A sign up section where Official Veterinarians (OVs) can register to continue providing bTB testing with aspiring Delivery Partner Xperior Farm Health under AHVLA's Veterinary Delivery Partnership programme has been added to Xperior's website (www.xperiorfarmhealth.co.uk/vets/).
Xperior Farm Health is the joint venture between Eville & Jones and Westpoint Veterinary Group that is one of the declared bidders for appointment by AHVLA as a Delivery Partner. Veterinary Director Phil Elkins said: "If appointed, we are fully committed to maintaining sub-contractor OV involvement."
As alternatives to website sign up, OVs can also do so by email (phil.elkins@xperiorfarmhealth.co.uk) or post using either a printed form that was mailed recently to more than 1,000 farm vets or by writing to Mr Elkins at Century House, Thorpe Park, Leeds LS15 8ZB.
To give experienced OVs an opportunity to influence the Delivery Partner bid, Xperior have also extended their online survey (https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PQFSWZN) until the end of July.
Phil added: "If appointed, our commitment is to provide an exemplary standard of accurate and trustworthy on-farm animal health testing services, where possible using subcontracted practices. These will be farmer friendly, provide an ongoing source of work and revenue to subcontractor Official Veterinarians, and represent excellent value for money to the taxpayer."
PS: Whilst you're here, take a moment to see our latest job opportunities for vets.
So presumably, us signing up with E&J aids their bid enormously, as they can demonstrate a sizeable portion of the market already sewn up - and we swear allegiance to the new boss, same as the old boss.
What guarantees would we then have that we would be retained after the immediate post-award honeymoon phase? Would we have the remotest financial security?
Xperior Farm Health are committed to a subcontractor model for provision of on farm OV services. Should Xperior win the tender in your region, practices who wish to continue performing OV services to their clients will be encouraged to do so. Rigid subcontractor contracts will be produced providing security for both parties for the duration of the contract. Practices who continue to provide high levels of quality service will be beneficial to the taxpayer, the clients, the practice and Xperior.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
Phil Elkins
Veterinary Director
Xperior Farm Health.
Rigid subcontractor contracts of finite length, the terms of which would be imposed by the only game in town. And I absolutely LOVED the pop about practices who continue to provide high levels of quality service, the criteria for which will, again, be imposed by the only game in town.
Tendering out for OV contracts is an appalling betrayal by the government and another nail in the coffin of independent practices.
Please don't insult our intelligence, Phil
I'm sorry that you see it as an insult. That is not the intention. Yes, the subcontractor contracts are of finite length, but that length is determined by DEFRA not the delivery partner. It is impossible to give anything more than a contract to a subcontractor than the length stipulated by its own contract with DEFRA.
It is not a pop about practices providing a high level of service. I have worked in and know many more practices where the OVs perform testing to an exemplary level - ie at least that stipulated by their current contract with DEFRA. This should be seen as the minimum level of service for fairness to the tax payer, the client and the wider public. Not to mention fairness to the other practices. It is important that these standards are upheld. It would be short sighted to set criteria above and beyond what is currently required of practices, and to ensure it is carried out to that level.
I am not sure I see the betrayal, or see it as a nail in the coffin for DEFRA to be seeking delivery partners for OV work. The two parent companies of Xperior are happy that with our pricing scheme OV work will continue to be profitable for practices through improved efficiency of back office management and Westpoint for one will continue to use their full time clinical vets to carry out the bulk of the OV work for their practices.
Phil