Perthshire vet elected British Veterinary Association Scottish Branch President

Perthshire vet Vivienne Mackinnon has been named British Veterinary Association (BVA) Scottish Branch President following its Annual General Meeting and prestigious annual dinner at Holyrood yesterday.  

Vivienne brings to the role rich and varied experience of more than 30 years, spanning roles in mixed and small animal practice, government veterinary services, disease surveillance, and veterinary education. 

After graduating from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh in 1995, Vivienne worked in mixed and small animal practice in Scotland, England, New Zealand and Australia, before joining the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to work in frontline disease control and animal welfare in Scotland. In her 17 years at APHA, in roles including veterinary officer and then veterinary lead, she worked on notifiable diseases including bovine TB and avian influenza outbreaks, zoonoses, and the welfare of farmed animals. 

In 2022, she took on the role of Director of Veterinary Partnerships at Scotland’s Rural College’s (SRUC) new School of Veterinary Medicine, where she currently leads on developing partnerships with practices and animal related industries to support veterinary education.  

Vivienne has been an active member of the BVA Scottish Branch since 2017. She is also a director of Vet Trust, a charity which funds CPD for vets and vet nurses.  

Upon being elected Scottish Branch President, Vivienne said: 

“It’s a privilege to represent Scottish members across all sectors and stages of their careers. Since graduating nearly 30 years ago, I’ve seen first-hand the huge changes in the veterinary profession, as well as the challenges facing the veterinary and farming sectors in Scotland today, from recruitment and retention issues to threats from avian influenza and bluetongue.  

“Veterinary education needs to be properly supported and funded. Vets are a vital part of Scotland’s economy, and the current shortage of vets compromises this and animal welfare. We need to remove the financial barriers for universities and students to enable more homegrown talent to enter the profession. I look forward to working with colleagues across the veterinary professions to improve animal health and welfare in the country and support veterinary workplaces.” 

Vivienne takes over the post from Gareth Hateley, who steps into the role of BVA Scottish Branch Senior Vice President. 

Speaking at the BVA dinner, BVA President Dr Elizabeth Mullineaux warmly welcomed Vivienne in her new role.  

Addressing guests, including guest speaker Jim Fairlie MSP and key representatives from the Scottish Government, animal health and welfare organisations, and colleagues from across the veterinary profession, Dr. Mullineaux also praised the Scottish Government’s commitment to animal welfare, but cautioned MSPs that more needs to be done. She said: 

“We are really pleased with the progress taking place in the Scottish Parliament with two key bills: The Welfare of Dogs Act and The Dog Theft Bill. While these two bills will go a long way towards ensuring the welfare of dogs, there are other issues that we would like to be considered, including a ban on aversive training methods such as shock collars. With next year’s [Scottish parliamentary] election on the horizon, this will be a key piece of animal welfare legislation that we would urge you to include in your respective manifestos to ensure animal health and welfare continues to be at the forefront of Scottish politics.” 

Dr Mullineaux also called on MSPs to support BVA on the much-needed reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 and its ongoing work to support the profession with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigation into UK veterinary services for household pets. She said: 

“A new Veterinary Surgeons Act is essential both to ensure animal health and welfare and to support the veterinary professions in delivering care. It is crucial that we have a fit-for-purpose, modern regulatory framework that recognises the importance of all members of the veterinary team and the modern structures of veterinary businesses. The CMA has already acknowledged this failing in its current investigation, outlining the changes that the industry has undergone in the past 60 years and the challenges resulting from the absence of practice regulation. We are pleased that both the CMA and the UK Government have listened to the profession, and we are working at the moment with Defra to ensure that legislative reform is progressed promptly and efficiently.” 

On the CMA investigation, Dr Mullineaux added:  

“Although the CMA investigation is focussed on household pets, it is really likely that it will impact on all types of veterinary practice, including large animal and mixed species practices such as those found particularly in the rural areas of Scotland. We need to ensure the consequences of the investigation are understood beyond small animal practices and we continue to warn the CMA of the possibility of unforeseen impacts on the viability of remote rural practices in particular if its remedies are not carefully considered. We do, however, recognise the need for change, and we are extremely proud of the veterinary profession’s response to the investigation as we have remained open and willing to engage with the process, playing our part in supporting a well-functioning veterinary market.” 

Read Dr Mullineaux’s speech in full here.