Compliance Management for Veterinary Practices
Meet RCVS Practice Standards and controlled drugs requirements with digital compliance tools designed for veterinary care.
The Challenge
Veterinary practices face RCVS Practice Standards Scheme assessment requiring evidence across multiple modules, must maintain meticulous veterinary controlled drugs records for Schedules 2-5 medications, and manage equipment safety for anaesthetic machines, X-ray units, and autoclaves whilst delivering emergency and routine care. Between daily CD balance checks, equipment maintenance tracking, clinical governance audits, significant event analysis, and demonstrating clinical excellence through outcome review, veterinary practice managers and clinical directors struggle to organize comprehensive RCVS evidence whilst ensuring animal welfare and client satisfaction.
How Assistant Manager Solves Veterinary Compliance
Each module is designed to address the specific challenges veterinary businesses face every day.
Checklist Management
Veterinary practices need equipment, controlled drugs, and environment checks completed reliably despite unpredictable clinical demands and emergency presentations - digital checklists ensure critical safety tasks are never missed
The Problems
Why This Matters for Veterinary
- Anaesthetic machines require pre-use checks before every surgery, autoclaves need daily validation, and controlled drugs require twice-daily balance checks, but paper checklists are lost or completed retrospectively during busy surgical days
Equipment failures occur during anaesthesia because pre-use checks were not completed, and RCVS inspection reveals gaps in your safety checking documentation
- Daily clinic opening checks covering controlled drugs cabinets, dangerous drugs storage, emergency equipment, and practice environment are supposed to happen before first consultations, but with staff arriving at different times, checks are inconsistent
CD cabinet tampering or emergency equipment issues are discovered hours into the clinical day rather than before patients arrive, and your documentation cannot demonstrate daily checks actually happened
The Solution
How Checklist Management Helps
Digital checklists with veterinary-specific templates (anaesthetic pre-use, autoclave validation, CD checks, clinic opening), photo evidence requirements, time-stamped completion, and automatic escalation when critical checks are overdue
Anaesthetic machines are verified safe before every surgery with digital proof, CD balance checks happen twice daily with time-stamps, and practice managers see real-time completion across all checking requirements
Use Cases:
- • Anaesthetic machine pre-use checks before every surgery
- • Twice-daily controlled drugs balance verification
- • Daily autoclave Bowie-Dick test and biological indicator validation
- • Morning clinic opening checklist (premises, equipment, CD cabinet security)
- • Emergency drug kit expiry and completeness checks
- • Dangerous drugs storage security and temperature verification
- • X-ray equipment pre-use safety checks
- • Oxygen cylinder pressure and backup supply verification
Feature Screenshot
Checklist Management
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Anaesthetic machines require pre-use checks before every surgery, autoclaves need daily validation, and controlled drugs require twice-daily balance checks, but paper checklists are lost or completed retrospectively during busy surgical days
Real Scenario
"An anaesthetic machine fails during surgery requiring emergency switching to manual ventilation. Investigation reveals pre-use checks for that machine were not completed for the past week despite your policy requiring checks before every use."
Example 2: Daily clinic opening checks covering controlled drugs cabinets, dangerous drugs storage, emergency equipment, and practice environment are supposed to happen before first consultations, but with staff arriving at different times, checks are inconsistent
Real Scenario
"A CD cabinet lock is found damaged at lunchtime. Your last documented cabinet check was two days ago, so you cannot determine when tampering occurred or whether any controlled drugs are missing."
Equipment Tracking & Maintenance
Veterinary practices use complex medical equipment that must be maintained to manufacturer specifications and RCVS standards - documented maintenance is essential for patient safety and professional protection
The Problems
Why This Matters for Veterinary
- Anaesthetic machines, X-ray equipment, autoclaves, dental units, and surgical equipment all have different servicing requirements from different suppliers, but tracking which equipment is due for service is managed on spreadsheets
RCVS inspection discovers critical equipment has overdue maintenance, your anaesthetic machine service certificate is expired, and autoclave validation testing has lapsed
- When equipment fails and needs repair, there is no systematic recording of downtime, which equipment was unavailable, or which surgeries were affected, making incident investigation difficult
A surgical complication occurs and investigation questions whether equipment was functioning properly, but you have no maintenance records or downtime documentation to verify equipment status
The Solution
How Equipment Tracking & Maintenance Helps
Complete veterinary equipment register with anaesthetic machine service tracking, autoclave validation scheduling, X-ray equipment maintenance, equipment-specific service history, and automatic 90-day advance reminders before servicing due
Every piece of clinical equipment has scheduled servicing with automatic alerts, autoclave validation testing never expires, equipment downtime is recorded for traceability, and multi-site practices see compliance across branches
Use Cases:
- • Anaesthetic machine annual servicing and calibration tracking
- • Autoclave validation testing (daily, weekly, quarterly biological indicators)
- • X-ray equipment maintenance and radiation safety checks
- • Dental unit and ultrasonic scaler servicing schedules
- • Surgical equipment maintenance (cautery, suction, operating lights)
- • Laboratory equipment calibration (biochemistry, haematology analyzers)
- • Endoscopy and laparoscopy equipment maintenance
- • PAT testing for all electrical veterinary equipment
Feature Screenshot
Equipment Tracking & Maintenance
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Anaesthetic machines, X-ray equipment, autoclaves, dental units, and surgical equipment all have different servicing requirements from different suppliers, but tracking which equipment is due for service is managed on spreadsheets
Real Scenario
"During RCVS Practice Standards assessment, the assessor asks for your anaesthetic machine service records. The last service was 15 months ago when annual servicing is required. Every surgery performed in the past three months is now questioned."
Example 2: When equipment fails and needs repair, there is no systematic recording of downtime, which equipment was unavailable, or which surgeries were affected, making incident investigation difficult
Real Scenario
"A client complains about surgical outcome. Your dental unit had intermittent faults around that time but you have no documented record of when equipment was out of service or which patients were treated with it."
Training & Development
Veterinary practices must maintain detailed professional development records for RCVS-registered staff with evidence readily available for registration renewal, plus competency verification for advanced procedures
The Problems
Why This Matters for Veterinary
- RCVS CPD requirements for veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses, and support staff differ, but tracking who has completed required hours and what evidence exists is done on paper or basic spreadsheets
As RCVS registration renewal approaches, veterinary professionals scramble to demonstrate CPD compliance, and some discover they have insufficient hours or evidence to meet requirements
- Specialist procedures like advanced imaging, exotic animal medicine, or complex orthopedic surgery require specific training and competency maintenance, but records of who is trained to perform what procedures are informal
Surgical complications occur when procedures are performed by veterinary surgeons who lack current competency or have not maintained skills through regular practice
The Solution
How Training & Development Helps
Learning management system with RCVS CPD portfolio support for vets and nurses, procedure-specific competency tracking, automatic CPD hour calculation, reflective practice documentation, and training matrix for clinical skills
Veterinary professionals build RCVS registration evidence throughout the year with structured portfolios, clinical competencies are tracked centrally, and practice managers allocate procedures based on verified training
Use Cases:
- • RCVS CPD portfolio for veterinary surgeons (35 hours annually)
- • Veterinary nurse CPD tracking and RVN registration requirements
- • Procedure-specific competency assessment (advanced imaging, exotic medicine, complex surgery)
- • Anaesthesia training and competency maintenance
- • Controlled drugs training and authorization documentation
- • Radiation protection training and certification
- • Clinical coaching and mentoring for new graduates
- • Practice manager business skills and HR training
Feature Screenshot
Training & Development
Real-World Examples
Example 1: RCVS CPD requirements for veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses, and support staff differ, but tracking who has completed required hours and what evidence exists is done on paper or basic spreadsheets
Real Scenario
"A veterinary surgeon realizes at registration renewal that she has completed only 25 CPD hours when 35 are required. CPD activities were not tracked systematically throughout the year, and she cannot recall sufficient detail about learning to make up the shortfall."
Example 2: Specialist procedures like advanced imaging, exotic animal medicine, or complex orthopedic surgery require specific training and competency maintenance, but records of who is trained to perform what procedures are informal
Real Scenario
"A complex orthopedic surgery has poor outcome. Clinical review reveals the veterinary surgeon performed the procedure but had not done that surgery type for 18 months and had not attended any CPD on the technique in three years."
Accident & Incident Records
Veterinary practices need incident reporting that captures clinical complexity, supports professional development through learning, protects staff wellbeing, and provides evidence for RCVS Practice Standards of clinical governance
The Problems
Why This Matters for Veterinary
- Significant clinical events like surgical complications, anaesthetic deaths, diagnostic errors, or medication mistakes are discussed in clinical meetings but not systematically documented with investigation and learning outcomes
Patterns of clinical incidents are not identified, and when complaints or professional concerns arise, there is no documented evidence of incident reporting, investigation, or practice improvement
- Staff injuries from animal bites, scratches, needlestick injuries, or radiation exposure are reported verbally but documentation is inconsistent, and RIDDOR reportability is not systematically assessed
Serious staff injuries are not reported to HSE under RIDDOR, occupational health trends are not tracked, and when compensation claims arise, documentation is inadequate
The Solution
How Accident & Incident Records Helps
Digital incident reporting with veterinary-specific categories (anaesthetic, surgical, diagnostic, medication, animal bite, needlestick), structured investigation forms, RIDDOR determination, photo evidence, and trend analysis by incident type
Every clinical incident is documented with systematic investigation, staff injuries trigger automatic RIDDOR assessment, and pattern analysis identifies clinical areas or procedures requiring review
Use Cases:
- • Significant clinical event reporting (anaesthetic deaths, surgical complications, diagnostic errors)
- • Medication error and near-miss documentation
- • Animal bite and scratch injury reporting with wound documentation
- • Needlestick and sharps injury with blood-borne virus risk assessment
- • Radiation exposure incidents and dosimetry exceedance
- • Controlled drugs discrepancy investigation and reporting
- • Client complaint investigation with root cause analysis
- • RIDDOR determination and HSE notification for serious injuries
Feature Screenshot
Accident & Incident Records
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Significant clinical events like surgical complications, anaesthetic deaths, diagnostic errors, or medication mistakes are discussed in clinical meetings but not systematically documented with investigation and learning outcomes
Real Scenario
"Three anaesthetic complications occur over six months with similar patient presentations. Each was discussed informally but never formally recorded as significant events, so the pattern was never identified or protocols reviewed."
Example 2: Staff injuries from animal bites, scratches, needlestick injuries, or radiation exposure are reported verbally but documentation is inconsistent, and RIDDOR reportability is not systematically assessed
Real Scenario
"A veterinary nurse suffers significant dog bite requiring surgery and four weeks off work. The injury is RIDDOR-reportable but nobody determines reportability and HSE notification is never made."
Risk Assessment
Veterinary practices need risk assessments covering clinical procedures, radiation safety, animal handling, and zoonotic disease exposure, with reviews when new species or procedures are introduced
The Problems
Why This Matters for Veterinary
- Clinical risk assessments for anaesthetic protocols, surgical procedures, and radiation safety are completed once and filed, never reviewed even when incidents suggest risk factors were not adequately controlled
Clinical protocols fail to prevent harm because risk assessments are outdated, and when serious incidents occur, investigation reveals risk management documentation did not reflect current practice
- Manual handling risk assessments cover general patient lifting but are not updated for specific patient presentations like aggressive dogs, fractious cats, or exotic animals with unique handling requirements
Staff suffer injuries during animal handling, investigation reveals risk assessment was generic and did not account for species-specific risks or individual animal behavior
The Solution
How Risk Assessment Helps
Comprehensive risk assessment system with procedure-specific hazard identification (anaesthesia, surgery, radiology), species-specific handling protocols, automatic review scheduling when incidents occur, and version history tracking
Every clinical procedure has up-to-date risk assessment, species-specific handling protocols are documented, and automatic reminders trigger reviews when adverse events or new procedures are introduced
Use Cases:
- • Anaesthetic risk assessment (species-specific protocols, brachycephalic patients, geriatric patients)
- • Surgical procedure risk assessment by procedure type
- • Radiation safety risk assessment for X-ray and CT
- • Animal handling risk assessment (aggressive, fractious, exotic species)
- • Zoonotic disease exposure risk assessment
- • Controlled drugs storage and handling security risk assessment
- • Lone working risk assessment for on-call and farm visits
- • Infectious disease outbreak risk assessment and biosecurity protocols
Feature Screenshot
Risk Assessment
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Clinical risk assessments for anaesthetic protocols, surgical procedures, and radiation safety are completed once and filed, never reviewed even when incidents suggest risk factors were not adequately controlled
Real Scenario
"Your practice starts performing laparoscopic surgery but your surgical risk assessment still only covers open procedures. A laparoscopic complication occurs and your risk assessment does not cover insufflation risks or equipment-specific hazards."
Example 2: Manual handling risk assessments cover general patient lifting but are not updated for specific patient presentations like aggressive dogs, fractious cats, or exotic animals with unique handling requirements
Real Scenario
"A nurse is seriously injured restraining an aggressive dog for blood sampling. Your manual handling risk assessment covers generic dog handling but not specific protocols for aggressive or fear-reactive animals."
HR Management
Veterinary practices must verify professional credentials continuously - RCVS registration, radiation certificates, professional conduct status - with instant access for RCVS Practice Standards assessment
The Problems
Why This Matters for Veterinary
- RCVS registration status for veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses is checked at employment but not monitored continuously, with no alerts when registration issues arise or professional conduct restrictions are imposed
Staff work without current RCVS registration, clinical decisions and prescriptions become questionable, and when discovered the practice must retrospectively review all care delivered
- DBS checks for staff working with clients and in client homes, radiation protection certificates for X-ray operators, and occupational health clearances are stored in paper files with no renewal tracking
Staff perform radiation work with expired certificates, DBS checks lapse for home-visiting roles, and zoonotic disease exposure protocols are not followed because occupational health restrictions are unknown
The Solution
How HR Management Helps
Centralized employee records with RCVS registration monitoring, radiation protection certificate tracking, DBS renewal alerts, occupational health clearance documentation, and automatic 90-day credential expiry notifications
Every RCVS-registered professional has continuous registration monitoring with automatic alerts before expiry, radiation certificates are renewed on schedule, and occupational health restrictions are visible to practice managers
Use Cases:
- • RCVS registration monitoring for veterinary surgeons and nurses
- • Radiation protection certificate tracking for X-ray operators
- • Professional indemnity insurance verification
- • DBS check renewal for staff visiting client homes
- • Occupational health clearance and zoonotic disease vaccination status
- • Right-to-work verification and visa expiry tracking
- • Emergency contact details for critical incidents
- • Locum veterinary professional credential verification before shifts
Feature Screenshot
HR Management
Real-World Examples
Example 1: RCVS registration status for veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses is checked at employment but not monitored continuously, with no alerts when registration issues arise or professional conduct restrictions are imposed
Real Scenario
"A locum veterinary surgeon works for six weeks before the practice discovers his RCVS registration has conditions imposed following professional conduct investigation. All clinical decisions during that period need review."
Example 2: DBS checks for staff working with clients and in client homes, radiation protection certificates for X-ray operators, and occupational health clearances are stored in paper files with no renewal tracking
Real Scenario
"HSE radiation inspection discovers two veterinary nurses have been operating X-ray equipment with expired radiation protection certificates. All radiographs taken by them need reviewing for quality and justification."
Results Veterinary Businesses Achieve
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