BVA welcomes practitioner-led approach of Welsh OV tender result
The Animal Plant and Health Agency (APHA) and the Welsh Government has today announced that contracts have been signed with two delivery partners, Menter a Busnes (North Wales) and Iechyd Da (Gwledig) Ltd (South Wales), to deliver bovine TB testing and other Official Veterinarian (OV) services in Wales.
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) welcomes the announcement that both delivery partners will involve a large number of local farm veterinary practices to deliver OV services. BVA has been concerned that the move to tendering of OV services could lead to a situation where it is no longer financially viable for local vets to deliver services to their clients. With the practitioner-led approach of the Welsh OV tender result, BVA hopes that APHA continues to recognise that vets are critical to the delivery of effective OV services.
BVA President and cattle vet John Blackwell said:
“We have consistently opposed the decision to move to a system of tendering for OV services and we have pushed for any new system to ensure the vital relationship between farmers and their local vets is not adversely affected. We are therefore pleased that local practitioners have worked together to bid and ultimately win the two lots in Wales.
“We note that Welsh Government has worked closely with APHA to take forward a system that supports this practitioner-led approach. However, we will continue to monitor how the service is being delivered on the ground.”
Rob Davies, President of the BVA Welsh Branch, said:
“The BVA has argued that the outcome of the OV tendering process should not result in local vets no longer delivering the service to their clients. We hope the APHA continue to recognise that local vets are essential to delivering reliable and effective OV services.
“However we still maintain that the delivery of OV services must not be driven by cost savings. It is essential that the remuneration that local trusted practices receive reflects the expertise and quality of the service they deliver.”
