PRIVATE VETERINARY ESTABLISHMENTS (LICENSING) [ S.L.437.106 1 SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 437.106 PRIVATE VETERINARY ESTABLISHMENTS (LICENSING) REGULATIONS 2nd April, 2014* LEGAL NOTICE 242 of 2013, as amended by Legal Notice 375 of 2024. 1.
(1)The title of these regulations is the Private Veterinary Establishments (Licensing) Regulations. Citation and scope.
(2)These regulations shall apply to all veterinary establishments which fall under the scope of these regulations including those veterinary establishments which were built or set up prior to the entry into force of these regulations. 2. In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires: "the Act" means the Veterinary Services Act; "animal" means companion animals or commercial animals or exotic animals; "applicant" means a professional person who applies for a licence to run a veterinary establishment under the terms of regulation 4; "area" means a non-enclosed space forming part of a room; "Department" shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in the Act; "the Director" means the Director responsible for the veterinary services and includes any officer of the department duly authorised by the Director to act on his behalf; "hazardous waste materials" means blades, injection needles, and other sharp objects, and expired medicinal products; "licensee" means a professional person who is licensed in terms of article 42 of the Act to run a veterinary establishment. In the case of a veterinary laboratory, the licensee may be a professional person other than a veterinary surgeon. The specific professional qualifications for the licences of veterinary laboratories shall be laid down by the Veterinary Surgeons’ Council, in accordance with the procedures in article 42 of the same Act; "POM" means prescription only medicine; "the practice of veterinary medicine" means veterinary investigation (including consultancy), diagnosis or treatment (including prophylactic measures to control or prevent disease), performed on animals by veterinary surgeons in the course of their professional duties, which ensure the health and welfare of animals committed to their care. The professional duties of a veterinary surgeon include private or academic clinical practice, duties in *see regulation 1
(3)of these Regulations, as originally promulgated. Interpretation. Amended by: L.N. 375 of
- Cap.
- 2 [ S.L.437.106 PRIVATE VETERINARY ESTABLISHMENTS (LICENSING) animal welfare organisations, government service and commerce; "premises" means a physical structure consisting of one or more rooms; "professional and ethical standards" include the standard of the general conduct of the members of the veterinary profession, as well as the behaviour of any such member towards his client or the p a t i e n t un d e r hi s c a r e o r b e i n g at te nd e d by hi m , du r in g o r consequential to his profession; "room" means a space enclosed by fixed walls or fixed partitions, wherein there is correct light and air proportions, as well as possessing a closable door; "veterinary clinic" means a single building or premises with access to animals, wherein a basic clinical and surgical service or a specialised service is offered. Basic diagnostic procedures on animal samples may be allowed. In this type of veterinary practice, the clinic may have an autonomous organisation and identity, in which one or more veterinary surgeons exercise their profession and the practice, is carried out in the name of all the veterinarians considered as one unit. Otherwise, each veterinary surgeon may retain fiscal and professional individuality but share the premises, equipment or staff. The clinic will not provide for overnight stays of animals; "veterinary consultancy practice" means the premises, with access to animals, and wherein only clinical examination and treatments are carried out. If minor surgery is carried out, this shall not include the opening of body cavities. In this type of veterinary practice, a veterinary surgeon exercises his profession in an individual and personal form. More than one veterinary surgeon may form part of this consultancy practice by sharing the premises, equipment and, or staff, but retaining their fiscal and professional individuality; "veterinary establishment" means the premises where a veterinary surgeon carries out his profession and may be called a veterinary consultancy practice, a veterinary clinic or a veterinary hospital. The criteria and detailed description of the requirements, including equipment, rooms and staff training for veterinary laboratories, shall be laid down by the Veterinary Surgeons’ Council, in accordance with the procedures of article 42 of the Act; "veterinary hospital" means a veterinary establishment having an autonomous and more complex organisation and identity, in which several veterinary surgeons, generic or specialised, exercise their profession, and wherein animals are kept for more than one day, and a twenty-four hour emergency service is obligatory. A basic c l i n i c a l a n d su rg i c a l s e r v i c e m u s t b e o ff e r e d , a s w e l l a s a specialised service; "veterinary laboratory" means a veterinary establishment where instrumental diagnosis of a chemical, physical, immunological, virological, microbiological, cytological and histological nature are carried out on biological animal matter from a variety of animal species (commercial, companion animals or exotic), on request of a PRIVATE VETERINARY ESTABLISHMENTS (LICENSING) [ S.L.437.106 3 t h i r d p a r t y r e f e r r e d b y a v e t e r i n a r y s u rg e o n . T h e s p e c i f i c professional qualifications for the licensees of veterinary laboratories as well as the criteria and detailed description of the requirements, including equipment, rooms, staff training shall be laid down by the Veterinary Surgeons’ Council and in accordance with the procedures under article 42 of the Act; "veterinary surgeon" means a person licensed by the President of Malta to practice as a veterinary surgeon in Malta and who is registered in the Veterinary Surgeons’ Register. 3.
(1)No person may operate, manage, set up or operate a veterinary establishment without a licence. This licence is valid for one year. Granting or renewal of licence.
(2)A licence for the opening or carrying on of a veterinary establishment under article 42(e) of the Act may only be granted or renewed provided such establishment complies with the provisions of these regulations and of any other law which establishes the payment of fees for the respective practice.
(3)Prior to the granting or renewal of a licence an inspection may be carried out by the Director: Provided that the Director may also conduct other inspections at any other time: Provided further that if the Director deems it fit, a member of the Veterinary Surgeons’ Council may be asked to accompany the Director on such inspections. 4.
(1)An application for a licence for a veterinary establishment shall be made to the Director of Veterinary Services in writing and consultation on the matter shall be sought with the Veterinary Surgeons’ Council: Application for licence. Amended by: L.N. 375 of 2024. Provided that where an application for a licence is already pending before the coming into force of these regulations, such application shall be deemed to have been made under these regulations.
(2)When submitting an application for a licence for a veterinary establishment, an applicant shall provide such details as specified in the Schedule and as requested by the Director and the Veterinary Surgeons’ Council, including any Planning Authority permits on the appropriate forms: Provided that notwithstanding any other provision of these regulations, the Director for Veterinary Services may issue a licence in favour of the public administration or a government entity as defined in article 2 of the Public Administration Act according to specific conditions provided in the licence.
(3)Any application for a licence, including the renewal of a licence, for a veterinary establishment shall be accompanied by a fee payable to the Government, as the Minister may from time to time by notice establish in the Gazette: Provided that the establishment shall be in conformity with any other licence, including permits, authorisations or approvals, Cap. 595. 4 [ S.L.437.106 PRIVATE VETERINARY ESTABLISHMENTS (LICENSING) issued by other entities. Refusal to issue, renew, etc., licence. 5. The Director, on the advice of the Veterinary Surgeons’ Council, may refuse to issue or renew, or withdraw a licence in respect of a veterinary establishment if he is satisfied that: (
- a)the licensee, or any person employed or proposed to be employed by the applicant to assume responsibility for the veterinary establishment, is not of good conduct; or (
- b)for reasons connected with the physical location, construction, state of repair, accommodation, staffing or equipment, the veterinary establishment is not fit to be used as a consultancy practice, clinic, hospital or laboratory; or (
- c)the veterinary establishment is, or any premises used in connection therewith are, used or proposed to be used for purposes which are not related to the particular function of that veterinary establishment or which are in any way improper, unethical or unlawful; or Cap. 552. (
- d)the veterinary establishment, or any premises to be used in connection therewith, consist of, or include works executed in contravention of the Development Planning Act; or (
- e)the arrangements for the management and control of the services provided at the veterinary establishment are not adequate. Right of appeal. Cap. 490. Substituted by: L.N. 375 of 2024. 6. Decisions in terms of these regulations shall be subject to a right of appeal before the Administrative Review Tribunal established in terms of article 5
(1)of the Administrative Justice Act by not later than twenty
(20)days from the service of the decision, wherein the person aggrieved by the said decision shall specify the reasons on the basis of which the said decision of the Director should be cancelled or modified: Provided that the decision shall become immediately applicable and enforceable and shall remain applicable throughout the term of appeal until final judgement by the Administrative Review Tribunal, unless such decision is reversed by the said Tribunal and, or the Court of Appeal or cancelled or modified by the Director: Provided further that any party, who feels aggrieved by a decision of the Tribunal, may on a point of law, appeal to the Court of Appeal in accordance with article 22 of the Administrative Justice Act. General requirements for a licence to be issued. 7. For a licence to be issued by the Director of Veterinary Services on advice of the Veterinary Surgeons’ Council, the f o l l o w i n g g en er a l r eq u i r e m e n t s m u st b e s a t i s f i e d f o r ea c h veterinary establishment: (
- a)the establishments shall aim to provide a high standard PRIVATE VETERINARY ESTABLISHMENTS (LICENSING) [ S.L.437.106 5 of veterinary care; (
- b)the premises shall be kept clean and free from offensive odours. The area immediately surrounding, or in front of the establishment, is to be kept clean. The frequency of the cleaning process will depend on the workload of each individual case, and, if necessary, shall be carried out even on a once daily basis; (
- c)the staff shall maintain high standards of personal cleanliness; (
- d)the buildings shall be constructed of brick, stonework, or other substantial material, while the internal walls and floors shall be constructed of smooth, impervious materials so as to permit thorough cleaning and disinfection; (
- e)all parts of the building shall be adequately ventilated and illuminated; (
- f)lavatory facilities shall be provided; (
- g)adequate storage facilities shall be provided; (
- h)facilities for washing and disinfection shall be provided; (
- i)the display of commercially retailed merchandise within the veterinary establishment shall be permissible, provided that the display is of an acceptable nature; (
- j)there shall be no boarding establishments for cats and dogs on the veterinary premises; (
- k)the maintenance of a grooming business within the veterinary premises shall not be permissible; (
- l)there shall be a container for the disposal of hazardous waste material and documented arrangements for a proper disposal system for collected waste; (
- m)the premises shall have a telephone line; (
- n)there shall be strict compliance with any occupational health and safety laws and regulations currently in force. 8. No licence for the running of a veterinary consultancy practice shall be granted unless the requirements in regulation 7 are satisfied together with the following minimum requirements:
(1)Minimal structural requirements: (
- a)if the consultancy practice forms part of another establishment, commercial or otherwise, the area within the premises licensed as a consultancy shall not be used for any other purpose except that of veterinary practice; (
- b)applications for consultancy practices cannot be granted in commercial establishments considered as pet shops as defined in the Pet Shop Regulations, 2012; Veterinary medical consultancy practice. 6 [ S.L.437.106 PRIVATE VETERINARY ESTABLISHMENTS (LICENSING) (
- c)examination room which ensures clients’ privacy and is equipped with hand basin and disinfection facilities. The size of such room should at least be sufficient for a veterinary surgeon, patient and client, as well as allow for traffic to and from the rooms. The room shall also be equipped with an examination table capable of being easily disinfected. Every examination room must have up-to-date diagnostic equipment for a clinical examination of the patient; (
- d)if veterinary medicinal products are stocked in the consultancy practice, these shall be kept in a pharmacy room or a lockable cupboard, containing an adequate and, readily available supply, of medicinal products and materials used in the treatment of animals. An efficient stock control system is to be set up which includes a register and a secure, lockable receptacle for the storage of controlled drugs. Medicines shall be properly and safely stored in accordance with the manufacturers’ instructions. Dispensed medicines should be labelled with the following: (
- i)the name of the product; (
- ii)directions for use; (iii) significant precautions relating to the use of the product; (
- iv)the name of the animal and of its owner; (
- v)the veterinary surgeon dispensing the drug;
(2)Minimum technological requirements: (
- a)if veterinary medicinal products that require refrigeration are stocked at the consultancy practice, a refrigerator has to be provided; (
- b)weighing scales; and
(3)Minimum administrative requirements: (
- a)notification of the opening hours or methods of access to the service; (
- b)name and title of any veterinary surgeon running the consultancy practice; (
- c)patient records shall be kept in a secure place, accessibility to these records shall be restricted to the veterinary staff; (
- d)notification of contact details of a twenty-four hour emergency service. Veterinary clinic. 9. No licence for the running of a veterinary clinic shall be granted unless the requirements of regulation 7 and the following minimum requirements are satisfied:
(1)Minimum structural requirements: (
- a)waiting room is large enough to accommodate PRIVATE VETERINARY ESTABLISHMENTS (LICENSING) [ S.L.437.106 clients according to workload; (
- b)one or more examination rooms ensuring the clients’ privacy, and equipped with hand basin and disinfection facilities. The size of these rooms should be sufficient for veterinary surgeon, nursing staff, patient and client, as well as to allow for traffic to and from the rooms. They should also be equipped with an examination table capable of being easily disinfected. Every examination room shall have up-to-date diagnostic equipment for the clinical examination of the patient. At least one examination room can be capable of being darkened; (
- c)an operating theatre wherein surgical procedures are carried out. This shall be a separate room from the examination room and waiting room. Such operating theatres shall not be used for the pre-operative preparation of patients, or for any purpose which could compromise their use for aseptic surgery. There should be a high standard of surgical asepsis. Floor to wall junctions should be adequately coved. Lighting suitable for the accurate illumination of surgical sites on the patient are to be provided in the theatre; (
- d)a preparation room: the examination room may be used as a preparation room as long as the surgical activity is not carried out contemporarily with the clinical activity; (
- e)recovery room or area where animals may recover from anaesthesia and be easily kept under observation while doing so. This room or area is to be clean, and shall not be used for any purpose that might adversely affect postoperative recovery. If the examination room is to be used as a recovery room, this shall not be done contemporarily with clinical activity, namely, there should be time separation and cleaning and disinfection of the room in between. It is not recommended to use the preparation room as recovery room because of the difficulty in achieving time separation; (
- f)a pharmacy room or a lockable cupboard containing an adequate supply, readily available, of medicinal products and materials used in the treatment of animals. An efficient stock control system under the direct responsibility of any of the licensees shall be set up, which includes a register and a secure, locked receptacle for the storage of controlled drugs. Medicines shall be properly and safely stored in accordance with the manufacturers instructions;
(2)Minimum technological requirements: 7 8 PRIVATE VETERINARY ESTABLISHMENTS (LICENSING) [ S.L.437.106 (
- a)(
- b)(
- c)(
- d)(
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- g)(
- h)(
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- l)refrigerator; microscope; weighing scales; equipment for chemical or physical sterilisation or surgical material; operating table to be used exclusively for surgery; a good supply of surgical instruments, suture materials, surgeons’ gloves and gowns shall be provided; packs, including those for emergency surgery, must be provided in sufficient quantity to meet the work load; in the case where X-ray equipment is present, the room where it is found should be properly designed to reduce to minimum potentially hazardous radiation. The X-ray room, equipment and the handling of radiograph material should abide by the guidelines issued by the Radiation Protection Board; scrubbing-up facilities shall be provided outside the operating theatre, and separate from those provided for cleansing and disinfection but may be in the preparation room; adequate facilities for the induction of general anaesthesia, the anaesthetic agent to be used being at the discretion of the veterinary surgeon. There shall also be adequate means of monitoring anaesthetised patients and of supportive therapy (intravenous fluids, maintenance of body heat, etc.) under anaesthesia; generator or alternative energy supply; oxygen therapy equipment;
(3)Minimum administrative requirements: (
- a)communication of the name of any veterinary surgeon working in the clinic to the general public; (
- b)notification of opening hours; (
- c)presence of at least one veterinary surgeon during the time the clinic is active; (
- d)the clinic shall provide, or be part of, a twentyfour hour emergency service; (
- e)patient records shall be kept in a secure place, while accessibility to these records shall be restricted to the veterinary staff; (
- f)dispensed medicines shall be labelled with the following: (
- i)the name of the product; PRIVATE VETERINARY ESTABLISHMENTS (LICENSING) (
- ii)(iii) (
- iv)(
- v)[ S.L.437.106 directions for use; significant precautions relating to the use of the product; the name of the animal; name of dispensing veterinary surgeon in terms of regulation 8
(1)(d)(v). 10. No licence for the running of a veterinary hospital shall be granted unless the requirements of regulation 7 and the following minimum requirements are satisfied:
(1)Minimum structural requirements: (
- a)waiting room large enough to accommodate clients according to workload; if possible, a separate waiting area should be provided for dogs and cats; (
- b)office and reception facilities must be provided which are easily accessible to clients and staff as appropriate; (
- c)at least two examination rooms which ensure the clients’ privacy, and equipped with hand basin and disinfection facilities. The size of these rooms should be sufficient for veterinary surgeon, nursing staff, patient and client, as well as allow for traffic to and from the rooms. They should also be equipped with an examination table capable of being easily disinfected. At least one examination room should be capable of being darkened. At least one room should be equipped with X-ray viewer; (
- d)a pharmacy room containing a readily available adequate supply of medicinal products and materials used in the treatment of animals. An efficient stock control system shall be set up which includes a register and a secure, locked receptacle for the storage of controlled drugs. Medicines must be properly and safely stored in accordance with the manufacturers instructions; (
- e)at least one operating theatre of adequate size shall be provided and used only for the conduct of surgical operations. Such operating theatres shall not be used for the pre-operative preparation of patients, or for any purpose which could compromise their use for aseptic surgery. There must be a high standard of surgical asepsis. Lighting suitable for the accurate illumination of surgical sites on the patient must be provided in the theatre. Floor or wall junctions in preparation and operating areas shall be adequately coved to ensure efficient cleaning. Floor and wall surfaces should be impervious and easy to clean. There should be positive air pressure in the operating theatre to Veterinary hospital. 9 10 [ S.L.437.106 PRIVATE VETERINARY ESTABLISHMENTS (LICENSING) reduce contamination and the incoming air should be filtered; (
- f)a preparation room shall be provided, separate from the operating theatre, for the pre-operative preparation of surgical patients; (
- g)scrubbing-up facilities shall be provided, with suitable elbow, foot, or electric-eye operated taps. The scrubbing-up facilities shall be separate from those provided for cleansing and disinfection, and outside the operating theatre; (
- h)a recovery room where patients can be easily observed when recovering from anaesthesia; (
- i)emergency treatment room, with separate entrance if possible; (
- j)X-ray room: radiographs should be taken in a room used only for that purpose and properly designed to reduce to a minimum potentially hazardous radiation. The X-ray room, equipment and the handling of radiograph material should abide by the guidelines issued by the Radiation Protection Board; (
- k)laboratory and post-mortem facilities shall be available as separate premises on site in a part of the hospital where they do not constitute a hazard to patients, clients or staff, or jeopardise the accuracy of laboratory analysis in any way. These premises should be easy to clean and disinfect. Protective clothing and disposable gloves shall be provided for staff performing laboratory tests. A recording system shall be kept for tests carried out in the hospital or by any outside laboratory. Suitable facilities for post mortem examination, including proper storage and, or disposal of carcasses. In both areas, adequate facilities for washing and disinfection of hands must be available; (
- l)animal holdings shall contain a minimum of six cages or kennels and, or pens for the hospitalisation of animals. For equine hospitals there has to be a minimum of six stables and a readily accessible yard or paddock with safe and well-maintained boundary. The number and size of the animal holdings shall be adequate for the workload of the hospital. The animal holdings and their fittings shall be made of a nonpermeable material so as to be easily cleaned and disinfected. There shall be suitable bedding materials for in-patients and adequate storage space for this material; (
- m)washing and, or sterilisation facilities must be provided for staff, feeding utensils and bedding material. Suitable facilities for the storage and PRIVATE VETERINARY ESTABLISHMENTS (LICENSING) (
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- p)(
- q)(
- r)(
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- t)[ S.L.437.106 preparation of food as well as the availability of a variety of diets to meet the needs of inpatients. Feeding equipment must be capable of being sterilised or be disposable; facilities for the bathing, grooming and drying of in-patients; as well as adequate sanitary facilities for in-patients; isolation room for animals with transmissible disease with separate washing facilities, waste disposal, sewage, negative air pressure, and barrier nursing; facilities (room or area) for the intensive care of the critically ill patients including intravenous fluid therapy, blood transfusion and oxygen therapy; the rooms mentioned paragraphs (
- l)to (
- p)should have coving continuous with the floor covering and reach several centimetres up the wall; residential accommodation for use by the staff on the twenty-four hour duty. There should be reasonable and secure night-time access from the residential accommodation to the hospital facilities without leaving the premises; office, library; sufficient telephone capacity shall be provided to meet the workload of the hospital;
(2)Minimum technological requirements: (
- a)emergency lighting shall be provided (backup generator, portable lighting units, or similar devices) to allow the hospital to continue to function, especially in the case of operative surgery, in the event of power cut or electrical failure; (
- b)refrigerators; (
- c)freezers for samples, carcasses of small animals; (
- d)binocular microscope with mechanical stage, electric light source and oil immersion facility; (
- e)if the veterinary hospital repacks medicine from bulk, or when medicines are prepared by the hospital, proper containers must be used for the dispensing, and all dispensed medicines are to be indelibly labelled with the following information: (
- i)name and address of veterinary surgeon dispensing the medicine; (
- ii)name and address of the hospital; (iii) name and address of owner or keeper of animal; (
- iv)the words "For animal treatment only" or "Keep out of children’s reach"; 11 12 [ S.L.437.106 PRIVATE VETERINARY ESTABLISHMENTS (LICENSING) (
- v)the date of dispensing of medicine; (
- vi)the words "For external use only" where appropriate; (
- f)in addition, medicines dispensed from veterinary hospitals should be labelled with the following: (
- i)the name and amount of the product; (
- ii)directions for use; (iii) precautions relating to the use of the product; (
- iv)the name of the animal and its owner; (
- v)the name of the veterinary hospital; (
- g)all labels should be mechanically or machine produced. Hand written labels are not acceptable. Tablets and capsules must be dispensed in crush-proof and moisture-proof containers but paper board cartons may be used for sachets and for manufacturers’ strip or blister packed medicines. Child-resistant containers should be used unless otherwise requested. Paper or plastic envelopes are not acceptable for the dispensing of medicinal products; (
- h)clear written instructions should be given to staff regarding the handling of medicines. There should be no ingestion of food where medicines are handled and hands should be washed immediately after handling drugs. The handling of hazardous drugs should be subject to special precautions and written emergency procedures should be available; (
- i)proper provision is to be made for the safe disposal of expired or unwanted medicines according to current legislation; (
- j)a good supply of surgical instruments, suture materials, sterile surgeons’ gloves and sterile gowns shall be provided. An X-ray viewer shall also be provided in the theatre; (
- k)there shall be adequate facilities for sterilisation such as autoclaves and a recognised method of sterilisation of surgical material is to be employed. Sterile packs shall be provided in sufficient quantity to meet the hospital’s workload. Sterility indicators are to be used to monitor the efficiency of the technique. Sterile packs shall have an expiry date marked on them and sterile packs for emergency surgery shall be available at all times; (
- l)an operating table of adjustable height which is capable of holding the patient in a tilted position shall be provided in the operating theatre. Proper means of restraint of the patient shall be PRIVATE VETERINARY ESTABLISHMENTS (LICENSING) [ S.L.437.106 available. A stretcher or trolley are to be provided for the safe transportation of heavy animals; (
- m)a clock in the operating theatre; (
- n)adequate facilities for the induction and maintenance of general anaesthesia in a range of animal species, the anaesthetic agent to be used being at the discretion of the veterinary surgeon. There shall also be an adequate means of monitoring anaesthetised patients and of supportive therapy (intravenous fluids, maintenance of body heat, etc,) under anaesthesia. A resuscitative pack shall always be kept readily available for instant use; (
- o)facilities for intermittent positive pressure ventilation, either manual or mechanical, are to be provided and anaesthetic machines shall be serviced annually. Anaesthetic scavenging systems shall be used; (
- p)oxygen therapy equipment with primary and reserve supplies; (
- q)adequate surgical instruments for general and specialist surgery (dental, ophthalmic, and orthopaedic surgery as well as cryosurgery, electro-cautery and suction); (
- r)radiographic facilities suitable and adequate for the needs of the hospital and readily available at all times. These facilities must be capable of producing radiographs of diagnostic quality. Evidence of radiological protection and safety precautions, including proper storage for radiation protection equipment, shall be provided and suitable arrangements are to be made for the processing, recording, viewing, filing and storage of X-ray films as well as records of the purchase, maintenance and repair of all equipment. The X-ray equipment and the handling of radiograph material should abide by the guidelines issued by the Radiation Protection Board; (
- s)equipment for the permanent identification of Xray films is required and a suitable exposure chart for the x-ray equipment. A light-beam diaphragm for the x-ray machine and a stationary or moving focused grid must be available. There should also be sufficient provision for non-human physical restraint of patients during radiography. The hospital is also required to update its radiographic facilities as techniques and equipment change; (
- t)equipment for endoscopic diagnosis; (
- u)equipment for echographic diagnosis; 13 14 [ S.L.437.106 PRIVATE VETERINARY ESTABLISHMENTS (LICENSING) (
- v)equipment for ECG monitoring and diagnosis. ECG recordings must be suitably filed and stored; (
- w)equipment for haematological diagnosis (to include microhaematocrit); (
- x)equipment for basic blood biochemistry (to include urinary refractometer); (
- y)centrifuge;
(3)Minimum administrative requirements: (
- a)communication to the general public of the name of the veterinary surgeons working in the hospital; (
- b)notification of service hours and communication of the emergency service contact numbers to the public; (
- c)presence of at least one veterinary surgeon at all times; (
- d)there is to be a sufficient number of adequately trained lay staff for the needs of the hospital, at least one member of which must be a veterinary auxiliary; (
- e)a person directly responsible for the nursing care of in-patients shall be on the premises at all times; (
- f)a reference library of veterinary texts is to be provided; (
- g)it must be possible for the veterinary surgeons on duty to contact the staff on the premises at all times; (
- h)veterinary hospitals are expected to meet the standards necessary for the training of veterinary auxiliary staff; (
- i)the hospital should encourage both veterinary surgeons and veterinary auxiliary staff to obtain further profession qualifications; (
- j)there shall be an efficient system of recording treatments, clinical signs, and special instructions. Medical records are to be filed and located and so maintained that any veterinary surgeon on coming into the hospital may, by reading the record, be able to proceed with the continuity of care of the patient. Complete medical records should contain the following information where applicable: (
- i)owner identification and address; (
- ii)patient identification (name, species, breed, colour, age, sex, microchip number); (iii) clinical information; (
- iv)diagnostic investigations; PRIVATE VETERINARY ESTABLISHMENTS (LICENSING) [ S.L.437.106 (
- v)diagnosis, provisional or definitive; (
- vi)vaccinations-batch numbers and dates; (vii) therapy, surgical and medical, including dosages and duration; (viii) special considerations like an adverse reaction to drugs; (
- ix)external communications, such as referrals, lab reports; (
- x)consent forms and estimates; (
- k)proper security arrangements should be made to protect medical records from loss, unauthorised alteration or unauthorised use. Copies of computerised records should always be kept and backed up daily and backup media should be kept at different premises; (
- l)adequate means by which members of the public can communicate with the hospital (telephones, mobiles, emails, fax, websites and similar devices). 15 16 [ S.L.437.106 PRIVATE VETERINARY ESTABLISHMENTS (LICENSING) Amended by: L.N. 375 of 2024. SCHEDULE Regulation 4
(3)Particulars required in an application for a licence for a veterinary establishment (
- a)The full name and address, and veterinary professional qualifications of the applicant. (
- b)Where the application is made on behalf of a company, society, association, or body, the address of its registered office or principal place of business and the full names and addresses and professional or technical qualifications of partners. (
- c)The full name and address of the owner of premises and equipment, if he is not the applicant. (
- d)The location of the veterinary establishment and its form of construction (architect’s layout plan indicating the proposed use of each room to be attached). (
- e)The Planning Authority (PA) permit (outline permit is acceptable). (
- f)The type of veterinary establishment to be set up (veterinary consultancy practice, veterinary clinic or veterinary hospital). (
- g)The equipment and facilities provided or to be provided in the establishment. (
- h)Type of specialised veterinary services that are proposed to be carried out, if applicable. (
- i)The name, qualifications, and experience of people to be employed in a technical, professional, administrative or any other manner in the establishment. (
- j)Arrangements for waste disposal. (
- k)Arrangements for the provision of blood supplies, if applicable. (
- l)Arrangements for a twenty-four hour service.