Equine vet Malcolm Morley has been elected as the new president of the British Veterinary Association (BVA).

He was named the association's new leader at a member's day in Cambridge yesterday (Thursday, September 29), where four members also received veterinary awards.

The Winchester-based clinical director at Stable Close Equine Practice said that his presidential theme will be "investing in people".

Addressing members at the handover ceremony, 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."

Morley said that the veterinary sector stands 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".

He said members must acknowledge the issues in the sector, and focus on providing solutions for them to ensure that veterinary medicine improves.

Morley plans to build on the success of BVA's Good Veterinary Workplaces Initiative and promote the adoption of good workplace principles.

"By inspiring, mentoring and empowering vet teams, we see a strong link to improved animal welfare as well as the retention and satisfaction of people," he said.

Morley also wants to focus on BVA's strategic priorities and the other issues facing the profession and standards of animal welfare.

He plans to push for the Kept Animals Bill to pass into law and will lobby 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.

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.

Awards ceremony

The BVA gave out four veterinary achievement awards at the annual member's day. The awards recognise the commitment, work and achievements of vets from across the profession.

The awards include the scientific award, the Dalrymple-Champneys cup and medal, along with the Chirson award; the John Bleby cup; and Harry Steele-Bodger scholarships.

This year's winners are: