Defra Minister Jim Paice To Open BVA Congress

Defra Minister Jim Paice will deliver the keynote address at BVA Congress at the Royal College of Physicians, London, on Friday 23 September with an address setting out what the government wants from vets in the Big Society. The address will kick start lively debate across a wide range of issues under the theme ‘Vets in a changing world’: Dog breeding – where is it going? Global food security – vets at the leading edge of new developments? Are vets delivering what the market wants? Is veterinary education a price worth paying? Congress officially opens on Thursday 22 September with a welcome reception and awards ceremony, including the outgoing President’s address, and runs until Saturday 24 September. With contentious issues and world class small animal continued professional development (CPD) highlights include: Food security – Chief Veterinary Officer at the FAO, Dr Juan Lubroth, will be discussing current issues concerning livestock and global food security. This is just one of the issues discussed in a full day of overseas sessions with this particular seminar exploring how vets will be involved in the future of food security and at the leading edge of new developments. (Friday, 23 Sept at 10am: Food security – feeding the world) Dog breeding – Professor Sheila Crispin, Chairman of the Advisory Council on the Welfare of Dog Breeding, will be discussing potential solutions to improve the health and welfare of breeding dogs while TV vet Emma Goodman Milne will be considering the place of dog shows and purebred breeds. (Saturday, 24 Sept at 2.30pm: Dog breeding – where is it going?) Student fees – with future veterinary students paying £45 – 54k in fees alone, this session asks whether veterinary education is a price worth paying and considers whether the industry needs to be restructured to offer graduates real career opportunities which justify their significant student debts. (Saturday, 24 Sept at 12.15pm: Veterinary education – a price worth paying?) Report on vets and market demands - Professor Richard Bennett, chairman of the Veterinary Development Council (VDC) and agricultural economist, will be asking if vets are providing the services required by farmers and should they be doing more to meet the business needs of food producers. (Friday, 23 Sept at 2.30pm: Meeting market demand) Impact of the EU - policies from Europe drive much of our UK animal health and welfare activity. Taking the form of a panel debate, all four Chief Veterinary Officers in the UK will each give a different perspective from their region covering topics such as the island of Ireland concept, antimicrobial resistance, food safety issues, and EU Animal Health Law. (Saturday, 24 Sept at 9.30am: Chief Veterinary Officers’ challenge) Global impact – as part of the BVA’s celebration of World Veterinary Year, Professor Peter Roeder, former Secretary of the Global Rinderpest Eradication Programme at FAO, will deliver the Wooldridge Memorial Lecture on how vets make an impact on disease control on a global scale. (Friday, 23 Sept at 12.30pm: Wooldridge Memorial Lecture: Making a global impact) Delivered in association with the British Small Animal Veterinary Association, this year’s BVA Congress also offers three streams of excellent small animal CPD covering feline medicine, gastroenterology medicine and surgery as well as cardiorespiratory medicine. For more information on BVA Congress 2011 including the full programme visit the BVA website www.bva.co.uk/congress. An evening Welcome Reception and Awards ceremony will take place on 22 September where BVA’s prestigious awards will be presented which recognise outstanding contributions to the profession Registration for members of the media is free, but a registration form must be completed. Email [email protected] for a registration form.

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