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FSA to take over Dairy hygiene inspections
Inspection role taken over from AHVLA

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has announced that it will be taking over the role of dairy hygiene inspection on farms in England and Wales from the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA). Dairy establishments in Scotland and Northern Ireland will continue to be delivered by local authorities and, in the case of Northern Ireland, the Department for Agriculture and Rural Development.

As part of the implementation plan agreed between the two organisations, FSA inspectors will be undertaking classroom training and shadowing current dairy hygiene inspectors from AHVLA. The intensive training will be implemented over a four week period to be ready for the change from 1st April 2012. AHVLA has agreed to continue some inspection visits throughout April and May to ensure a smooth transition over to the FSA.

This change to dairy hygiene inspections follows the FSA’s announcement in July 2011 that it was reducing the frequency of official hygiene inspections on dairy farms in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to make the system more proportionate to the food safety risks.

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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
RCVS pays tribute to well-loved equine vet

The RCVS and the Riding Establishments Subcommittee has paid tribute to well-loved veterinary surgeon and riding establishment inspector, Rebecca Hamilton-Fletcher MRCVS.

Linda Belton MRCVS, RCVS President, said: "I, along with my colleagues on the RESC, RCVS Council, RCVS Standards Committee, as well as RCVS staff, was very saddened to hear of the sudden death of Rebecca, or Becca as we knew her, last week.

"She was a true advocate for equine welfare and in her many years on the RESC worked to continually improve the quality and consistency of riding establishment inspections, all in the interests of enhanced horse welfare and rider safety."