Vet who fabricated Home Office letter is struck off

Dr Sue Dyson was found to have committed disgraceful conduct in a professional respect at a disciplinary hearing

- ELEANOR JONES

DR SUE DYSON said she has no memory of writing a letter that led to her being struck offas a vet, stating that she would never knowingly behave dishonestly.

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) disciplinary committee found that Dr Dyson was guilty of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect, after a hearing, on 9 July.

The former head of clinical orthopaedics at the Animal Health Trust (AHT) was charged over correspondence about a study she led into the effects of excess rider weight on horses.

The committee heard the study was sent to a journal for publication. Editor Karen Overall sent it to be peer-reviewed by Matthew Parker, who returned it for revision as he was concerned by the lack of Home Office licence.

Some studies must have such licences, to protect animals, but the AHT’s clinical research ethics committee had not seen this project as experimental so had not advised it should be referred to a Home Office inspector.

Dr Dyson replied that a former inspector was on the AHT ethical committee, and two licence holders, who agreed with advice Dr Dyson had sought from an inspector, that Home Office approval was not needed.