990. Nearly 50 years on the register and he is still excited by black and white images. At home are two unruly rescued Jugs. They were already named Ronnie and Reggie and live up to their names.
Mr Brian Turner
BVSc DVR CertSAO MRCVS
Brian graduated from Massey University (New Zealand) 1975 and spent two years in general mixed practice in the Far North of NZ. He arrived in the UK in 1979, and worked as a locum in the UK and Saudi Arabia. He completed post graduate study in radiology at the Royal Veterinary College 1983-86, and went on to become a Diplomate of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in Radiology, Certificate holder in Small Animal Orthopaedics and Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Orthopaedics. Brian established a private small animal first opinion and orthopaedic referral practice in 1988, and retired from clinical practice 2021.
Brian has been a member of the Hip Dysplasia Panel since 1995 and Elbow Dysplasia Panel since 1997. Chief Scrutineer of both schemes 2006-2011. His outside interests include tennis, travel, sailing and motorcycling.
Dr David Gareth Clayton Jones
BVetMed DVR DSAO Hon FRCVS DHMSA
David qualified in 1965 at the Royal Veterinary College London, and went on to hold positions at a number of prominent institutions, including Director at the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals, and Senior Lecturer at the Royal Veterinary College. He was a Partner at Cinque Ports Veterinary Associates and AN RCVS Registered Specialist in SA Orthopaedics and Radiology from 1992 until 2014.
David has been a member of the Hip Dysplasia Panel since the late 1960s and is past Chairman of both hip and elbow dysplasia panels. He is currently consulting and operating on a few clinical cases in London and involved in History of Human and Veterinary Medicine, obtaining the History Diploma from the Worshipful Company of Apothecaries in 2015.
Professor Michael E. Herrtage
M.A., B.V.Sc., D.V.Sc., D.V.R., D.V.D., D.S.A.M., F.R.C.V.S., Dip. E.C.V.I.M., Dip. E.C.V.D.I.
Mike graduated from the Liverpool University. He is now Emeritus Professor of Small Animal Medicine at the University of Cambridge and a Life Fellow of St. Edmund's College, Cambridge. He was a former Dean of the Cambridge Veterinary School and was in charge of the small animal medicine and diagnostic imaging services at the Queen's Veterinary School Hospital. His clinical interests include all aspects of small animal medicine and diagnostic imaging.
He has been a member of the Hip Dysplasia Panel since 1987, a member of the Elbow Dysplasia Panel since its inception in 1997, and Chief Scrutineer of the Chiari malformation/Syringomyelia Scheme since its inception in 2010.
He was awarded the B.S.A.V.A Woodrow Award in 1986 for outstanding contributions in the field of small animal veterinary medicine and the B.S.A.V.A. Blaine Award for outstanding contributions to the advancement of small animal medicine in 2000. In 2014, he was awarded the World Small Animal Veterinary Association International Award for Scientific Achievement and in 2016, he received the Kennel Club International Canine Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of a career dedicated to improving canine health and welfare. In 2019, he was awarded the B.S.A.V.A Bourgelat Award for really outstanding international contributions to the fields of small animal practice and in 2021, he was awarded the Dalrymple-Champneys Cup and Medal by the BVA for outstanding services to the advancement of veterinary medicine and science. He was awarded the Queen’s Medal by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2022, which is the highest honour that the RCVS can bestow on an individual veterinary surgeon in recognition of someone who has achieved a highly distinguished career with sustained and outstanding achievements throughout.
He has been President of the British Veterinary Radiology Association, President of the British Small Animal Veterinary Association, President of the European Society of Veterinary Internal Medicine and was the first President of the European Board of Veterinary Specialisation. He is a Diplomate of both the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and of the European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging and is a Past President of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. He was awarded the European Board of Veterinary Specialisation Award In 2018, for ‘outstanding contributions to the course of Veterinary Specialisation in Europe’.
He has spoken at many international meetings and published over 250 articles in refereed journals.
Mr John E. F. Houlton
M.A., Vet.MB., D.V.R., D.S.A.O., F.R.C.V.S., Dipl. E.C.V.S.
John Houlton graduated from the University of Cambridge and has worked in first opinion practice, referral small animal practice, at the Queen’s Veterinary School Hospital, University of Cambridge as University Surgeon and as a Claims Consultant for the Veterinary Defence Society.
He has been a member of the Hip Dysplasia Panel since 1992, a member of the Elbow Dysplasia Panel since its inception in 1997, and Chief Scrutineer of both schemes from 2000- 2006.
He has been Chairman of the British Veterinary Orthopaedic Association (BVOA), President of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons (ECVS), President of the European Society of Veterinary Orthopaedics and Traumatology (ESVOT) and President of AO/Vet International. He is a dual Diplomate of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (Radiology and Small Animal Orthopaedics) and a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons.
He was European Associate Editor of Veterinary Surgery from 2006 to 2014.
He was awarded the British Small Animal Veterinary Association’s Simon Award for outstanding contributions to Veterinary Surgery in 1985. He was made an honorary member of the BVOA in 2006 and awarded a Fellowship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2017 for meritorious contributions to the veterinary profession. In 2021, he received the European College of Veterinary Surgeons’ Distinguished Service Award and was awarded honorary membership of ESVOT in 2022. Since 2016 he has been a member of the Kennel Club Activities Health and Welfare Sub-Group.
He has spoken at many international meetings, is co-author of five veterinary textbooks and has published widely in refereed journals. Beyond veterinary medicine, his major interest is gundogs, and working Labradors in particular.
Dr Ruth Dennis
MA, VetMB, DVR, DipECVDI, FRCVS
Ruth qualified from Cambridge University Veterinary School in 1981 and after spending three years in general mixed veterinary practice she returned to Cambridge to specialise in radiology (now called diagnostic imaging). In 1993 she moved to the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket to set up a diagnostic imaging unit in their small animal hospital. When the AHT closed in 2000 she moved to Dick White Referrals near Newmarket, where she is a consultant in imaging.
Ruth was President of the European Association of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging from 2000-2 and President of the European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging from 2006-8. She has published numerous papers and book chapters relating to aspects of veterinary diagnostic imaging (including on the subjects of hip and elbow dysplasia) and is editor and main author of a textbook ‘Handbook of Small Animal Radiology and Ultrasound’. She has been the recipient of the British Small Animal Veterinary Association Blaine Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Advancement of Small Animal Veterinary Medicine or Surgery (2006), the European Association of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging Douglas and Williamson Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Association and to Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging (2012) and the European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging Peter Suter Award for Excellence in Teaching (2020).
Ruth has a keen interest in canine health screening using diagnostic imaging; she has been a member of the HD Panel since 1992 and of the ED and CM-SM Panels since their inception in 1998 and 2010 respectively. She was Chief Scrutineer for the HD/ED Panel from 2012 to 2017.
Mr Paul Mahoney
BVSc(Syd) DVR DipECVDI CertVC FHEA MRCVS
Paul graduated from Sydney University in 1984 and after 18 months working in mixed practice in Australia, he headed across the world to the UK and began working for a large, multi-site veterinary group in north-east London. After a year at the Royal Veterinary College he became an RCVS Diplomate in Veterinary Radiology in 1993, and followed this with an RCVS Certificate in Veterinary Cardiology. His imaging career then took him back to Sydney University, thereafter returning to the UK to work in two London-based small animal referral centres. Returning to the RVC he became a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging in 2008. From there he moved to a large Midlands-based referral centre, before accepting his current position providing a teleradiology service for Idexx.
Paul was a co-founder of the Australasian Association of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging (AAVDI), has been treasurer of the European Association of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging (EAVDI), was a member of the RCVS Radiology Board for 10 years, has been an examiner for the Diagnostic Imaging examinations of the European College (6 years), the Australian Fellowship (3 years) and the RCVS Certificate (5 years), and is currently Chair of the ECVDI Examination Evaluation Committee.
Away from work, Paul lives with long-term partner Jane on their small farm in Warwickshire with four spaniels, too many sheep and some very lazy chickens. He enjoys dog walking and tries to enjoy gardening, and occasionally dreams of his misspent youth on warm Sydney beaches.
Dr Kate Bradley
MA VetMB PhD DVR DipECVDI MRCVS
Kate graduated from Cambridge in 1993, initially working in mixed veterinary practice in Witney, Oxfordshire. This was followed by a Wellcome Trust funded Clinical Research Training Scholarship, which led to the RCVS Certificate in Veterinary Radiology in 1996, a PhD in 1998 and the RCVS and ECVDI Diplomas in Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging in 2000. She subsequently offered a specialist mobile imaging service to first opinion veterinary practices, followed by taking up a Lectureship in Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging at Bristol Veterinary School in 2002.
Kate’s current role as a Senior Lecturer is mainly clinical, working for Langford Veterinary Services and teaching final year veterinary students rotating through the clinics. She has previously been a member of the RCVS Radiology Board, examiner for the RCVS Certificate, Treasurer for EAVDI (British and Irish Division) and Chair of the ECVDI Examination Evaluation Committee. Current professional roles include provision of CPD for first opinion veterinary surgeons and acting as external examiner for the BSAVA Postgraduate Certificate in Small Animal Diagnostic Imaging.
Outside of work, Kate is married to Andrew, a specialist in Dairy Herd Health, and has one daughter, two sons, two New Zealand Huntaway dogs (one of whom has a dysplastic hip) and a small flock of Beulah Speckled Face sheep.
Mr Stephen Clarke
BMV&S DipECVS DSAS (Orth) MRCVS
Steve graduated from University of Edinburgh in 1996. After gaining the RCVS Certificate in Small Animal Surgery in 2002, Steve started specialist surgical training at the University of Glasgow. In 2006 Steve gained both the RCVS Diploma in Small Animal Surgery (Orthopaedics) and the ECVS Diploma in Small Animal Surgery, obtaining RCVS Specialist status in 2008. For the last 19 years Steve has worked full time in orthopaedic referral practice, initially in Scotland and then latterly at Willows Referral Service, in the West Midlands. After over 13 years at Willows, Steve is returning to Scotland in the spring of 2024 as lead orthopaedic surgeon at Ferguson Veterinary Clinic.
Steve has previously been part of the examination team for the RCVS Diploma in Small Animal Orthopaedics, which included a period as chief examiner. An active AOVET faculty member for many years, Steve has been involved as both faculty and course chair for a number of AOVET courses and is currently the AOUK & I Vet Chairperson and is involved in the development of AOVET Operating Room Personnel education.
Away from work Steve enjoys spending time with his family and his two unruly Terriers. Steve is also a keen runner and is largely obsessed with air-cooled Volkswagens!
