Southern Counties Veterinary Specialists has become an official European College of Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia (ECVAA) Satellite Training Centre.

The ECVAA is the central authority that regulates and certifies the standards of specialisation in veterinary anaesthesia in Europe. Residency programmes in veterinary anaesthesia are rigorous, culminating in a series of examinations to ensure the candidate has achieved a level of knowledge and practical proficiency to qualify as a Specialist. 

The speciality of veterinary anaesthesia is important as procedures in companion animals are becoming ever more complex and can be associated with increased risks to the patient. Anaesthetists are just one part of the multidisciplinary team that will provide the very best care for your pet. These Specialists ensure the highest standards of anaesthesia, pain management and patient rehabilitation which all involve multiple, complex decision-making processes.

Our talented anaesthesia interns, Ana Gomez DVM, MRCVS and Ricardo Felisberto DVM, MRCVS have been approved as our first alternate track ECVAA residents at SCVS and they will now stay on with us for the next 4 years. Our specialist anaesthetists, Derek Flaherty BVMS, DVA, DipECVAA, MRCA, FHEA, FRCVS and Adam Auckburally BVSc, Cert VA DipECVAA, PGCAP, FHEA, MRCVS will jointly run the residency programme. Our Satellite Centre status means we can accept other ECVAA residents who may want to come to SCVS on an externship to augment their specialist training in anaesthesia and analgesia.

At SCVS we have invested in state-of-the-art anaesthetic equipment and multi-parametric patient monitoring and utilise the latest techniques, such as advanced vascular access, mechanical ventilation, peripheral nerve location for locoregional anaesthesia, epidural drug administration and neuromuscular blockade. The equipment used is identical to that used in human hospitals and these facilities allow our anaesthetists to provide the very best care for all patients treated at SCVS.

Derek Flaherty said: “It is great news that the European College of Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia have formally recognised that the facilities and case management at SCVS are of sufficiently high calibre that we can train a new generation of veterinary anaesthetists here; this is something that is most often reserved for university veterinary schools.”

Adam Auckburally said: “Given the ongoing rapid expansion of the facilities and clinical services here at SCVS, having trainee anaesthetists working alongside our current anaesthesia specialists, means we will be able to continue to provide optimal analgesia and peri-operative care for all the animals passing through our doors. We are extremely pleased to have been able to offer official residency positions to Ana and Ricardo.”

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Phone: 01425 485615

Website: www.scvetspecialists.co.uk