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BVA urges new government to reform Vet Surgeons Act
The BVA wants to see the new government press ahead with animal welfare legislation dropped as part of the abandoned Kept Animals Bill.
The act is “woefully outdated” says BVA president.

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has urged the new UK government to reform the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966.

The organisation wants to see the old act replaced with new primary legislation that modernises the regulatory framework for the veterinary profession.

In its own election manifesto, the BVA described the current law as ‘designed for a different era’. It wants the reforms to include the regulation of veterinary practices, legal protection for the title of veterinary nurse, and recognition of the wider veterinary team.

Following the election, which saw Labour replace the Conservatives as the governing party, the BVA has also welcomed Labour's manifesto commitments to prioritise the highest animal welfare standards in international trade deals, promote greater environmental sustainability, and negotiate a veterinary agreement with the EU to reduce border checks.

Anna Judson, BVA president, said: “The new government faces many pressing issues as it takes the keys to Number 10 and whilst we look forward to seeing more detail around its manifesto commitments in relation to animal welfare standards and cooperation with the EU, the veterinary profession is critical to delivering many of these promises and therefore it’s essential the new government quickly turns its attention to reforming the woefully outdated Veterinary Surgeons Act, or risk falling at the first hurdle.”

As well as reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act, the BVA is calling on the new government to tackle animal welfare issues that were left unresolved after the previous government dropped its Kept Animals Bill.

The BVA also wants to see the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 overhauled, so that the breed specific legislation is replaced with a focus on responsible breeding and ownership. It also wants to see a deal reached to secure permanent access to veterinary medicines in Northern Ireland.

Dr Judson added: “In its manifesto, the new government has committed to action on several key animal welfare issues which is good news and the British Veterinary Association stands ready to work with officials to get the detail right.

“Alongside these, we also urge the government to press ahead with legislation which would have been delivered as part of the abandoned Kept Animals Bill like stricter pet import measures, including mandatory pre-import testing to minimise the spread of infections like Brucella canis.”

Image © Shutterstock

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Antibiotic Amnesty survey opens

News Story 1
 The Responsible Use of Medicines Alliance - Companion Animal and Equine (RUMA - CA&E) has launched a survey which seeks to measure the success of this year's Antibiotic Amnesty campaign.

Its results will help the group to calculate how many unused or out-of-date antibiotics were returned as part of the campaign throughout November. Practices are also asked how they engaged with clients to raise awareness of the issue.

Participating practices can enter a prize draw to win up to 100 in vouchers for taking part. Further prizes from BSAVA and Webinar Vet will be available for practices with the best input.

The survey takes a few minutes to complete and will be running throughout December. It can be accessed via this link

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NSA survey investigates sheep worrying

The National Sheep Association (NSA) has launched its latest survey to better understand the severity of sheep worrying in the UK.

The survey will be open until Friday, 21 February 2025. UK sheep farmers are invited to share their experiences of sheep worrying by dogs and its impact on the industry.

NSA has been gathering information about sheep worrying for over 10 years as part of its campaign to raise awareness of incidents and produce new ways of educating the public.

Sheep worrying, often caused by dogs being loose near fields, can result in physical injury, miscarriage and death of animals affected.

The results of the survey will be shared with interested parties, including the UK press, before spring and ahead of lambing season next year.

For more information, or to complete the survey, visit NSA's website.