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Contacts to Vetlife Helpline rise 416 per cent
An additional 10 volunteers were recruited to the VetLife Helpline in 2019. 

Charity seeks additional volunteers to meet increasing demand

Mental health charity Vetlife has reported a 416 per cent rise in calls to its Helpline over the last five years, with a record 3,117 contacts made by veterinary professionals in 2019 alone.

Vetlife supports the veterinary community via its 24-hour Helpline, Financial and Health Support Services. The Vetlife Helpline is a free and confidential phone and email service for vets, RVNs, students and all other members of the profession, supported by trained volunteers.

To meet the increasing demand for its service, an additional 10 volunteers were recruited in 2019, bringing the total number to 73. All of the volunteers have experience of the profession and provide a non-judgemental space for people to talk about whatever is on their mind.

“Vetlife Helpline has been supporting veterinary professionals for 28 years, and 2019 was our busiest year yet,” said Rosie Allister, Vetlife Helpline manager. “61 per cent of our contacts this year used our confidential email service, and 39 per cent were by phone. We work closely with our professional mental health support service, Vetlife Health Support, to ensure people can access the right help.”

She added: “We are continuing to increase volunteer numbers in 2020, and are grateful for the continued support from the profession to enable us to be there when people need us.”

Joanne Drive, Vetlife operations manager, said: “You don’t have to be a Member or donate to Vetlife to use any of our services, but we do need your help. Contacts to Helpline have risen dramatically over the past few years, and to make sure we are there for everyone who needs us we rely on our supporters. We are so grateful to all of our volunteers and those who donate, fundraise and join us as members.”

Members of the profession who would like to support Vetlife can do so in various ways, either by becoming a Vetlife Member, via a donation or volunteering for the Vetlife Helpline or as an area representative. For more information, visit vetlife.org.uk.

The Vetlife Helpline is available on 0303 040 2551 or via email at https://helpline.vetlife.org.uk/

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Reporting service for dead wild birds updated

News Story 1
 The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has updated its online reporting service for dead wild birds.

The new version allows those reporting a dead bird to drop a pin on a map when reporting the location. It also includes a wider range of wild bird species groups to select from when describing the bird.

The online service, which helps APHA to monitor the spread of diseases such as avian influenza, can be accessed here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NI chief vet urges bluetongue vigilance

Northern Ireland's chief veterinary officer (CVO) has urged farmers to be vigilant for signs of bluetongue, after the Animal and Plant Health Agency warned there was a very high probability of further cases in Great Britain.

There have been 126 confirmed cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 in England since November 2023, with no cases reported in Northern Ireland. The movement of live ruminants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is currently suspended.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the virus is most likely to enter Northern Ireland through infected animals or germplasm (semen or ova) being imported.

Brian Dooher, Northern Ireland's CVO, said: "Surveillance for this disease within Northern Ireland has been increased to assist with detection at the earliest opportunity which will facilitate more effective control measures."

Farmers should report any suspicions of the disease to their private veterinary practitioner, the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or their local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.