This guideline outlines the appropriate standard expected of a registered veterinary practitioner in the course of veterinary practice. It should be read in conjunction with other related guidelines.
Context to Guideline 6: Veterinary facilities, equipment and assistance in the provision of veterinary services
Veterinary facilities and/or equipment used in the provision of veterinary services are not approved or licensed by the Board. A veterinary practitioner should satisfy themselves that appropriate approval or licensing requirements for a veterinary facility, including mobile veterinary facilities and equipment used in their provision of veterinary services, is current.
A veterinary practitioner providing emergency veterinary services in an adverse environment must take into account how their ability to control the facilities, equipment and assistance is impacted by the situation and make reasonable adjustments without compromising the standard of their provision of veterinary services.
From time to time individuals other than veterinary practitioners may be required to provide assistance in carrying out assessments or procedures. Before accepting such assistance, a veterinary practitioner should consider the individual’s knowledge, skills and capacity to assist in the specific situation.
Where an individual other than a veterinary practitioner uses equipment to support their assistance, a veterinary practitioner must be satisfied that the person is familiar with and instructed in the use of the equipment (including required safety measures associated with its use).
A veterinary practitioner should adopt practices that mitigate cross contamination of veterinary facilities and non-veterinary facilities such as farms, stables and kennels/catteries/animal shelters through storage, handling, and cleaning and disinfecting equipment and facility work surfaces.
Procedures routinely performed in a veterinary clinic, hospital or consulting rooms may be exposed to additional risks when undertaken in a mobile clinic, off site or as part of a house call. A veterinary practitioner should consider how the additional risks may impact the provision of veterinary services and communicate the consequences of this impact to the owner and other relevant individuals before carrying out the procedure.
This material is current only at the time of publication and may be changed from time to time. The Board reviews and updates the Guidelines on a continuous basis to reflect changes in the science and knowledge base underpinning contemporary veterinary practice. The Board will take reasonable steps to inform the veterinary profession when such updates are released but it remains the responsibility of the individual veterinary practitioner to ensure that their knowledge and application of these Guidelines to their own practice is current.
While the Board has made every effort to ensure that the material in these Guidelines is correct in law, it shall not be liable to any veterinary practitioner or any other person or entity in relation to any claim, action or proceeding whatsoever (whether in contract, negligence or other tort or in proceedings seeking any other form of legal or equitable remedy or relief) for any inadequacy, error or mistake, or for any deficiency in the whole or any part of this document (including any updates incorporated in the document from time to time). A veterinary practitioner or any other person or entity acting upon the contents of this document acknowledges and accepts that this is the basis upon which the Board has produced these Guidelines and made them available to such person or entity.