OV partnerships

AHVLA has begun to develop a more collaborative and strategic approach to working with private veterinary practitioners.

Private vets already deliver a lot of valued work on behalf of AHVLA, such as bovine abortion investigations, export certification, and surveillance for diseases. The central idea behind AHVLA’s emerging approach is to set up formal partnerships to increase the range and value of these activities, as well as delivering benefits for livestock keepers. In return, partner practices could receive increased support from AHVLA in the form of training, surveillance information, consultancy and specialist investigation of difficult cases.

These partnerships will take time to develop and transitional arrangements will need careful management on both sides. AHVLA will retain those responsibilities that only government can properly discharge, such as enforcement work.

With partnerships in place, AHVLA’s role would evolve to providing specialist expertise, support and management, with partner practices delivering much of the routine and transactional field activities.

AHVLA is now looking at how best to undertake wider consultation and share the agency’s thinking. The intention is to hold a series of meetings with veterinary practitioners and other stakeholders around Great Britain during September and October 2011 to discuss what a strategic partnership might look like and how it might be developed. In addition, and in respect of England and Wales, the meetings will include further information on the procurement of TB testing.

Simon Hall, AHVLA’s Veterinary Director, is leading on the work to develop the OV partnership strategy, and this will be closely linked to the competitive TB testing tendering exercises as part of the Supply of Veterinary Services project.

AHVLA has held some initial discussions with the BVA and BCVA on what form these partnerships might take, and Chief Executive Catherine Brown addressed the Veterinary Development Council in January on the concept.

Competitive tendering for TB testing services
AHVLA is working with the Welsh Government on proposals for the procurement of TB testing that is best suited to the situation in Wales, and with Defra on proposals for England. In both cases ministerial approval will be required before the procurement exercises can proceed. It is anticipated that the proposed approaches will be presented at the stakeholder meetings outlined above and AHVLA will listen to any views on how these proposals might be improved.

To ensure good procurement practices for public services the contracts need to:

• provide assurance of the quality of the services provided
• demonstrate value for money
• be administered efficiently by AHVLA

AHVLA sees no reason in principle why many of the current suppliers of TB testing should not be successful in securing work.

Veterinary reserve personnel
The procurement of additional veterinary personnel during large-scale outbreaks of exotic disease is being progressed separately from TB testing.

Last year’s Exercise Silver Birch (GB Foot and Mouth Disease Exercise) demonstrated the need for improved arrangements to supplement AHVLA’s internal resources. A veterinary reserve personnel procurement exercise will begin as soon as the specifications are agreed. It aims to identify suppliers who can provide large numbers of mobile veterinary personnel at short notice.

This reserve will supplement, not replace, AHVLA’s current arrangements (both formal and informal) with Official Veterinarians and other private vets. The requirement will be for deployment anywhere in GB, and this procurement is supported by the administrations in England, Scotland and Wales.