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APHA locum support for export certificates
Two vets and cow
The APHA has set out what veterinary providers can do if they cannot meet the demand for Export Health Certificates.

Deployment will be available for up to seven days. 

Veterinary providers can now request temporary locum support from the APHA if they are struggling to meet the demands for export health certificates (EHC).

Since January 1, exporters of live animals and products of animal origin must have an export health certificate (EHC) to enter the EU or to transit through an EU country. An Official Vet (OV) or local authority inspector is required to inspect the consignment and sign the EHC in the days before the export. 

A notice from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) on Tuesday (5 January) sets out what veterinary providers can do if they cannot meet the demand. It makes clear that to escalate a case, veterinary providers should contact certificationcapacity@apha.gov.uk with their contact details.

The provider will then receive a form within one working day asking for an overview of the product type, its destination and any other good transiting through. APHA will then assess the availability of its surge resource and aims to complete this process within two working days. 

APHA states that support will be available across the UK, 'subject to available resource and competing priorities'. To be considered, the veterinary provider must be able to provide clear evidence of a significant demand for EHC services and/or significant reduction in certifier supply, such as staff absence. 

Initially, the deployments will last for a maximum of seven days and veterinary provider will be expected to pay for the OV's time as per the agreement with the APHA certification capacity team.

Deployed staff will have their transport and phone, but other requirements such as laptop and printers may need to be met by the certification provider, the APHA said. 

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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.