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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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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.