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BVA Seeks Clarification From Welsh Government On Last Minute Changes To Animal Health Scheme, Requesting Urgent Meeting
1 week ago 
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The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has written to the Welsh Government calling for an urgent meeting to discuss recent changes to the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS), warning that they will significantly impact the sustainability of rural veterinary practices across Wales and risk seriously undermining the Scheme’s animal health and welfare objectives.
In a letter to Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability, Llyr Gruffydd MS, BVA President Dr Rob Williams MRCVS and BVA Welsh Branch President Phoebe McCarter have sought urgent clarification on changes to the Animal Health Improvement Cycle (AHIC), a key veterinary-led element of the Sustainable Farming Scheme.
The Association, which represents nearly 1,000 vets in Wales, has also asked the Minister for greater transparency around the evidence underpinning the changes and has requested a meeting to discuss their impact on vets on the ground.
In their letter to Mr Gruffydd, Dr Williams and Ms McCarter said:
“Practices invested heavily in preparation for Universal Action 12 [of the SFS] by training staff, recruiting vets and support staff, expanding capacity and developing business plans around the anticipated AHIC workload. These investments were made in good faith in response to Welsh Government’s request for the profession to be ready to deliver from 2026.
“We believe Welsh Government has seriously underestimated the impact of this sudden change midway through the Scheme year. In our meeting, your team informed us that only eight farm-assured farms had already undertaken the AHIC... Our initial conversations and informal survey of Welsh practices suggest it is a serious underestimate. The 17 practices that have responded so far have reported at least 120 completed AHICs, with an estimated 75% involving Farm Assured farms… We call on you to urgently complete a full assessment of the impact of these changes.
“Members are [also] concerned that the change undermines trust and professional credibility with farmers, and risks giving the impression that the AHIC visit was simply a way for vets to take money from farmers. Practices have already seen scheduled AHIC visits cancelled and are concerned that future work will be considered as an additional expense. BVA has previously warned Welsh Government that the payment arrangements could create this type of situation. Veterinary practices should not carry the financial consequences of Government policy decisions.”
Apart from the impact on vet practices, BVA has also underlined that the new transition arrangement risk undermining the very goal of the AHIC in the long term and has sought reassurances that moving the goalposts on AHIC won’t come at the expense of animal health and welfare in Wales.
BVA’s letter to Mr. Gruffydd can be viewed in full here: https://www.bva.co.uk/media/7321/bva-letter-to-cabinet-minister-for-rural-resilience-and-sustainability.pdf
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