Organising Committee

 

Mark Bush

Chairman

I qualified from Cambridge University in 1999 and later undertook a surgical residency training program in small animal orthopaedics at the University of Bristol and Southern Counties Veterinary Specialists. I hold the RCVS diploma in Small Animal Surgery (Orthopaedics) and I am a RCVS Recognised Specialist in small animal orthopaedics. I worked for many years in two large and busy referral hospitals before establishing a referral practice close to Cambridge.

I have a number of professional interests within orthopaedics, but my principal concern during my time on the BVOA committee is addressing the relatively small number of female vets interested in the discipline of small animal orthopaedics.

Sarah Girling

Past Chairperson

Everyday I wake and I do something that I love; I concede the theatre is a place to escape to. Achieving a successful outcome for my broken patients is a passion, a daily reward and the best positive feedback loop! My ability to repeat a successful outcome has been through a process of education and daily reflection. This process in education and my journey from new graduate (and UK immigrant) to referral practitioner would not have been the same without the support of the outstanding organization we know as the BVOA. BVOA is a great network of individuals developing concepts and sharing ideas; whatever your level of interest or involvement, the BVOA offers all of us something different and supports our orthopaedic journey. Such a journey opens doors and makes life far more interesting!

I have previously enjoyed the position of BVOA’s Education secretary and appreciate the importance of education at the core of BVOA’s objectives activities. As a keen supporter of education in our new graduates I’m keen to encourage and help young vets to get started on their orthopaedic journey and get actively involved with BVOA. I am a New Zealand graduate; I gained the RCVS Certificate in small animal surgery in 2003 and the European diploma in small animal surgery in 2007.

Andy Moores

Vice Chairman

BVSc DSAS(Orth) DipECVS FRCVS

RCVS & EBVS® European Specialist in Small Animal Surgery

Like many of us I suspect, I’ve had a love of orthopaedics since my undergraduate days at Bristol. I was lucky to go into in general practice at a time when most surgical cases were still managed ‘in-house’ and so I was able to gain a lot of orthopaedic experience as a GP vet. At that time the BVOA meetings were probably my primary source of orthopaedic CPD and they were highly valued on my route to the CertSAS. However, after 5 years as a GP I wished to expand my horizons and I was fortunate to get a surgical residency back at Bristol, which allowed me to obtain the RCVS (2004) and ECVS Diplomas (2005). The residency was followed by 3 years as a lecturer in small animal orthopaedics at the RVC, and then the decision to move into private referral practice in Hampshire. I joined what was later to become Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists in 2007. Between myself and three other directors we were able to grow Anderson Moores from a team of around 20 people when I joined to around 180 when we sold it to Pets at Home in 2016. I left Anderson Moores at the end of 2021 to pursue a new venture and in the meantime I locum as a specialist orthopaedic/spinal surgeon.

I have lectured and published widely and been an examiner (including chief examiner) for the RCVS DSAS(Orth). I have a postgraduate certificate in academic practice from King’s College London’s Institute of Learning and Teaching. As well as supervising and teaching numerous surgery residents, I have taught on AO courses and BSAVA and Improve certificate courses. I was made a Fellow of the RCVS in 2017.

I have been a member of the BVOA for around 25 years and I have a huge amount of affection for the organisation. I sat on the committee as Chair of the Education Committee (a strange title since it was a committee of one – namely me!) from 2006-2009, during which time I organised the scientific meetings. I also started the BVOA discussion forum, which continues to be used by members today. I believe that my experiences as a GP vet, academic, private practice specialist and business owner mean that I would be well placed to serve on the committee again and to represent the association.

 

James Guthrie

Education Secretary (joint)

I joined the BVOA as a new graduate and was very grateful for the opportunity to present one of my first research projects as an abstract at the spring meeting of 2011. As well as providing delegates with useful and up-to-date CPD; and the chance to network with other clinicians and companies, the BVOA meetings have the ability to have a significant impact on people’s careers, and I would love to help contribute to this.

I have experience of working in general practice, with those just starting their interest in orthopaedics; as well as working alongside certificate holders (I completed my RCVS surgery certificate in general practice), and I now work as a specialist at Fitzpatrick Referrals. Subsequently, I feel I can relate to many of the members of BVOA; incorporating the broad spectrum of their needs into constructing the educational meetings.

 

Jan Janovec

Education Secretary (joint)

MVDr DipECVS MRCVS

Senior Surgeon, Fitzpatrick Referrals

RCVS Recognised Specialist in Small Animal Surgery
EBVS® European Specialist in Small Animal Surgery

Jan graduated with honours from the University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Brno (Czech Republic) in 2008. He underwent his specialist training at Fitzpatrick Referrals and became an ECVS and RCVS specialist in 2018. Since then, he worked as a referral surgeon at several veterinary specialist hospitals, before returning to Fitzpatrick Referrals in December 2021.

Jan enjoys all aspects of small animal orthopaedics with a special interest in fracture management, joint replacement, and revision surgery. Apart from his clinical work, Jan is involved in clinical research and training of future veterinary specialists.

Gareth Harries

Treasurer

BVMS CertSAS MRCVS

RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Surgery

Gareth qualified from Glasgow in 1995 and then worked in atraditional mixed practice in Staffordshire before realising that horses and cows weren’t for him.Never intending to become a surgeon, let alone develop an interest in orthopaedics, he moved to the PDSA working in clinics in the Midlands, Newcastle uponTyne and then North London. He moved to Goddard’s Wanstead Hospital before returning to Staffordshire & Cheshire. He completed his certificate in 2005 andbecame a partner in a large mixed practice in Cheshire.In 2014 he moved on to become a peripatetic surgeon. Away from work, like the rest of the population, he enjoys walking his terrier and 2 Vizslas (and drinking too much).

Contact Gareth at treasurer@bvoa.co.uk

Alex Belch

Secretary

 BVMS MSc CertAVP (GSAS) DipECVS MRCVS 

Alex graduated from Glasgow Vet School in 2006 and became an EBVS European Specialist surgeon in 2018 and an RCVS Recognised Specialist in 2019. He currently works in the orthopaedic team at Langford Vets where he has been for the last 4 years. Alex says it is a privilege to have been nominated for the position of secretary of BVOA. It is an organisation he has enjoyed attending regularly over the last 10 years. He hopes he can help the organisation continue to create fantastic meetings where we can share ideas in a friendly, welcoming environment.

 

Rob Quinn

Scientific Secretary

BVMS(Hons) CertAVP Dip. ECVS MRCVS

RCVS & EBVS® European Specialist in Small Animal Surgery

Rob graduated from the University of Glasgow in 2009 and spent 5 years in general practice in both the UK and Australia before specialising in surgery through a residency at Dick White Referrals. He became an EBVS European Specialist in 2019 and an RCVS recognised specialist in 2020. Rob has always had a keen interest in research and first research paper furthering veterinary knowledge. Rob has published numerous articles in the veterinary peer-review literature and continues to be involved in both clinical and pre-clinical research whilst working in private referral practice. 

He took on the role as Scientific Secretary in 2022 and hopes to increase the awareness and uptake of the BVOA grants to enable high quality orthopaedic research to continue to be supported by the BVOA. Rob aims to encourage younger veterinary surgeons to get involved with research projects and is happy to give feedback on study design as well as providing ideas for study projects.

Contact Rob on research@bvoa.co.uk

Heather Eastham

Member at Large

BVMS PGCertSAS MRCVS
RCVS recognised Advanced Practitioner in general Small Animal Surgery

Heather qualified from Glasgow in 2006 and after a few years in mixed practice, followed by a couple of years locuming and travelling abroad, eventually settled in North Yorkshire and has worked in an independent practice in Harrogate for the last decade. As her interest in Orthopaedic surgery grew, along with her caseload, she started attending both the Spring and Autumn BVOA meetings and has been a regular attendee for the last 7 years or so. Heather is keen to work with the other committee members to keep our membership strong and our meetings current and relevant and hopes to be a voice for those lone working and/or in general practice.  The formal duties of the member at large involve producing the biannual newsletter, managing the website and moderating the google discussion forum. She aims to revamp the BVOA social media so keep an eye on facebook, twitter and instagram. 

Contact Heather on memberatlarge@bvoa.co.uk

Rachel Jermyn

Adminstrator

Rachel is the backbone of the BVOA- she works incredibly hard to coordinate membership and organise both the spring meeting and autumn conference. Rachel deals with all of the general BVOA admin ontop of her busy job within the management team of a small animal practice in Devon. Please be nice to Rachel and try to pay your membership and course registration fees promptly- thank you!

Contact Rachel on admin@bvoa.co.uk