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SRUC vets to support COVID-19 testing
The team will be repurposing laboratory space and equipment to provide capacity for up to 1,000 tests a day.
Moredun-SRUC team is the first major veterinary unit to support NHS labs.

Veterinary staff at Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) are lending a helping hand to the NHS by testing samples of COVID-19.

The team are working with colleagues at the Moredun Research Institute to assist with the testing, in high-containment facilities that are normally used to research livestock diseases.

By repurposing laboratory space and equipment, the team says that it hopes to help NHS colleagues by providing capacity for around 1,000 tests a day.

“We are delighted to join forces with Moredun to bring our collective expertise and diagnostics capacity to support NHS Scotland,” said SRUC principal and chief executive, Professor Wayne Powell. “This is a ‘team Scotland’ approach and demonstrates our willingness to share facilities, innovate and adapt our working practices to deliver a public good in the national interest.”

In recent weeks, the combined Moredun-SRUC team has been working closely with NHS Lothian to ensure that testing will be carried out to NHS standards, fully integrated into NHS systems, with training and support provided by NHS clinical staff.

It is the first major veterinary unit to support NHS labs to help with COVID-19 testing in the UK, demonstrating the benefits of a One Health approach. The team have developed working methods to ensure that their vital veterinary surveillance work will continue.

“I am delighted to see this example of One Health in action,” commented Sheila Voas, Chief Veterinary Officer for Scotland. “This combined effort between the world class team at Moredun and SRUC has shown how vets and medics can work together to support the NHS and combat this pandemic."

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
New guidance for antibiotic use in rabbits

New best practice guidance on the responsible use of antibiotics in rabbits has been published by the BSAVA in collaboration with the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund (RWA&F).

The guidance is free and has been produced to help veterinary practitioners select the most appropriate antibiotic for rabbits. It covers active substance, dose and route of administration all of which are crucial factors when treating rabbits owing to the risk of enterotoxaemia.

For more information and to access the guide, visit the BSAVALibrary.