At times it feels as if the challenges we face in our professional lives remain constant, with little real change year on year. At the start of my career 30 years ago, for example, I certainly did not expect in 2020 we'd still be struggling to control many endemic diseases, including bTB or BVD, or trying to determine once again what was meant by ‘under his care’ when trying to define real, rather than nominal, levels of care for an animal or group of animals!
Of course things do change, for one thing ‘under his care’ seems quite rightly to have become just ‘under care’ reflecting without doubt the biggest change in our profession within the last 30–40 year, the gender balance reversal, with all its many challenges as well as benefits. There is far more focus on diversity and wellbeing within the profession now than perhaps there was in the past. Environmental issues have come to the fore, particularly in the last few years and there has of course been the political debacle of Brexit. At least on that note we now seem to have a little more clarity after the general election, but substantial uncertainty remains regarding how leaving the EU will affect our profession, our businesses and those of our clients. Our representative organisations such as the BCVA, BVA, RCVS and others continue to work very hard behind the scenes on our behalf to understand and where possible minimise these challenges and work with government. Work around the new Agricultural Bill being just one such example.
The Cattle Review in this edition of Livestock features a paper by Simon More, looking at whether TB can be eradicated from the Republic of Ireland by 2030 which concludes more will need to be done, and somethings will need to change, if that goal is to be achieved. However, change happens when you work to make it happen. With that in mind, and seeing a need for change, in 2018–19 the BCVA embarked on a review of its bTB policy, that was published towards the end of 2019 (https://www.bcva.org.uk/news/press-release-british-cattle-veterinary-association-announces-new-btb-policy-document). The BCVA view is that, ‘As when dealing with any other disease of livestock, a partnership between the farmer and their private veterinary surgeon must exist; this should be supported by Government policy. Far too often, the application of control strategies has been subject to the influence of prevailing politics overtaking science. BCVA will work with Defra to improve this governance in the favour of improved disease control.’ Amongst other things the BCVA has also called for; a greater role for the TB Eradication Advisory Group (TBEAG) in developing future policy driven by the most up to date evidence-based knowledge, and a move towards a system which delivers clinical freedom to vets, and operational choices to farmers, to build business resilience into the UK herd and most importantly re-engage the veterinary and farming population in the broader issue of bTB control. There is also a call to include a variety of testing modalities subject to OIE accreditation into the policy going forwards. The BCVA also continues to support a cull of badgers, in a targeted, effective and humane manner across areas where there is a demonstrable link between bTB infection in badger and cattle populations. In the long term the BCVA also recognises the role of cattle vaccination alongside the DIVA test, and emphasis the need to manage risk at the farm level. In short, this review sets out a route to change the way we manage bTB, the challenge now is to make change happen.
While I'm not one for new year resolutions, I would urge those seeking change to make it happen. The best changes happen when we work together for the greater good. Don't always expect others to make changes for the better on your behalf, we can each do a little to make our professional and personal lives a little better for ourselves, our colleagues and clients, as well as our families and our wider society.