The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has set up a Working Party to consider whether the time has come for new legislation to regulate the profession.

The Legislation Working Party was set up on the recommendation of the College’s Brexit Taskforce, which considered that in light of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union and the deficiencies in the existing legislation, now would be a good time to review the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966.

The Working Party, which is expected to have its first meeting in May, will be chaired by RCVS Junior Vice-President Professor Stephen May and will include the British Veterinary Association’s President, Gudrun Ravetz, RCVS CEO Nick Stace, RCVS Registrar Eleanor Ferguson, Chair of VN Council Liz Cox, RCVS Treasurer and Junior Vice-President elect Amanda Boag, and RCVS Council members Kate Richards and lay member Richard Davis.

The Working Party’s remit will be to ensure that the College’s vision for the future of veterinary legislation is given proper consideration so that it can respond to future opportunities to support a new Act; to propose a list of principles on which new legislation should be based; and to make recommendations as to whether the new legislation should be a ‘Veterinary Services Act’ providing an umbrella for allied professionals and exploring compulsory practice inspection.

Professor Stephen May said: "The UK leaving the EU will necessitate some changes to the Veterinary Surgeons Act as it currently exists so this feels like an opportune moment to carry out a wholesale review of the legislative basis for regulation of the veterinary profession in the UK.

"Clearly using 50-year-old legislation has its limitations, and while we have been able to make use of legislative reform orders and changes to the Royal Charter to make significant changes to the College – for example, in terms of our disciplinary and governance arrangements – the fact is that this somewhat antiquated legislation is the basis for all we do.

"For example under the current Act veterinary nurses still lack statutory regulation and protection of title, there is no underpinning for our continuing professional development (CPD) requirements and specialist/ advanced practitioner status and the College lacks the power of entry or similar power needed for compulsory practice inspection.

"We hope that, by giving the legislation a fresh look, we can consider how it could better cover the veterinary industry as a whole and not just the rather narrow definition given in the original Act."

The Legislation Working Party is to meet at least four times and will report to RCVS Council in due course.

Creature Comforts, the start up which promises to revolutionise veterinary care using tech, has opened its first clinic in Notting Hill Gate, London. 

The new, four storey, architecturally-designed clinic is full of natural light and includes calming and spacious staff breakout areas. 

By combining a beautiful work environment with seamless technology, the company believes it can transform working conditions and job satisfaction for vet teams.

On the tech side, the Creature Comforts has created a proprietary app which allows triage to be handled online and for staff to work flexibly.

The company says the app also reduces the administrative burden, a contributory factor for staff burnout.

Creature Comforts says most clients subscribe at a cost of £20 per pet per month, giving them unlimited consultations, instant bookings and live chat via the app (as well as annual vaccinations and discounted routine treatments).

This should mean animals are seen more frequently, and conditions can be identified and treated earlier.

Memberships will be capped to control vet team caseload and to ensure a good customer experience.

The company is also addressing Competition and Markets Authority concerns, with prices for routine treatments listed on its website, upfront estimates for procedures, and a business model hinged on unlimited access to expertise (i.e. consultations, instant in-app bookings and live chat) at no extra cost for subscribed members.

Creature Comforts says its vet team benefits from a share of their clinic’s profits, above industry-standard pay, compensated overtime, a well-balanced staffing ratio, manageable working hours and scheduled breaks. 

Dr Russell Welsh, COO and co-founder of Creature Comforts, said: “It’s an incredible feeling to see a plan come together in a sector that’s so ripe for transformation.

"We want to bring the passion, joy and fun back to our profession, and this is an opportunity to do things differently and vastly better, with a fresh and carefully-considered business model founded on the principles of health and happiness.

"This is vet care as it should be."

https://www.creaturecomforts.co.uk

The RCVS has announced that the Codes of Professional Conduct for veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses have been updated to state that you should not refer to yourselves or others as 'veterinary nurses' unless registered.

In fact, the change occurred back in June last year, but was only announced via RCVS News and as a one-liner within the 'Overview of decisions made at RCVS Council'.

The announcement raises the pretty fundamental question of what ARE veterinary surgeons and RVNs to call their unqualified colleagues, if not veterinary nurses? How indeed are those unqualified staff working in veterinary practice to describe their job title to their friends, down at the pub? 

VetSurgeon.org sought to clarify the situation with the College, and the first point to make is that the new part of the CoPCs refers only to the use of the words 'veterinary nurse' when used in conjunction. The words 'nurse' or 'nursing' are not protected at all. 

The College says that it is not within its remit to instruct veterinary surgeons or registered nurses as to how they should address unqualified staff, but suggested: 'Care Assistant' or 'Auxilliary'.

However, Ben Myring, RCVS Senior Policy and Public Affairs Officer said: "There is nothing to stop someone calling themselves a 'nursing assistant' or a 'head nurse'".

The Codes of Professional Conduct obviously apply only to those who are regulated by it. The title 'veterinary nurse' in unprotected in law and can therefore be used by anyone else. 

So, the immediate implications seem to be as follows:

• Veterinary surgeons and nurses must not refer to unqualified nursing colleagues as 'veterinary nurses'. 
• Currently acceptable alternatives (for the moment at least) are 'nurse' (on its own), 'care assistant, 'auxilliary' or 'nursing assistant'.
• Marketing and other materials which a regulated individual has responsibility for should be updated to reflect the change (for example, if a small practice owned by a veterinary surgeon refers to its unqualified nursing assistants as veterinary nurses on its website, that should be changed).
• When asked, down the pub, what they do, unqualified nursing assistants are legally still entitled to describe themselves as 'veterinary nurses'.

Do you have any other suggestions as to how unqualified nursing staff should be styled? Post them below.

With the upcoming introduction of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) in May 2018, the Veterinary Practice Management Association has published a webinar presented by Helen Thomas (Senior Policy Officer at the Information Commissioners Office), to deliver the key facts and help veterinary practices prepare for the changes ahead.

The new law, which replaces the Data Protection Directive, come into effect from 25^th May 2018. All businesses will be affected, including the veterinary profession, and failure to comply could result in heavy financial penalties. It is important, therefore, that all practices start to prepare for them and ensure that they will be compliant when the new legislation comes into play next year.

Renay Rickard, president of the VPMA said: "These new regulations concern how we will manage personal data, both that of our clients and our staff, and it’s imperative that we understand them and act on them. We arranged this webinar to inform our members, and were very lucky to have such a tailored presentation directly from the regulator – helped by the fact that Helen, the speaker, comes from a veterinary practice background. It was so useful, we felt that the wider veterinary community would benefit from listening to it, so we’re pleased to open it up to non-members."

The webinar content guides listeners through the key changes ahead and the steps that practices will need to take to ensure they are compliant with the new legal requirements. This includes the impact the changes will have on marketing strategies and practice positioning on sending client reminders (e.g. vaccination, appointment); sharing case histories; passing on data regarding 'bad-debtors', as well as how to approach 'tagging' clients records (for example, re debt) in compliance with the GDPR.

The webinar also provides useful information on where to turn if practices need help and advice, as well as what to do if a data breach is detected. Finally, a detailed questions and answers session covers the day-to-day scenarios in practice that involve handling or sharing client data.

The recording can be accessed on request by emailing the VPMA Secretariat, secretariat@vpma.co.uk.

Photo: GDPR - General Data Protection Regulation. data 25 may 2018. Map EU and flag. Shutterstock/a_Jarm

Voting has now opened in the 2019 RCVS Council election. Eligible veterinary surgeons can now vote online or by posting their paper ballot.

There are nine candidates standing in this year’s elections, including five existing Council members eligible for re-election and four candidates not currently on Council. They are:

• Dr Linda Belton MRCVS
  At a glance: Equine clinician. Director of George Veterinary Group, a 40-vet independent practice. Wants to safeguard veterinary surgeons' clinical freedom and prevent it being eroded as a result of corporatisation. 

• Dr Niall Connell MRCVS
  At a glance: After a career largely in small animal charitable practice, Niall had to retire from clinical practice as a result of MS. Has been a council member since 2013 and now RCVS President-elect. By all accounts, something of a national treasure. Wants the College to: "regulate compassionately in partnership with our profession".

• Mr John C Davies MRCVS
  At a glance: Small animal practitioner who, having had his fingers burned in a failed joint venture arrangement and parts of his election manifesto redacted by the RCVS (it can be read in full here: http://www.johndaviesvet.com), now campaigns for justice, integrity, accountability, freedom of speech and due diligence at the College and in the wider profession.

• Dr Joanna (Jo) Dyer MRCVS
  At a glance: Small animal locum practitioner who was first elected to council in 2015 after successfully lobbying for changes to the CoPC Guidance following Chikosi. An all round good egg. Argues passionately against changes to the Code of Conduct to allow remote prescribing of POM-Vs.

• Professor Timothy (Tim) Greet FRCVS
  At a glance: Widely-published equine practitioner and past-pres of BEVA, BVA and WEVA. In favour of RCVS regulation of para-professionals. Argues that whilst technology is to be welcomed, diagnosis and prescribing must be restricted to animals 'under our care'.

• Professor John Innes FRCVS
  At a glance: RCVS Specialist in small animal orthopaedics (with 85 peer-reviewed papers to his name) and Referrals Director at CVS. Pledges to speak as an independent veterinary surgeon - not a corporate representative - if elected. On record as being pleased that the proposed RCVS telemedicine trial was delayed pending further consultation. In favour of 'nurse practitioner' becoming a regulated option for RVNs.

• Dr Thomas (Tom) Lonsdale MRCVS
  At a glance: Single-issue candidate with a 23-year history of standing for election to draw attention to the supposed evils of commercial pet foods. Based in Australia. 2000-1 outsider. 

• Dr Katherine (Kate) Richards MRCVS
  At a glance: 15 years in farm animal practice before taking up various positions in industry and government. Champions a healthy work-life balance, fair pay, workplace flexibility and supportive work practices.

• Mr Peter Robinson MRCVS
  At a glance: A long career in independent farm, equine and small animal practice, followed by a stint in sole practice in Dubai. Has been on Council for 4 years. Like Jo Dyer, argues that when it comes to remote prescribing and telemedicine, "we must not change the standards of ‘under our care'."

Ballot papers and booklets containing candidates’ details and manifestos have been sent by post to all veterinary surgeons eligible to vote and an email containing a unique link to a secure voting site has also been sent by Electoral Reform Services, which runs the election on behalf of the College.

All votes must be cast, either online or by post, by 5pm on Friday 26 April 2019. 

Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar and Returning Officer for the election, said: "Last year we saw another very strong turnout for the RCVS Council election with over a fifth of the profession casting votes. The turnout was again helped by regular email reminders and the fact the voting website can be easily accessed by just clicking on a link.

"I would like to remind the profession that, following last year’s changes to our governance structure after a Legislative Reform Order was passed through Parliament, you can now only choose up to three candidates. I do hope members of the profession take this opportunity to influence the governance and policies of the RCVS."

Those who are eligible to vote but have not received either an email or ballot paper should contact Luke Bishop, RCVS Senior Communications Officer, on l.bishop@rcvs.org.uk.

Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica has launched Pexion (imepitoin) a novel treatment for canine idiopathic epilepsy.

Canine epilepsy can affect up to 5% of dogs⁶. In most dogs diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy no underlying cause for the seizures can be found. While the condition can affect any dog, it is more common in young (one to five year old), purebred dogs such as Labradors, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, Boxers, Vizlas, Beagles, English Springer Spaniels, Irish Setters, Poodles and Dachshunds.

Boehringer says Pexion has a highly targeted mode of action^1-3 to suppress a dog's seizures. It starts to work within a few hours and reaches steady state within three days^4,5. Boehringer claims this will make it easier to stabilise epileptic patients. It also says there is no evidence of hepatotoxicity or liver-associated enzyme elevation, so repeated blood tests for liver enzymes or therapeutic levels are no longer required.^4,5

Pexion is available in 100 mg and 400 mg tablets. The tablets are white, scored and divisible in half. Both tablet strengths are available in 100 tablet packs from veterinary wholesalers.

Jemima Mead, brand manager at Boehringer said: "Pexion is a ground-breaking new product which gives vets a new first-line treatment option for dogs with idiopathic epilepsy, improving the lives of newly diagnosed epileptic dogs and their owners by reducing the number of seizures and their impact on the patient's life".

To support the launch of the new product, Boehringer hosted an epilepsy webinar presented by neurologist Dr Holger Volk DVM PhD DipECVN FHEA MRCVS, recognised RCVS and European Specialist in Veterinary Neurology. The webinar is now available on demand at www.bi-academy.co.uk.

For further information on Pexion visit www.pexion.co.uk, contact your local Boehringer Ingelheim territory manager or telephone +44 (0)1344 746959.

References

1. Löscher W et al. Epilepsia 2004; 45: 1228-1239
2. Rieck S et al. Vet J 2006; 172: 86-95
3. Rostock A et al. Drugs Fut. 1998; 23: 253-255
4. Pexion^® Summary of Product Characteristics, 2013
5. European Public Assessment Report (EPAR): PEXION (imepitoin). London: European Medicines Agency; 2013 Available at www.ema.europa.eu
6. Monteiro R. et al.  J Small Anim Pract 2012; 53: 526-530

Royal Canin is to launch a hepatic diet for cats.

Available from July 2011, Royal Canin Hepatic Feline is designed to provide nutritional support to the cat post-surgery and throughout a wide range of clinical conditions including cholangitis, cholestasis, portosystemic shunts, hepatic encephalopathy, liver failure and hepatic copper accumulation.

Royal Canin says the diet includes the use of highly digestible vegetable proteins which reduce the workload of the recovering liver; low copper levels to help reduce the risk to the liver of damage caused by copper and bile interaction; an exclusive antioxidant complex to neutralise free radicals, and balanced mineral levels to help counteract electrolyte imbalances caused by liver disease. 

The company also says Royal Canin Hepatic Feline is 'outstandingly palatable', making it much easier for the cat (and the owner) to adhere to the regime.

Royal Canin Hepatic Canine is also available in both wet and dry versions.  For more information, contact your Royal Canin Veterinary Business Manager, call 0845 717 800, or visit http://www.royalcanin.co.uk/.

Macahl Animal Health, manufacturer of Oralade, is highlighting the need to consider the hydration status of wildlife patients admitted to veterinary practices as we head into the winter months.

The company says there is often an increase in admissions of hibernating species at this time of year, particularly hedgehogs, and it is thought that numbers of sick and injured wildlife handed over by the general public may increase this year as people spend more time in their gardens and local parks due to coronavirus restrictions.

The British Hedgehog Preservation Society suggests that if uncertain about a hedgehog’s hydration status, it is always best to assume a degree of dehydration.

Macahl regularly donates Oralade to wildlife sanctuaries where it is in widespread use. One such sanctuary is the Wildlife Aid Foundation, based in Surrey, which says: "We frequently use Oralade to help our patients which are suffering from mild dehydration and are reluctant to eat. It works really well for species such as hedgehogs, foxes and badgers as the smell seems to encourage them to lap. It really does give them a boost and can get them eating solid food again which is critical for their rehabilitation."

Macahl says Oralade GI support is suitable for oral rehydration in many wildlife species, including hedgehogs. The suggested maintenance dose is 50ml per kg per 24hrs, with additional quantities needed to correct a hydration deficit. Identifying dehydration is similar to pet species, and includes assessment of skin tent, gum colour, and capillary refill time.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published an updated draft code of practice for the welfare of meat chickens and meat breeding chickens, following a consultation last year.

The draft code contains twenty recommendations to seek veterinary advice on the subject, compared to ten in the previous version, highlighting the crucial importance of veterinary surgeons' involvement in the welfare of meat chickens. 

The new codes have been welcomed by the BVA, the British Veterinary Poultry Association (BVPA) and Veterinary Public Health Association (VPHA), who jointly responded to the Government consultation on the updating of the codes.

BVA President John Fishwick said: "We welcome the Government’s recognition of the vital role the veterinary profession plays in poultry welfare, with further references throughout the updated draft code to the importance of seeking veterinary advice. 

"We are particularly pleased to see the recommendation that welfare outcomes should be used to assess and monitor the ongoing welfare of the birds as part of the farm health and welfare plan, and with the signposting to the Humane Slaughter Association’s Poultry Catching and Handling Technical Note within the code.

"The British poultry industry already has some of the highest welfare standards in the world and the veterinary profession and poultry industry will continue to work with Defra on further enhancing animal welfare codes to reflect best industry practice."

The draft code was placed in Parliament on 9 January 2018. If there are no objections from Parliament, it will come into force in March 2018.

Photo: Flock of Chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) Roaming Freely in Front of Chicken Sheds on a Farm in the Rural Village of Chenson, Devon. Shutterstock / Peter Turner Photography

The Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA) has announced the launch of #ColostrumIsGold, a new campaign to promote the 'liquid gold' properties of colostrum in reducing the need for antibiotics in farm animals.

The campaign, taking place in February, will underline that responsible use of antibiotics starts with newborn calves, lambs and piglets receiving the right amount of colostrum within a couple of hours of birth – something all farmers have the potential to achieve.

A number of organisations will be releasing information and promoting best practice throughout the month, mainly based around getting the 3Qs (quality, quantity and quickness) of colostrum delivery right.

The FarmAntibiotics.org information website will be signposting to these resources, as well as highlighting hints and tips for more effective colostrum management.

RUMA chairman Gwyn Jones says that as a farmer, he recognises the pressures at lambing and calving, and just how easy it can be to take shortcuts with the all-important first feed.

"But it was a wake-up call when I found out calves receiving insufficient colostrum at birth are more than twice as likely to develop respiratory disease, and can have mortality rates as high as 13%," he said. 

"Too often we see the animal start to suck or we give it a feed, and don’t think about the actual quantity of colostrum it consumes immediately after birth.

"All these factors have an enormous impact on the levels of antibodies in the bloodstream 24 hours later, and on the subsequent health of the animal and its need for antibiotic treatment during its whole life. 

"Better colostrum management is an incredible opportunity – not just to ensure better health for the future, but to cut antibiotic use and produce a more valuable animal for onward rearing."

Research manager Dr Jenny Gibbons from AHDB says their recent 'Calf to Calving' campaign focusing on youngstock rearing has seen nearly 40% of attendees go on to buy equipment to test the quality of colostrum.

Jenny said: "With recent figures from the Royal Veterinary College indicating just 31% of dairy farmers have been testing the quality of the colostrum before feeding it, this uptake is good news.

"Another area to tackle is time of feeding. Only 5% are feeding within the ideal two hours after birth. Changing these practices would make a huge difference to calves for onward beef rearing as well as replacement heifers."

Specialist sheep vet Dr Fiona Lovatt says lambs receiving insufficient colostrum at birth is behind one of the sheep industry’s biggest antibiotic use 'hotspots', in what is otherwise a low-use sector.

She said: "It’s largely avoidable. The reality is that we simply don’t see Watery Mouth in lambs that have taken sufficient colostrum on board in that golden 24-hour window immediately after birth."

Fiona says a 5kg lamb at birth needs 1 litre of colostrum in its first 24 hours of life to give it essential levels of natural immunity, but importantly, the first feed should be within two hours of birth. 

"Antibodies – essential in protecting against all disease including E coli infections – cannot cross through the placenta, so must be transferred through colostrum.

"While thin ewes or those that are not well fed in the run-up to lambing will produce too little colostrum of low quality, more often it’s simply not getting enough colostrum into the lamb quickly enough after birth."

Fiona says the sheep sector should not be relying on use of preventative antibiotics – because of image but also the very real problem of antibiotic resistance. "We know from government data that 50% of neonatal lamb E coli are already resistant to spectinomycin, the most commonly used dose. We need to protect these antibiotics, or we will lose them."

Veterinary lead at AHDB and pig specialist Dr Mandy Nevel says baby pigs need colostrum too, to maintain body temperature as well as protect them against disease.

Mandy said: "Baby pigs are born wet and with very little energy reserve. Ideally they need to get a feed in within the first 30 minutes to prevent hypothermia. This early feed will also provide essential immunity, giving them the best chance of survival in their first few weeks of life.

"Sow vaccination is the best way to boost antibody levels in the colostrum. That is why piglets who receive good levels of colostrum early will also be the healthiest at weaning. That extra care in the first hours of life will really make a difference."

Mandy includes post-weaning diarrhoea and respiratory disease as longer term threats for piglets receiving insufficient colostrum at birth. "Colostrum really is a golden opportunity to secure lower antibiotic use and a healthier animal for its whole life."

Veterinary surgeons and farmers looking for more information should search for the #ColostrumIsGold hashtag on Twitter, or go to the FarmAntibiotics.org website to be signposted to tools, resources and case studies from 1 February.

RSA has announced the rollout of its UK-wide network of preferred referral practices.

The scheme caused widespread concern within the profession when it was trialed in the Midlands earlier this year, primarily because of fears that it would reduce general practitioners' freedom to refer an animal to a centre that they felt could provide the most appropriate care for both the animal and the owner. In addition, RSA's claim that it was aiming to provide like-for-like care at a lower cost was undermined by the fact that the network could hardly field a single RCVS Recognised Specialist amongst its numbers. There were also concerns being voiced about the terms under which referral practices could join the network.

However, the underlying challenge of keeping pet insurance affordable remains. RSA says that according to its research, and based on Association of British Insurers averages, 27% of its customers pay more for their pet insurance than the average cost of home insurance; 17% pay more than the average cost of car insurance and 3% pay more than the average cost for private medical insurance.

It does seem as though RSA has been making a concerted effort to adopt a more collaborative approach before the nationwide rollout, having meetings with both the BVA and BSAVA which the respective organisations described as 'constructive'.

The current state of play is that RSA is inviting referral practices to join its network in advance of a launch some time after the end of the year. Thereafter, VetSurgeon.org understands that clients who decide to opt for a non-emergency referral outside its network will be subject to an additional flat fee which has yet to be announced.

Bill Paton, Claims Director for UK and Western Europe said: “The introduction of this new preferred referral network ensures that our customers will receive the most appropriate available treatment as diagnosed by their vet.

"For us, being able to control costs with our vet partners in the network will help us manage our claims cost more effectively and ensure that policy limits last as long as possible.

"Ultimately, this will have a positive effect on premium rates for our customers ensuring that pet insurance remains affordable.”

For more information about joining RSA's referral network, email: rsa.pet@uk.rsagroup.com.

The BVA has raised serious concerns over the lack of information on UK exports of meat from animals that have not been stunned before slaughter.

Latest figures from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) indicate that 22% of sheep and goats (3 million) are not stunned before slaughter¹.

This is an increase from 2013 when it was estimated 15% (2 million) of sheep and goats were slaughtered without stunning.

At the same time, in a response to a parliamentary question² from Kerry McCarthy MP (Bristol East), Defra has admitted that it does not hold data on how much of this non-stunned meat is exported.

The BVA says a recent trade deal with Saudi Arabia could greatly increase the exports of British lamb and other meat, some of which may be from non-stun slaughter. Information on the lamb market also indicates that exports in general (especially to non-EU countries) are on the increase, with total export volumes up 14% in 2017 and non-EU volumes growing to 5,400 tonnes – up two-thirds on the previous year³. 

The BVA is calling for the timely provision of information on non-stun exports, firstly to ascertain the extent to which the UK is exporting meat from these sources and secondly to inform potential measures to ensure supply matches rather than exceeds domestic demand.

Other EU countries that allow non-stun slaughter have measures in place to limit the export of non-stun meat to help ensure that meat killed by this method is for the domestic market. For example, Germany requires that abattoirs apply for a licence by defining the number of animals to undergo non-stun slaughter to meet local demand only. 

BVA President, John Fishwick, said: "Each year millions of animals in the UK are not stunned before slaughter and BVA will continue to push for an end to non-stun slaughter in the interests of animal welfare. The latest FSA figures suggest that a sizeable proportion of sheep and goats that are slaughtered in the UK are done so without stunning and that this seems to outstrip the requirements of the religious communities who consume meat that has been slaughtered in this way. 

"It is difficult to unpick the possible factors that contribute to this mismatch but an essential step to understanding this better would be to provide data on how much, if any, non-stun meat is exported abroad. With Brexit on the horizon and in the light of announcements about export deals with non-EU countries, there is a pressing need for clarity on the quantities and destinations of exports of non-stun meat.

"While not illegal, if meat from non-stun religious slaughter is exported we consider this to be outside the spirit of the legislation which allows non-stun as a derogation from the law to meet the needs of religious communities."

References

1. Food Standards Agency statistics on numbers of animals that are not stunned before slaughter in 2017/2018 are available here: https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/animal-welfare
2. https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&max=20&questiontype=AllQuestions&house=commons%2clords&member=1491&dept=13&keywords=stun 
3. Information on lamb exports from the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board is available here:http://beefandlamb.ahdb.org.uk/strong-year-uk-meat-exports/

A new study carried out by scientists from The Pirbright Institute and Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, has concluded that pre-clinical diagnosis could be key to helping control the transmission of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) in the event of an outbreak.

In the study, the Pirbright - Wageningen research team combined their expertise in both FMDV and mathematical modelling to evaluate the methods and effects of preclinical diagnosis during surveillance (as would be in place during an outbreak), in order to reduce the risk of transmission between herds of cattle on neighbouring farms. 

Transmission experiments in cattle were used to collect samples taken from individual animals such as blood, saliva and nasal swabs, and at herd level such as air samples, on a daily basis during the course of infection. The sensitivity of each of these types of samples for the detection of infected cattle during different phases of infection was then quantified. 

Dr. Simon Gubbins, Head of Transmission Biology at Pirbright said: "Our results were incorporated into a mathematical model for FMDV transmission in a cattle herd in order to evaluate the impact of early detection and removal of an infected herd on the reduction in the amount of infectious output which could enable transmission of the virus to cattle on a neighbouring farm.

"By using weekly surveillance, clinical inspection alone was found to be ineffective at blocking transmission. This was in contrast to the impact of weekly sampling using saliva swabs of at least ten animals per farm or daily air sampling (for housed cattle), both of which were shown to reduce the risk of transmission substantially."

Dr. José Gonzáles from Wageningen Bioveterinary Research added: "These findings provide a new approach to disease control which could be added to our emergency preparedness programmes. A potential benefit of applying this strategy is a reduction in the number of animals culled unnecessarily, which is likely to happen when traditional strategies such as pre-emptive culling are implemented."

Following these initial results, the Pirbright - Wageningen research team plan to take their approach from the controlled conditions of the laboratory and test it in field trials. If successful, they hope it will help to reduce the social and economic impact of one of the world’s most devastating livestock diseases.