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Report highlights need for farm animal health and welfare body
Farm vet with a cow
The report explores the influencing factors on animal health and welfare that support animal medicine best practice.
“Building a resilient and sustainable farming system must be a priority” - Dr O'Gorman. 

A new report has highlighted the need for a dedicated body for farm animal health and welfare, led by the farming and veterinary sectors. 

The report, entitled 'Animal Medicine Best Practice: Unlocking the potential for UK farming' was compiled by vet and animal health policy expert Grace O’Gorman under the Nuffield Farming Scholarships. 

In the report, Dr O'Gorman also makes policy changes and practical recommendations for biosecurity, antibiotics, vaccines, parasites and pain control. 

She explained: “Livestock farmers are challenged to farm in more sustainable and productive ways, whilst staying in business. Consumers and Government want to know more about how medicines are used on farm and this scrutiny is set to intensify as farming is directly supported by the public purse. 

“At the same time, the UK is on the cusp of trading in a world market outside of the EU block. These converging paths have raised the stakes and there is a need to take a fresh look at the national ambition for animal health and welfare and how it can deliver on all fronts for farmers and society.” 

Dr O'Gorman visited Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and New Zealand to understand the influencing factors on animal health and welfare that support animal medicine best practice. 

She concludes there is a need for a model framework that uses a top-down and bottom-up approach and considers the nature of veterinary services, effective use of data, diagnostics, biosecurity and training. 

“Building a resilient and sustainable farming system must be a priority," she said. "We are standing at a crossroads with new trading and regulatory environments, societal pressures on food, welfare, and the environment, all in sight. How we move forward will impact farm life, livestock and how food is produced for years to come.”

Dr O'Gorman presented her findings during the recent Nuffield Farming Virtual Mini-Conference Series. Her presentation can be viewed on Nuffield Farming’s YouTube channel.

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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."