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Chief Army nursing officer to deliver keynote speech
Colonel McCourt was awarded an OBE in the 2015 Operational Honours and Awards List.

Alison McCourt OBE will share her experiences of leadership in challenging situations

Chief Army nursing officer Colonel Alison McCourt OBE has been announced as a keynote speaker for the BSAVA Summit (16-17 December 2019).

Colonel McCourt was awarded an OBE in the 2015 Operational Honours and Awards List for her contribution to the fight against Ebola in Sierra Leone. Kickstarting day two of the event, McCourt will be one of several high-profile speakers aiming to tackle some of the contentious and non-clinical issues facing the veterinary profession today, including workforce issues, telemedicine and over-diagnosis.

‘’BSAVA Summit has been designed to challenge mindsets and stimulate discussion on the profession’s achievements,” said BSAVA president, Sue Paterson.

“To commence discussions on day two, ‘The Profession Tomorrow’, we are excited that Alison will be sharing her experiences of leadership in very challenging situations where medical and humanitarian care were thrown into a political and media spotlight. The care delivered in the treatment centre she led, changed global protocols and improved care in Africa and Alison and her team pushed the boundaries to deliver it.’’

Other industry speakers who will be taking part in the event include GP and medical journalist Graham Easton, RCVS CEO Lizzie Lockett and Veterinary Defence Society risk manager Catherine Oxtoby. All sessions will be held in a workshop format to enable delegates to collectively lead and shape the discussions.

For more information about the event visit www.bsavasummit.com 

Image (C) BSAVA.

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Equine Disease Surveillance report released for Q4 2025

News Story 1
 The latest Equine Disease Surveillance report has been released, with details on equine disease from Q4 of 2025.

The report, produced by Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance, includes advice on rule changes for equine influenza vaccination.

Statistics and maps detail recent outbreaks of equine herpes virus, equine influenza, equine strangles and equine grass sickness. A series of laboratory reports provides data on virology, bacteriology, parasitology and toxicosis.

This issue also features a case study of orthoflavivus-associated neurological disease in a horse in the UK. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NSA webinar explores sheep tailing and castration

The National Sheep Association (NSA) is to host a free webinar on the castration and tail docking of lambs.

The webinar, 'Understanding the tailing and castration consultation: A guide for sheep farmers', will be hosted online on Monday, 2 March 2026 at 7.30pm.

It comes during a government consultation into the methods used for these procedures. Farmers are encouraged to engage before the consultation period closes on Monday, 9 March 2026.

The webinar offers clear and actionable guidance to support farmers to contribute meaningfully to the consultation and prepare for potential changes.

On the panel will be former SVS president Kate Hovers, farmer and vet Ann Van Eetvelt and SRUC professor in Animal Health and Veterinary Sciences Cathy Dwyer. Each panel member will utilise their own specialism and expertise to evaluate risks and outcomes to sheep farming.

Find out more about the webinar on the NSA website.