Petplan Veterinary Awards see surge in nominations in 2014

Petplan's annual Veterinary Awards saw a rise in the number of practice manager and vet nurse nominations this year thanks to a joint scheme by two industry bodies.

The Veterinary Practice Management Association (VPMA) and the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) worked together to bolster engagement for the 2014 event by asking their members to nominate practice staff for the other's award category.

As a result, this year saw practice manager nominations rise by nearly 40 percent and nurse nominations by just under 25 percent.

Ultimately, Sharon Lane-Kieltyka from the Shepton Veterinary Group was named practice manager of the year, while Tina Wright won the vet nurse of the year prize.

Helen Sanderson, president of the VPMA, said: "I think we can do even better and I'd like to see nominations next year for both categories being closer to the numbers seen for the vet of the year category."

The ceremony took place at Birmingham Town Hall earlier this month and was hosted by broadcaster and media personality Gyles Brandreth.