The Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA), a branch of Defra, has announced the launch of a new independent advisory group, which will recommend a future delivery model for veterinary surveillance in England and Wales.

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The new Advisory Group will be chaired by Dirk Pfeiffer, Professor of Veterinary Epidemiology at the Royal Veterinary College and will include representatives from the government, veterinary profession and livestock industry as well as from private laboratories.

The new move announced by the AHVLA is effectively a further cost reduction, following the merger of two organisations, Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) to form the organisation in 2010. Following its review examining how veterinary surveillance can best be delivered, the new group will recommend cuts to address perceived ‘capacity imbalances’ in the current service where it claims “provision sometimes outstrips demand.” The AHVLA said it hoped the review would result in making “surveillance stronger as well as more cost effective.”

Surveillance has historically been based on in-depth investigation of disease incidents with an emphasis on post mortem examinations carried out at AHVLA’s regional laboratories. This system is a key element in the government’s risk-based approach to the management of animal disease, but the AHVLA said it felt the system could be improved upon.

However, the British Veterinary Association has warned the government against cutting the budget for veterinary surveillance, as the field has serious implications for the health of the livestock sector and the wider population. BVA president Carl Padgett warned that the new model recommended by the advisory group must be based on good surveillance strategies, rather than simply cutting costs.

He said, “Veterinary surveillance is an essential component in our animal health, public health, food security, and international trade work. The emergence of Schmallenberg virus in ruminants in northern Europe demonstrates the current value and ongoing need for a robust surveillance system to work both nationally and internationally.”

Later this month the AHVLA is expected to publish an online survey aimed at vets and livestock keepers, asking for their views on surveillance in England and Wales. The Agency said, “Work is expected to run until spring 2012, following which recommendations on a way forward will be made.”

Mr Padgett recommended all stakeholders fill in the survey to contribute to the discussion.

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