Private veterinary surgeons who are appointed as Official Veterinarians (OVs) are a vital part of the GB veterinary service, undertaking statutory work on behalf of the Competent Authorities to safeguard the national interest.

The current OV appointments system reflects the historic concept of the veterinary practice structure. Many practices still operate along these conventional lines, but there are now a variety of alternative business models emerging which offer different delivery options to their clients.

In order that Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) does not impede the progress of these, and future, developments and because we want to reduce bureaucracy we intend to modernise the system for authorising private vets to deliver statutory veterinary services within the next year. These changes will improve the level of support provided to both individual OVs and their employers by adopting best practice for clinical governance and veterinary continuing professional development (CPD).

So, are you an OV with a view? How should OVs be trained and authorised to carry out statutory government veterinary work?

How about giving us some of your time to consider how the project is doing by completing this online questionnaire. It should only take about 30 minutes, and you can have your chance to influence change.
https://consult.defra.gov.uk/animal-health-and-welfare/offical-veterinarian-training-appointment-and-assu

Published 9 October 2013