Vets switching away from farm animals, warns chief Vet - Forecast of just 25 mixed practices left in Scotland by 2015 - By Joe Watson

Published: 14/06/2008 - http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/689575?UserKey=0

Scotland could lose almost three-quarters of its farm-animal vet practices in the next seven years, the president of the British Veterinary Association has warned.

Nick Blayney said a combination of falling livestock numbers, poor fees for government work, unsociable hours and a desire by new vets to concentrate instead in higher-earning work involving pets were forcing significant changes in the profession that could have significant consequences for the livestock sector.

Two Scottish practices have already stopped farm work in the last year. Another 10 out of the remaining 100 are expected to follow suit in the next six months.

Mr Blayney warned the association’s annual Scottish gathering in Edinburgh – attended by politicians and industry leaders – the forecast was for just 25 mixed practices to service all of Scotland’s farms by 2015.

He added: “One serious side effect of this is the inability to allow undergraduates the opportunity to see farm livestock diseases at first hand. In future, students will increasingly rely on seeing diseases in universities or by virtual means. The expertise needed to become competent with farm animals will also take much longer to attain, especially when advising owners on health plans and disease control measures.”

BVA Scottish secretary Sandy Clark expects the number of farm-animal vets to fall by up to 80 by 2015.

He said that with fewer practices farmers faced increased charges as vets would have to travel greater distances to treat stock.

“We’re seeing practices that until recently were 50:50 farm and small (pet) animal work starting to change. I suspect a lot are now 75% small animal and 25% large animal. Those practices will continue to review their operations and I can see many of them just walking away from large animal work as it does not pay.”

Mr Blayney blamed the poor finances on the UK Government. He branded fees for local veterinary inspector duties derisory, adding that the loss of brucellosis testing had made statutory TB tests less viable.

He warned the UK’s Animal Health agency that vets were threatening to stop the government work or become more selective in the tests they undertake.

He said: “Some vets are making less than the minimum wage to undertake testing and this is not acceptable. If government determines that the profession should not subsidise services from the sale of drugs then it cannot expect vets to subsidise the routine testing of livestock for reasons of human health, or from other services within their practices.”

Scottish chief vet Charles Milne said negotiations continued with farming ministry Defra to wrestle from it Scotland’s share of the UK’s animal health and welfare budget.

He said ownership of that cash would allow Scotland to focus more on the needs of the Scottish industry, but there would be no magic solutions.

Mr Milne revealed an announcement is imminent on a new initiative to address sheep scab which is rife across Scotland.

That is likely to involve a compulsory control programme or mandatory veterinary inspection to certify stock are free of a condition that causes significant welfare problems.