Christine Middlemiss (pictured below) will join Defra as the UK’s next Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO), succeeding Nigel Gibbens CBE, who is to retire from the Civil Service at the end of February 2018 after nearly 10 years in the post.

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 British Veterinary Association (BVA) president John Fishwick welcomed the appointment saying:

“We’d like to congratulate Christine Middlemiss on her appointment as the UK’s next CVO and welcome her return to Defra – as well as to the UK.

The work of all vets in government is indispensable in protecting and promoting animal health and welfare and public health, and current UK CVO Nigel Gibbens CBE has been crucial in steering this with calm direction and sage insight from the heart of government.

We hope to continue our effective working relationship with the new UK CVO, and really look forward the opportunity to work with Christine moving forwards”.

The National Pig Association (NPA) welcomed the announcement. Chief executive Zoe Davies said:

“This is a good appointment. Christine has been very supportive of the pig industry, and, for example, was behind making PED notifiable in an industry partnership. She has worked at Defra before and has a good understanding of the industry.

Christine joins Defra from her current high-profile position in Australia, where she has been working as the CVO in New South Wales since August 2016. She has led major improvements to biosecurity across many farming sectors. She comes from a farming family in the south of Scotland, with a background in beef cattle and sheep.

“During a decade as Chief Vet Nigel Gibbens has been instrumental in driving animal welfare improvements both at a national and international level, and Christine will now build on that work”.

The Government has recently made a number of announcements on improving animal welfare including compulsory CCTV in slaughterhouses and a tenfold increase in sentences for the worst animal cruelty crimes, and is committed to further reforms as we leave the EU.