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BVA Congress: Is The Vet Profession Ready For A Major Animal Disease Outbreak? BVA Survey Finds Low Confidence In The UK’s Preparedness To Tackle National Emergency
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Despite an overwhelming willingness to support in a national emergency, vets in the UK have low confidence in the profession’s preparedness to tackle an outbreak of a significant notifiable disease, such as foot and mouth disease or African swine fever, according to concerning findings from a new British Veterinary Association (BVA) survey.
BVA’s latest Voice of the Veterinary Profession survey reveals that 8 in 10 vets are willing to support a national response during a time of crisis, for example through Temporary Veterinary Inspector work. However, only 28% of vets feel confident that the profession is prepared for a major animal disease outbreak, and a similar proportion are confident in their personal preparedness for such a situation.
Vets said there were several barriers to their preparedness. Lack of training emerged as the most commonly reported barrier, cited by 63.5% of respondents, followed by time (48%), an unclear process (46%), employer release (44%), and a lack of confidence working with unfamiliar species or disease (40%).
Vets are invited to explore these issues at BVA Congress at the London Vet Show later this month. The session, When crisis hits: A practical guide to the vet's role in national emergencies, will examine what veterinary professionals could be expected to do when a national emergency strikes, and how they can prepare.
The session will be chaired by vet and MP Danny Chambers, with a panel of experts comprising independent veterinary consultant and former Wales Chief Veterinary Officer Christianne Glossop; David Black, Senior Director, Paragon Veterinary Group and Senior Vice President of the British Cattle Veterinary Association; and Chair of Trustees for Mission Rabies UK Ian Battersby.
Drawing on experience from the front line, the panel will consider scenarios such as rabies and foot and mouth disease outbreaks. The discussion will look beyond the immediate clinical response to explore how responsibilities are shared between government, local authorities and the veterinary profession, alongside the ethical and emotional demands of emergency work.
British Veterinary Association President Dr Gwen Rees said:
“In a year when we’ve seen the country’s worst-ever bluetongue outbreak, it is timely and relevant to have this important discussion about our profession’s readiness to tackle a major notifiable disease emergency. A profession prepared and united behind national disease resilience is the top priority for me this year, so I’d encourage colleagues working across all areas of the profession visiting London Vet Show to attend the session and have a chance to ask questions about their role when a crisis hits.”
When crisis hits: A practical guide to the vet's role in national emergencies takes place at BVA Congress, London Vet Show, on 19 November from 10:30am to 11.30am. For more information on the session, see: https://london.vetshow.com/conference-programme-2026/when-crisis-hits-a-practical-guide-to-the-vets-role-in-national-emergencies
Disease preparedness will also be in the spotlight at this year's prestigious Wooldridge Memorial Lecture at BVA Congress. In his lecture, Is the UK ready for major disease outbreak: Lessons in science, politics, and leadership from Covid-19, Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam, former Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England during the Covid-19 pandemic, will draw on his experience responding to the pandemic to discuss how the UK Government and the veterinary profession can prepare and respond effectively to the next major animal disease outbreak. For more information on the Wooldridge Memorial Lecture, see: https://london.vetshow.com/conference-programme-2026/the-next-pandemic-where-will-it-originate-and-what-can-we-learn-from-previous-pandemics
BVA members can book their tickets for London Vet Show for £467, saving 15 per cent off the lowest advertised rate for the event. Find the full two-day programme of sessions for BVA Congress and book your member discounted tickets at:https://london.vetshow.com/
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