Attendees of the inaugural Future Horizons One Health Day, which was hosted by XLVets at Brockholes Nature Reserve in Lancashire.
Collaboration Is At The Heart Of Sustainable Veterinary Practice
2 days ago 
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A first of its kind forum that brought together veterinary professionals, sustainability leaders and industry partners to explore the close relationship between the health of animals, people and the planet has been deemed a major success and will now become an annual event.
The inaugural Future Horizons One Health Day was hosted by XLVets, a community of more than 70 independent veterinary practices that share knowledge, experience and skills to support one another.
Staged at Brockholes Nature Reserve in Lancashire, the event was inspired by XLVets’ Just Cause - a guiding principle adopted in place of a traditional vision statement following board discussions around the themes of Simon Sinek’s book The Infinite Game.
Led by Kerrie Hedley, XLVets’ CEO, and developed with the XLVets board, the Just Cause of “collaborating for the interconnected health of animals, people and the planet” provides a shared purpose for members, with at least one member practice already adopting it as its own.
The programme combined insightful presentations, industry perspectives and member-led case studies focused on sustainability, antimicrobial stewardship, responsible medicine use and environmental responsibility. David Black from Paragon Veterinary Group, and founder Director of Vet Sustain, outlined the principles of One Health and the pivotal role of veterinary professionals in advancing animal, human and environmental wellbeing.
Dr Matt Sawyer, from the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare, drew on his experience of sustainable human healthcare, carbon footprinting and NHS net-zero initiatives to demonstrate how One Health thinking can improve outcomes whilst reducing emissions, costs and waste.
Delegates also examined the growing challenges of antimicrobial and parasiticide resistance through sessions delivered by industry partners Zoetis and Boehringer Ingelheim, whilst FluoretiQ showcased the potential of rapid diagnostics to support evidence-based prescribing.
XLVets member practices shared practical examples already delivering change across the profession. Presentations highlighted renewable energy projects, environmental monitoring, targeted parasite control, antimicrobial stewardship programmes, pasture management initiatives and innovations including anaesthetic gas capture and on-site oxygen generation.
Kerrie said: “It was a valuable event and the strong parallels between human and veterinary healthcare, particularly in sustainability were very interesting. It’s clear that meaningful progress depends on collective action and continued collaboration.
“With positive stories already emerging around reduced antibiotic use and risk-based approaches to anthelmintic prescribing, the Future Horizons One Health Day demonstrated how independent veterinary practices are translating One Health principles into practical, lasting change.”
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