Speech to the BVA annual Scottish Dinner Sean Wensley, President of the British Veterinary Association

Transcription

1 Speech to the BVA annual Scottish Dinner Sean Wensley, President of the British Veterinary Association on Tuesday 13 September 2016 at Scottish Parliament - PLEASE CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY - Ladies and gentleman it is my great pleasure to welcome you to the British Veterinary Association s annual Scottish dinner. I d like to begin with a heartfelt thank you to John Scott MSP for hosting us, once again, in these inspiring surroundings and of course for his ongoing support for BVA, and the whole veterinary profession. This evening we're also delighted that Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity, Fergus Ewing MSP, has been able to take time out of his busy schedule to join us, as well as extending a warm welcome to Chief Veterinary Officer Sheila Voas, whose expertise and advice continues to facilitate our valued working relationship with the Scottish Government. Brexit Little over four months since the Scottish Parliament elections and we'd like to express our sincere appreciation to the Cabinet Secretary for not only meeting with us shortly after coming to post, but for his reassuring response to our letter following the EU referendum. It urged Scottish, and other UK governments to protect the working rights of our EU colleagues, veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses, who are currently living and working in the UK and making an invaluable contribution to both animal and human health and wellbeing. BVA doesn t yet have all of the answers to the questions thrown up by Brexit, but we re keen to get our members and stakeholders input as we develop positions on key issues in the coming months. And we look forward to meeting with the co-signatory of that EU letter, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, Roseanna Cunningham, tomorrow morning and to further positive and productive discussions with both of you in the longer term.

2 Our manifesto for Scotland As all of us here will appreciate, the veterinary profession is involved in very many aspects of political and public life and, regrettably, there is only time to mention a few key issues this evening. If you would like to discuss anything further on the key recommendations set out in 'Our manifesto for Scotland', which we launched in the run up to May's election then please do speak to your table host over dinner. President s theme My Presidential theme reflects the roles of vets in a global setting. Vets in the human-animal age thinks about vets in the so-called Anthropocene the period when human activities are having such impact on the climate and environment that they characterise our geological era. It recognises that we humans are one animal among many, and our evolutionary commonality with animals, both in terms of shared disease susceptibility and shared capacity to feel; earth born companions an' fellow mortals. And it does so within the concept of One Health, which links and fosters interdisciplinary working on the health and wellbeing of humans, animals and our shared living environment. A local veterinary practice group has partnered with NHS Fife, for example, to jointly advocate the health harms of passive smoking to pets and people, evidence for which, in pets, has come from veterinary oncologists at the University of Glasgow. AMR Of course one of the greatest global challenges to both animal and human health is the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). AMR, rightly, is one of the veterinary profession s most pressing concerns and to tackle it, it is imperative that medical and veterinary organisations work together at national, community and individual levels. At national level, initiatives like the Scottish Management of Antimicrobial Resistance Action Plan building on the work of the 'Controlling Antimicrobial Resistance in Scotland' (CARS) programme - is doing exactly that. And within the veterinary profession itself, proactive work is also taking place to promote the responsible use of antimicrobials and other veterinary medicines; from the introduction of online medicines books to record usage in many sectors,, to the development of innovations, such as the use of wrasse so-called cleaner fish - as a biological and chemical-free solution to the scourge of sea lice on farmed salmon, thus reducing the need for veterinary medicines.

3 Animal welfare - strategy Vets hold unique opportunity and responsibility to advocate animals' best interests, which this year we have highlighted and laid out in our animal welfare strategy 'Vets speaking up for animal welfare'. A key objective post-brexit must be that the UK does not slip in its worldleading outlook and outputs on animal welfare and it seems fitting that my penultimate speech as BVA President is in Scotland, a country that has led the way on tackling many animal welfare problems. Circuses We whole-heartedly welcome last week s announcement of a Bill to ban the use of wild animals in travelling circuses. This is an issue that BVA has been campaigning on and, while it may not affect a great number of individual animals in the UK, the use of wild animals in travelling circuses is emblematic of the way we treat animals in the human-animal age. We commend the Scottish Government for seizing this opportunity to improve animal welfare and we re urging other UK governments to follow your precedent. Dog health and welfare Scotland also led the way on banning tail docking of dogs, and this ban must be maintained if a leadership position is to be retained in Scotland. Evidence published in the Veterinary Record demonstrates that approximately 500 dogs would need to be docked in order to prevent one tail injury, while causing avoidable pain to all of the docked dogs. Our evidencebased position is that anything but a retention of a ban on tail docking across all breeds would be a retrograde step for animal welfare in Scotland. Animal welfare Act, and successes As we approach the 10-year anniversary of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act, Scottish Government must stick to Schedule and conduct a review to ensure it is effective in protecting the welfare of Scotland's animals. And, if necessary, new regulations and legislation must be considered to keep pace with societal change. In Our manifesto for Scotland, we call on the Government to ensure it utilises veterinary expertise in reviews and consultations on animal health and welfare. BVA Scottish Branch - alongside BVA specialist associations - has welcomed the opportunity to input into the forward-thinking Government-led review of non-traditional, or exotic, companion animals, and looks forward to seeing that review s recommendations. We are also contributing to the

4 Quality Meat Scotland welfare standards review, which will produce positive outcomes for both the quality of farmed animals lives and economic returns that must follow. Endemic diseases Partnership working has achieved much in Scotland, especially in the ongoing efforts to control animal disease and those close Government, farmer and vet links must continue to progress the excellent work that has been done so far into the now-notifiable disease Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea (PED); towards eliminating mange from pig herds; and on the eradication scheme for BVD, which has already resulted in a reduction in the proportion of beef herds exposed to BVD from 40% in 2009 to just 12% in We'd like to see Government capitalise on this momentum and support farmers and vets in the development of control measures for Johne's disease and Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) amongst others, and in facilitating a coordinated roll out to all stakeholders. Surveillance For those vets working with livestock, disease detection through on the ground observation is a constant in their working lives. In recent years the detection of Schmallenberg virus and the identification of bleeding calf syndrome in Scotland are stark reminders that we reduce our surveillance capacity at our peril. This is why, in May, we welcomed the Scottish Rural College's announcement that a post-mortem laboratory will be retained at Inverness and that there will be significant investment in the Ayr Nellies Gate facility. A robust disease surveillance system and practical access to an effective diagnostic system are fundamental to identifying and responding to emerging and exotic disease threats in Scotland. This is a two-way street and we strongly encourage vets and farmers to make use of these life-changing resources to avoid a stay of execution. Vital role of vet The veterinary profession is vitally important to Scotland's agriculture and aquaculture businesses; to the health and wellbeing of the nations' pets; to human health through control of zoonotic disease and meat hygiene; and to wider society through our varied veterinary

5 roles in the armed forces, research institutions, wildlife conservation, abattoirs and elsewhere. Rural veterinary provision, including HIVSS Rural communities know this only too well and rely on the support and advice of their local vet. Yet recruitment and retention to rural, mixed practices in areas of Scotland is a major challenge, which results in a small number of vets working in rural areas not only hard-toreach places like the Highlands and Islands, but areas throughout rural Scotland - shouldering that enormous burden with impacts on their mental health and wellbeing. Vets, however remote, are crucial links in the chain of guardianship and gatekeeping that safeguards human and animal health and protects animal welfare, and we must all continue to invest in them. 'Developing the veterinary landscape in Scotland' The challenge of recruiting and developing suitable staff, as well as maintaining a viable out of hours service provision in rural areas, are just two of the key challenges being tackled by the 'Developing the veterinary landscape in Scotland' project. This Scottish Government-led project dovetails with Vet Futures, BVA s joint project with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and will ensure that vets can continue to improve the health, wellbeing and sustainability of animals, people and the environment in Scotland for years to come. Thank yous At the start of this year, BVA Scottish Branch President Grace Webster managed to highlight vets valued role as advisers on animal health and welfare more effectively than any of us could have probably imagined, when her comments on the real dangers of throwing sticks for dogs hit the front page of The Times, with a slew of media interviews and awareness raising opportunities in its wake. From individual actions to the collective energies of BVA Scottish Branch's Officers and reps, BVA could not achieve a fraction of the presence, influence and engagement in Scotland that it does without our Scottish Branch colleagues. I have mentioned some of the proactivity and productivity in my speech, and I'd like to congratulate them on having had such a successful year under Grace. Thank you also for hosting us this evening.

6 If all of my BVA colleagues would join me in being upstanding and raising your glasses in a toast to our distinguished guests. *TOAST*