The Veterinary Defence Society Limited

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The Veterinary Defence Society Limited We're a mutual insurance company run by experienced veterinary surgeons on behalf of the veterinary

The Veterinary Defence Socicety Limited (VDS) is a mutual insurance company run by experienced veterinary surgeons on behalf of the veterinary profession, which:

- Insures the vast majority of the practising profession against the effects of claims of negligence
- Ensures that each case is handled by a veterinary colleague experienced in claims management
- Defends reputations and finances agains

t unjustified claims and offers compensation when appropriate
- Includes cover for negligence resulting in human injury
- Provides legal representation at criminal and disciplinary hearings
- Offers advice and guidance to members by telephone through Newsletters and other helpful publications

The VDS Training team and VDS Training Services Limited provide training to the veterinary profession, and the services they provide are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority or by the Prudential Regulation Authority.

Do you have any burning questions for us? In addition to a full day of interactive CPD and networking in a beautiful loc...
06/08/2024

Do you have any burning questions for us?

In addition to a full day of interactive CPD and networking in a beautiful location, our panel of experts across the VDS, BVA and Veterinary Ireland will answer your questions!

Tickets cost £50 and are available for all vets who have graduated within the last 5 years.

Book your spot now! www.thevds.co.uk/RGE24

British Veterinary Association - BVA

🎓 Calling all recent vet grads! Join our interactive CPD event to help build confidence in practice, learn from real-lif...
30/07/2024

🎓 Calling all recent vet grads! Join our interactive CPD event to help build confidence in practice, learn from real-life cautionary tales, defuse anger and work through tricky scenarios during live workshops, learn from our mistakes and have your questions answered by industry experts

Plus, enjoy a llama-themed drinks reception with some live furry guests! 🦙🍹

Ticket’s cost just £50.

Make new connections and learn from industry experts, hurry, register now! 🏃‍♀️💨 www.thevds.co.uk/RGE24

British Veterinary Association - BVA

25/07/2024

Do you enjoy reading the VDS Cautionary Tales in our member newsletter?

Join us Friday 20 September 2024 at The Wellbeing Farm in Lancashire for an interactive day of CPD, jam-packed with tools, techniques and information to help equip you for successful years ahead in your career.

Learn more and book here www.thevds.co.uk/RGE24

British Veterinary Association - BVA

A reminder that our Annual General Meeting is taking place on Wednesday 31 July 2024 at 2.15pm. You can find everything ...
25/07/2024

A reminder that our Annual General Meeting is taking place on Wednesday 31 July 2024 at 2.15pm.

You can find everything you need on our AGM Hub at https://www.thevds.co.uk/agm-2024.

For every Form of Proxy, we’ll donate £1 to Vetlife or approximately €1.10 to IVBF.

23/07/2024

No one wants to make mistakes but we’re all human and it’s a natural part of the learning process when you first qualify.

Meet Russell Roan, VetSafe Manager and speaker at our Recent Graduate Event in September 2024.

Russell will give the session ‘Turn mistakes into opportunities: Explore how to turn mistakes into positive learning experiences.’

Learn more about what’s on and book your £50 ticket now! www.thevds.co.uk/RGE24

British Veterinary Association - BVA

🎓 Calling all recent vet graduates!Join us for our NEW Recent Graduate Event to boost confidence and connect with peers....
19/07/2024

🎓 Calling all recent vet graduates!

Join us for our NEW Recent Graduate Event to boost confidence and connect with peers.

Our interactive sessions, real-life cautionary tales, and Q&A discussions will help equip you with practical skills.

Plus, unwind with a cool drink alongside a llama in a bow tie! 🦙

Learn more and book now https://www.thevds.co.uk/RGE24

British Veterinary Association - BVA

We thoroughly enjoyed our time at The Vet Trust in Stirling this weekEmma Callaghan (Veterinary Risk Manager) & Susan Do...
13/06/2024

We thoroughly enjoyed our time at The Vet Trust in Stirling this week
Emma Callaghan (Veterinary Risk Manager) & Susan Donaldson (Claims Consultant) manned the VDS stand ready to answer our member's questions & Ruth Serlin (Training Consultant) led a talk on 'Being complained about'

The VDS team are climbing Mount Everest for Forget Me Not. The VDS’s charity team challenge this year is in memory of ou...
07/06/2024

The VDS team are climbing Mount Everest for Forget Me Not.

The VDS’s charity team challenge this year is in memory of our friend and colleague Carl ‘Padge’ Padgett who very sadly died in 2023. We are raising money for the Forget Me Not centre at St Johns Hospice in his memory, by ‘climbing’ Mount Everest. Peter Attenburrow, one of our claims consultants, is tracking his elevation cycling from John o' Groats to Lands End and the rest of the team are adding their meters gained to his efforts over the two weeks between 1-14th June.

We know Padge was known and loved throughout the profession so thought we’d share the link to the Just Giving page in case anyone wanted to contribute. All the money raised will go directly to the Forget Me Not charity.

Follow the link if you’d like to donate - and wish us luck!! https://thevds.info/JustGivingVDS

The VDS Team

Final day of BVA!Last chance to pop over to the VDS stand to grab yourself an eco-friendly VDS bag, and discuss your Cla...
07/06/2024

Final day of BVA!
Last chance to pop over to the VDS stand to grab yourself an eco-friendly VDS bag, and discuss your Claims, Membership, Training and VetSafe queries! See you at D80!

Day 2 of BVA Live!We've had a great time meeting our members in person.If you're here, head over to stand D80 to be in f...
06/06/2024

Day 2 of BVA Live!
We've had a great time meeting our members in person.
If you're here, head over to stand D80 to be in for a chance to win some free CPD, learn more about your member benefits and pose your Claims, Training and VetSafe queries!

Are you attending BVA Live 2024?Pop by stand D80 to meet the VDS team and to pose your Claims, Membership or Training qu...
05/06/2024

Are you attending BVA Live 2024?
Pop by stand D80 to meet the VDS team and to pose your Claims, Membership or Training queries.
We'll see you there!

24/05/2024
Are you a VetSafe Champion? Interested in leading quality improvement, or already oversee practice Clinical Governance?✔...
17/05/2024

Are you a VetSafe Champion? Interested in leading quality improvement, or already oversee practice Clinical Governance?

✔ Learn to engage your team and tackle problems that matter to your practice
✔ Understand barriers to event reporting, what Safety Culture is and the principles of creating a 'Just Culture’
✔ Prepare for learning reviews, understand Psychological Safety, and more.

Find out and sign up for the VetSafe Mastery online course provided by VDS Training here: https://thevds.info/VetSafe-Course

Whether you work in a big or small practice or team, VetSafe is a powerful tool to guide reflection, learning and improv...
15/05/2024

Whether you work in a big or small practice or team, VetSafe is a powerful tool to guide reflection, learning and improvements from near-misses and errors whilst encouraging a no-blame environment.

How does it do this?

VetSafe focuses on a structured review of incidents to find weaknesses or blind spots in the practice system. Look beyond the person and consider why they did it.
So, whether you work for a large group, a small team or you’re an individual locum, VetSafe, a VDS member benefit, can help you.

Learn more about the system and how to get started here: www.vds-vetsafe.co.uk/vetsafe

The Veterinary Defence Society is a mutual insurance company, run by experienced veterinary surgeons on behalf of the veterinary profession.

How does the VDS use the VetSafe incident data?We collect, store and analyse the information in the reports to help us u...
09/05/2024

How does the VDS use the VetSafe incident data?

We collect, store and analyse the information in the reports to help us understand why things go wrong. We will analyse the reports for research purposes to inform and develop training and education for veterinary professionals, inform system solutions for practices, and promote professional learning and support for clinicians. The VDS also stores the reports as a risk management service for practices.

VDS Members - Find out more about VetSafe by logging in and heading to our Frequently Asked Questions page: www.vds-vetsafe.co.uk/faqs

Earn 6 hours CPD whilst you get better acquainted with VetSafe!VDS members, would you like to:✔ Learn more about accessi...
07/05/2024

Earn 6 hours CPD whilst you get better acquainted with VetSafe!

VDS members, would you like to:
✔ Learn more about accessing and navigating the VetSafe system?
✔ Understand why mistakes happen using Human Factors principles?
✔ Build your confidence to help your team learn from incidents, designing and implementing improvements to better handle risks?
✔ Explore how to create an environment of Psychological Safety in your team, building a supportive culture?

Sign up for the first level of VetSafe online courses; Essentials. Provided by VDS Training.

If you’re a VDS member, you can access this course and earn 6 hours CPD for FREE! https://thevds.info/VetSafe-Essentials

Meet Jodie, Veterinary Surgeon & Diplomate –Anaesthesia.During a significant medication meeting early on in the practice...
03/05/2024

Meet Jodie, Veterinary Surgeon & Diplomate –Anaesthesia.

During a significant medication meeting early on in the practice VetSafe journey, they confronted a recurring challenge: fluctuating dosages for patients hospitalised for extended periods.

Swipe across to read more about how VetSafe helped the team to transform their observations into actionable insights.

VDS Members - Learn more about how to get started or get the most out of the system for you and your team here: www.vds-vetsafe.co.uk/vetsafe

VetSafe reports can be a great starting point for team-based discussions in which you build an understanding of what wen...
02/05/2024

VetSafe reports can be a great starting point for team-based discussions in which you build an understanding of what went on and learn together.

These might be learning reviews, morbidity and mortality meetings, significant event reviews or in vet meetings.

VetSafe, a VDS member benefit, provides a structured framework to guide your team through discussions in a safe and supportive way.

Have you heard of our VetSafe Contributory Factor Conversation Cards? Or have you downloaded the Fishbone Diagram worksheet to utilise in your meetings?

Find out more about VetSafe, how to get started and the resources and tools available to members here: www.vds-vetsafe.co.uk/vetsafe

🔊Our accommodation prize draw ends TOMORROW! ⏰Enter the prize draw before 30 April 2024 for a chance to win FREE accommo...
29/04/2024

🔊Our accommodation prize draw ends TOMORROW! ⏰
Enter the prize draw before 30 April 2024 for a chance to win FREE accommodation!
T&Cs online

The Veterinary Defence Society is a mutual insurance company, run by experienced veterinary surgeons on behalf of the veterinary profession.

Over 40,000 incidents have been reported using VetSafe since 2018, each one is an opportunity to learn and improve. All ...
18/04/2024

Over 40,000 incidents have been reported using VetSafe since 2018, each one is an opportunity to learn and improve.

All VDS members can access our national VetSafe dashboard, with data collated from all incidents reported through the system. VDS Super Users also have access to their structured incident reviewing tool.

The feedback system has been designed to help the team learn from errors by working through a review of each incident using a root cause analysis framework. This tool will facilitate significant event review and mortality and morbidity meeting discussions.

These reports also help you comply with RCVS Practice Standards Scheme requirements.

Learn more about VetSafe and how to get started https://www.vds-vetsafe.co.uk/vetsafe

I’m not a vet or nurse, can I use VetSafe?Yes! VetSafe is a member benefit available to all members of the practice team...
16/04/2024

I’m not a vet or nurse, can I use VetSafe?
Yes! VetSafe is a member benefit available to all members of the practice team.

Nurses have made almost 50% of all VetSafe reports so far, vets 40% and the wider team, including receptionists, managers, administrators, grooms and care assistants just over 10% (since 2018).

Everyone in your practice can contribute. Team-wide reporting is a positive indicator of a practice's safety culture, combining multiple valuable perspectives on opportunities to improve.

Learn more about VetSafe and how to get started https://www.vds-vetsafe.co.uk/vetsafe

Have you heard of VetSafe?VetSafe, by the Veterinary Defence Society, is your confidential ally in improving practice qu...
12/04/2024

Have you heard of VetSafe?

VetSafe, by the Veterinary Defence Society, is your confidential ally in improving practice quality and managing risks. It's a system to help transform incidents and near misses into opportunities for learning, growth and building safer practice systems.

If you’re a VDS member, follow along over the coming weeks to learn more about the system and how to get the most out of it.
https://www.vds-vetsafe.co.uk/vetsafe

02/04/2024

Calling all recent veterinary graduates!

If you qualified in the last 5 years and are a VDS member, working in any area of the Veterinary Industry, please join us on Monday 15 April at 7.30pm for an online focus group.

Our aim? To gather information about the challenges currently faced by those working in the profession.

We’d love to hear about:
👉Your experience and opinions of the veterinary profession
👉How important you feel the role of the VDS is in your practice life
👉How we could develop or improve our service for our members like you.

If you are interested and would like more information, please contact us on: [email protected]

The Spring 2024 edition of our member newsletter will land with members soon!Keep an eye out for your copy so you don’t ...
25/03/2024

The Spring 2024 edition of our member newsletter will land with members soon!

Keep an eye out for your copy so you don’t miss out on the latest VDS Cautionary Tales and other helpful articles.

If you enjoy the newsletter, give this post a like!

If you’d like to switch your preferences to receive the newsletter digitally get in touch!

We’re available 9am - 5pm, Monday – Friday:
☎ +44 (0) 1565 652737
📧 [email protected]

We’re half way through day two of   and enjoying every minute! We have colleagues from claims, membership and training o...
22/03/2024

We’re half way through day two of and enjoying every minute!
We have colleagues from claims, membership and training on hand to answer all of your VDS-related questions.
Head over to stand A203 to say hello and grab yourself an eco friendly bag and bottle before they run out!

Are you attending   ? Head over to stand A203 to meet the VDS team and grab yourself an eco friendly bag and bottle befo...
21/03/2024

Are you attending ? Head over to stand A203 to meet the VDS team and grab yourself an eco friendly bag and bottle before they run out

Calling all recent vet grads - join us for our NEW Recent Graduate Event! Build confidence, connect with peers, and lear...
20/03/2024

Calling all recent vet grads - join us for our NEW Recent Graduate Event!

Build confidence, connect with peers, and learn from the best with real-life cautionary tales, interactive scenarios, error management tips, Q&A discussions, and a fun llama-filled day! 🦙🌟

📅 Friday 20 September 2024
📍 The Wellbeing Farm, Lancashire

To learn more, grab your ticket and enter the accommodation prize draw (before 30 April 2024) head to our website https://www.thevds.co.uk/vds-recent-graduate-event-2024
T&Cs online.

The Veterinary Defence Society is a mutual insurance company, run by experienced veterinary surgeons on behalf of the veterinary profession.

2 days left!If you’re attending   don’t forget to pop by the VDS stand to talk with our teams from Claims, Membership, T...
19/03/2024

2 days left!

If you’re attending don’t forget to pop by the VDS stand to talk with our teams from Claims, Membership, Training and VetSafe.

You could even grab yourself an eco-friendly bag and bottle (made from prevented ocean plastic) and enter a prize draw for a chance to win a free space on VDS
Training’s NEW VetImprove course!

Click here to learn more about how our bottles are made www.preventedoceanplastic.com

Don’t delay, we’re only taking limited numbers😱

We’ll see you at stand A203!

3 days and counting!Are you attending  ?Make sure to plan a visit to the VDS stand!We’ll see you at stand A203👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️🐾
18/03/2024

3 days and counting!
Are you attending ?
Make sure to plan a visit to the VDS stand!
We’ll see you at stand A203👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️🐾

Address


Opening Hours

Monday 09:00 - 17:00
Tuesday 09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 09:00 - 17:00
Thursday 09:00 - 17:00
Friday 09:00 - 17:00
Saturday 09:00 - 17:00
Sunday 09:00 - 17:00

Telephone

+441565652737

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The Veterinary Defence Society Limited (VDS) is a mutual insurance company run by experienced veterinary surgeons on behalf of the veterinary profession, which: - Insures the vast majority of the practising profession against the effects of claims of negligence - Ensures that each case is handled by a veterinary colleague experienced in claims management - Defends reputations and finances against unjustified claims and offers compensation when appropriate - Includes cover for negligence resulting in human injury - Provides legal representation at criminal and disciplinary hearings - Offers advice and guidance to members by telephone through Newsletters and other helpful publications Registered Office: 4 Haig Court, Parkgate Industrial Estate, Knutsford, Cheshire, WA16 8XZ. The information and content of this website is intended for registered veterinary surgeons and registered veterinary nurses operating in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland only. VDS Insurance is a trading style of The Veterinary Defence Society Limited. The Veterinary Defence Society Limited is a company limited by guarantee, incorporated in the United Kingdom (registered number 2159441). Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority in the United Kingdom and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland for conduct of business rules.