The AHVLA has announced it is beginning to implement recommendations made earlier this year by the Surveillance Advisory Group (SAG), set up by Defra to advise on ways to deliver cuts to AHVLA without jeopardising disease monitoring capabilities in England and Wales.

Veterinary surveillance seeks to identify new and reemerging threats to animal health; it also has implications for wider public health. Cuts in the sector, implemented progressively since the Coalition Government came to power in 2010, have resulted in the closure of some surveillance laboratories.

The recommended changes to veterinary surveillance in England and Wales include looking more to private veterinarians and research and education institutions, though veterinary groups including the British veterinary Association had urged for more leniency in the face of cuts to surveillance, highlighting the risk that climate change could bring with it new diseases, such as Schmallenberg Virus, which emerged last November, and the need for an effective system.

AHVLA today said Dr Andrew Soldan, formerly head of the agency’s commercial division, AHVLA Scientific, has been appointed Business Lead for the Surveillance 2014 project, tasked with modelling and implementing changes to surveillance based on the SAG’s recommendations.

Commenting on his appointment, Dr Soldan said he would attempt to improve the geographical coverage and response time for testing, work to develop more specialist skills in the sector and continue consulting with businesses and academic institutions.

He said, “Whilst there are challenges in implementing the SAG’s recommendations, the aim is to enhance the surveillance undertaken. Key in taking forward this work will be to continue with the approach taken during the initial phase of the project of consulting widely in developing and testing options before implementation, and I intend to fully engage with the veterinary profession and to consult other stakeholders in taking this project forward.”

The first phase of the project, redesigning surveillance along lines recommended by the SAG, is set to be completed over the autumn. Changes will then be introduced over a two year period.

Further details of the work of the independent Surveillance Advisory Group, including the recommendations included within their final report, are available here.

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