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VMG welcomes six new board members
"We welcome the new members of the VMG board and look forward to their contributions in the months ahead." Richard Casey, VMG.

Directors will help raise standards of veterinary leadership.

The Veterinary Management Group (VMG) – the representative body for those working in business, management and leadership roles in the veterinary sector – has announced the appointment of six new directors to its board.

The new board members are:

  • Natasha Demir – a regional veterinary manager for IVC Evidensia
  • David Johnson – assistant professor in Entrepreneurship at Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow and a fellow of the Higher Education Academy
  • Nigel Lea – national partnerships manager at Citation, a business that offers support for HR and health and safety
  • Rebecca Thorne – head of Clinical Operations at Medivet. She also earned an MBA in 2020 with a dissertation focused on leadership in the veterinary profession
  • Becky Thwaites – head of public affairs for Blue Cross
  • Chris White – strategic project manager for Pets at Home Veterinary Group. He also recently completed an Advanced Level CIPD Diploma in Human Resources Management.

VMG president Richard Casey said: “We were delighted to receive such a positive response to our call for new directors. The individuals joining our board bring specific skills and experience which will enable us to accelerate work to support our members in delivering ‘21st century leadership’ across the veterinary sector.

“As we all start making plans to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic and into the ‘new normal’, strong leadership has never been more vital for our sector and we will be with our members every step of the way.

“We welcome the new members of the VMG board and look forward to their contributions in the months ahead.”

Image (c) VMG.

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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.