Brexit and the veterinary profession

Brexit and the veterinary profession

1. Veterinary Workforce

   • Vet main employment:
     • 75% clinical practice
       • 9% Academia/Research
         • 6% Government/policy
           • 4% Industry
             • 3% Charity
   • Vets working in public health & meat hygiene sector
     • Estimated 95% from overseas
       • Crucial job - certify & supervise import & export of animals & animal products to other countries
   • 1/5 of current teaching workforce = EU nationals
   • BVA recommendations:
     • UK gov to guarantee working rights for non-British EU vets & vet nurses currently working & studying in the UK
     • The UK Government to add vets to the Shortage Occupation List
     • Diversify and incentivise veterinary roles in food hygiene and public health to make these roles a more attractive option for vets

2. Animal Health

   • One Health Initiative
     • E.g. Antimicrobial resistance
   • Live transport
   • Pet travel - reintroduce tick treatment for all dogs & cats
   • Overall aim = maintain existing UK standards
   • Surveillance for new & emerging disease
   • Zoonotic disease
   • Exotic diseases
     • Rabies
     • Avian flu
     • FMD
     • African horse sickness
   • Endemic diseases
     • Bovine Brucellosis
     • bTB

3. Animal Welfare

   • UK legislation: Animal Welfare Act 2006
   • England legislation: Welfare of farmed animals (England) regulations
   • Approx. 80% UK animal welfare legislation originates from EU
     • Farm animals = 17 laws
       • Wildlife = 11 laws
         • Research = 9 laws
           • Companion animals = 4 laws
   • Opportunities with Brexit
     • Introduce mandatory method of production labelling, inc. slaughter method e.g. non-stun
     • Improve current standards e.g. mandatory abattoir CCTV
   • Concerns
     • Trade negotiations - if UK obliged to important lower welfare std. meat
     • Export/import of live animals

4. Food hygiene and safety

   • OV's - only approx. 4% of new UK grads
   • Aim: maintain OV role and standards
   • Vets are advocates of animal welfare in this sector
   • Profession to make OV role more attractive to UK grads
   • Challenges
     • Attract & retain efficient OV workforce to meet food hygiene & public health needs

5. Vet medicines

   • Legislation: Veterinary medicinal products directive
   • Aim: to reduce use of antibiotics
   • The Cascade - rules for prescribing meds
   • UK gov needs to guarantee UK vets ongoing access to all existing meds licensed through EU regulatory systems

6. R&D

   • UK has 4 out of top 10 uni's
   • UK produce 16% of total global output of peer reviewed papers
   • Aim: to have skills based immigration policy to attract best research brains
   • Opportunity to focus on UK diseases

7. Devolution & Northern Ireland

8. Trade

   • Tripartite agreement = free horse movement between UK, FR & Republic of Ireland
   • Opportunity for tighter controls @ UK border
     • BVA says this is not enough - need it @ point of production