A WINCHESTER equine vet has become the British Veterinary Association President, it was announced at the association's annual member's day.

Dr Malcolm Morley took over the reins as British Veterinary Association President for 2022/2023 on Thursday, September 29.

In his first presidential speech, Dr Morley, a clinical director at Stable Close Equine Practice, outlined his presidential theme of "Investing in People".

Dr Morley said: “Veterinary medicine is often characterised by animals but in reality, it is a profession intrinsically centred on people, whether they are our colleagues, our clients, the animal-owning public or farming communities. I’m incredibly proud to be part of such a dedicated group of professionals.

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Hampshire Chronicle: Winchester-based equine vet becomes British Veterinary Association President Winchester-based equine vet becomes British Veterinary Association President (Image: BVA Media)

“Undoubtedly, it has been a tough few years. We can point to Brexit, the pandemic, and the rapid rise in pet ownership as external factors putting our profession under huge pressure and leaving staff exhausted.

"However, we must acknowledge that not all the challenges are new and there are longer-term systemic issues with retention, recruitment, and return to work. Workforce shortages are a key issue.

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“We stand at a crossroads and the road that has brought the profession to where we are now will not be the same one that leads us forward. We can either put our heads down, tighten our belts and hope for the best or we can acknowledge the issues, focus on solutions and look forward to ensuring veterinary medicine is a great place to work.”

Dr Morley plans to build on the success of BVA’s Good Veterinary Workplaces Initiative and shine a light on the practices who can inspire others to adapt and embrace the good workplaces principles.

Dr Morley will also focus on BVA’s strategic priorities and the other issues facing the profession and standards of animal welfare, such as continuing to push for the Kept Animals Bill to pass into law, lobbying the government for proper import checks on animals and animal products, addressing the rise of canine fertility clinics and the impact of the cost-of-living crisis.

Dr Morley graduated from Bristol Veterinary School in 1993 and has almost 30 years of equine medicine experience in both the UK and Australia, with primary areas of focus including first-opinion practice, dressage horses and pre-purchase examination.

Upon graduation, Dr Morley started out as an intern at The Liphook Equine Hospital in Hampshire, before joining an equine veterinary practice in Australia for a year. After returning to the UK, he worked as a locum vet at the Valley Equine Hospital in Lambourn, Berkshire followed by a six-year stint back at Liphook.