Veterinary Nurse Struck Off for Dishonesty

A veterinary nurse has been struck off by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) for dishonesty. The RCVS disciplinary committee found all three charges against Amy Adkins proven in her absence, determining her actions represented a serious departure from professional standards.

The committee concluded the nature and seriousness of her dishonesty, coupled with an absence of insight, remediation, and remorse, was fundamentally incompatible with continuing to be registered as a veterinary nurse. It stated all three charges 'fell far short of the conduct expected' in the profession.

Charges and evidence

Three specific charges of dishonesty were proven against the veterinary nurse. They involved false statements during an internal grievance process and misleading communications to the RCVS regarding an investigation.

The first charge centred on an internal grievance process initiated by her former employer, Medivet, around January 2025. Adkins told an investigator she had not made certain comments to a colleague, referred to as Person A, when she had. She based her denial on what a third party, Person B, had said about Person A.

The second charge involved two email comments made to the RCVS in 2025. These concerned allegations raised by Person A about Person B prescribing buprenorphine to a cat living overseas. Adkins claimed to be unaware of the basis for the allegations and said they stemmed from an overheard conversation. In fact, she had previously spoken to and messaged Person A about the issue directly.

The third charge was that she was dishonest and misleading in her communications to both the internal investigator and the RCVS about these matters. The disciplinary panel found her account to the college was inconsistent with what she had told her employer. It concluded she showed a blatant disregard for the college’s role and professional regulation.

In her defence, Adkins claimed the recording of her conversation with Person A was unlawful. She also stated she had forgotten the conversation, which she accused Person A of orchestrating. The identity of the practice where these events occurred has not been disclosed.

Committee conclusions

The committee identified several aggravating factors and no mitigating ones in its decision to strike Adkins off. These included a blatant disregard of RCVS systems, a failure to take responsibility, and no genuine insight into her misconduct.

There was also no evidence of genuine remorse or remediation, with the committee noting only a limited apology had been offered. Hilary Lloyd, chair of the disciplinary committee, stated the dishonest and misleading accounts breached fundamental principles of honesty and integrity. This conduct risked bringing the profession into disrepute and eroding public confidence.

The committee's ruling resulted in Adkins's voluntary removal from the RCVS register in June 2026.