BVA Policy Research Articles

When does innovation go too far?

SHOULD innovative veterinary procedures and practice be more regulated? This question was considered during a debate at the recent Animal Welfare Foundation discussion forum. One problem encountered in trying to answer the question is the number of variables that must be considered. First, what can be done under current regulations? Experimental procedures and research are licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA), and this can include research carried out on farms and in veterinary practices (for more details on the Act see In Practice, November 2020, vol 42, pp 488–496). However, most vets will be operating under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 (VSA), conducting ‘recognised veterinary practice’. According to the RCVS: ‘The clinical investigation and management of the health or welfare of animals is generally considered to be recognised veterinary practice when it involves an intervention which is of direct benefit to the animal or its immediate peer group.‘ The RCVS gives more advice in the supporting guidance to the code of professional conduct on what actions fall within the ASPA, the VSA or the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2011, but it is impossible to cover all situations, as the RCVS itself acknowledges. So another variable is what is considered innovative? And if something is considered to be new, should it be regarded as recognised veterinary practice? And who judges this? In many areas, those speaking on both sides of the debate during the discussion forum – Eddie Clutton, a specialist anaesthetist at Edinburgh university and the Roslin Institute, and Karen Humm, a critical care specialist at the Royal Veterinary College – were in agreement. For example, that euthanasia should be part of the discussion for cases being considered for innovative treatment; that humane endpoints should be set so there is no clinical ‘creep’ in outcome that becomes detrimental to welfare; and that certain areas where the evidence base is strong, such as using the medicines' cascade, are suitable for self-regulation. Another area on which there was agreement was that more uncertain ‘heroic’ treatment should be subject to greater ethical overview. Clutton argued that current arrangements were open to potential conflicts of interest and new arrangements should be put in place to create an independent mandatory ‘innovation panel’ to assess the ethics of a proposed treatment and whether it offered enough potential benefit to an animal (or its ‘immediate peer group’). There would need to be the ability to assess treatment after the event if it was conducted in an emergency. Procedures and treatments conducted ‘should not be at the whim of individuals’, said Clutton, and this would go some way to ensuring unproven methods had better scrutiny. Although there will be vets who push the limits for their own promotion or challenge, or because their employer rewards ‘firsts’, the biggest push for unethical treatment came from clients, according to Humm. Often, they had heard or read of a treatment or procedure offered in other countries, and, she said, in such situations, the most essential skill was the ability to explain to these clients why that option was not on offer, rather than the technical skill required to perform it. “Any change to improve regulation would likely be met with enthusiasm Independent ethical overview makes sense. It means new methods can be introduced but acknowledges the need to assess them for an animal's best interests. No one is arguing that veterinary practice should not develop and improve though innovation, but rather, by taking this course of action, evidence will be gathered on how effective new treatments are and ensure that, as a reason, ‘because we can’ is taken out of the equation. BVA grants editorial freedom to the Editor of Vet Record. The views expressed in the journal are those of the authors and may not necessarily comply with BVA policy

Creating a good veterinary workplace: where to begin?

BVA policy officer Megan Knowles-Bacon offers some advice on how to get started with our good veterinary workplaces workbook.

Developing a BVA policy on parasiticide use in dogs and cats

BVA Council met via Zoom on 14 July to consider a range of matters, including plans for a BVA policy position on parasiticide use in small animals, trade and certification following Brexit, and the Food Standards Agency's plans to reform the delivery of official controls in the meat sector.

Animal activities licensing in England – resources to support you

BVA policy officer Hayley Atkin introduces BVA's new suite of resources to help vets understand what's expected of them under the animal activities licensing regulations in England.

BVA gives evidence to EFRACom on experiences of trade in live animals

Michael McGilligan, BVA policy officer, provides a summary of our latest session giving evidence in Westminster.

Good veterinary workplaces webinars continue

Megan Knowles-Bacon, BVA policy lead for good veterinary workplaces, reflects on the work completed so far and the plans going forward.

Considering the 3Rs for castration and tail docking in sheep

Background: Tail docking and castration in lambs are permitted in the UK and are governed by multiple legislations including the Protection of Animals (Anaesthetics) Act (1954), the Veterinary Surgeons Act (1966), the Welfare of Livestock Regulations (1982), the Animal Welfare Act (2006) and the Mutilations (Permitted Procedures)(England) Regulations (2007). However, with political uncertainty and increasing consumer interest in how red meat is produced, the changing global agenda with reference to mutilations will mean that such procedures in the UK are increasingly under the spotlight and may require increasing justification on farm. Notably, the pain caused by these mutilations and their blanket use in regards to sheep production feature on the agenda of several animal welfare charities, including Compassion in World Farming and People for Ethical Treatment of Animals.Aim of the article: With over 10 years since the publication of the Farm Animal Welfare Council's (FAWC) report discussing the implications of these mutilation procedures on the welfare of lambs (FAWC 2008), and the recent publication of the BVA's policy on tail docking and castration (BVA 2020), in this article we will review the debate. Key areas that are considered include the changes in perception of mutilations; the developments in the evidence since the FAWC's publication; the current legislation and how global practices adhere to these rules; the European perspective of mutilations; and how the ‘reduce, refine, replace’ (3Rs) approach can be applied to mutilation discussions when preparing health plans. The arguments surrounding this topic are complex and the ultimate driver for any discussion on farm should be maximising overall animal welfare.

Reward and recognition in a good veterinary workplace

BVA policy officer Megan Knowles-Bacon describes our Good Workplace campaign theme for April.

BVA shares experiences of post‐Brexit trade with MPs

Michael McGilligan, BVA policy officer, provides an update on the parliamentary work BVA has undertaken on post-Brexit trade deals.

Management and human resources processes in a good veterinary workplace

BVA policy officer Megan Knowles‐Bacon introduces our Good Workplace campaign theme for March.

BVA Scottish Branch hard at work

Over the past few months BVA Scottish Branch has been hard at work to ensure the veterinary voice is heard during the Covid-19 pandemic, writes Hayley Atkin, BVA policy officer...

Promoting and protecting Welsh vets

BVA Welsh Branch hosted a suite of important meetings between 22 and 24 June, promoting and protecting the roles of vets in Wales, writes Megan Knowles-Bacon, BVA policy officer and...

One Health: Defra presents to UK coordination group

The UK One Health Coordination Group (UKOHCG) met for its first meeting of the year on 11 February. BVA Policy Officer Megan Knowles-Bacon provides an update on the discussions.

New officer team for BVA Northern Ireland Branch

BVA Northern Ireland Branch held its annual general meeting on 12 February. BVA Policy Officer Michael McGilligan introduces the new team.

#ItTakesTwo – spread the word!

According to the 2019 PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) report, 49 per cent of rabbits in the UK still live alone with no companionship. BVA Policy Officer Hayley Atkin explains how...

Pain management during castration and tail docking of sheep

Council was asked to approve a new BVA policy position on sheep castration, tail docking and pain management

Personal losses and professional gains

The Veterinary NurseVol. 10, No. 5 EditorialPersonal losses and professional gainsGeorgina GrellGeorgina GrellEditor, The Veterinary NurseSearch for more papers by this authorGeorgina GrellPublished Online:21 Jun 2019https://doi.org/10.12968/vetn.2019.10.5.227AboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail View article References BVA. BVA policy position on the Vet-led Team. 2019. bit.ly/BVAVet-led Google Scholar FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails 2 June 2019Volume 10Issue 5ISSN (print): 2044-0065ISSN (online): 2052-2959 Metrics History Published online 21 June 2019 Published in print 2 June 2019 Information© MA Healthcare LimitedPDF download

My working week: Hannah Jordan.

Hannah Jordan is a BVA policy officer, having previously been parliamentary intern to Lord Trees. She is also a triathlete.

BVA policy on animal welfare

BVA policy on animal welfare

BVA policy on farm animal welfare

BVA policy on farm animal welfare