RCVS President addresses Government Veterinary Surgeons

RCVS President Dr Bob Moore has congratulated those veterinary surgeons working in government for a successful year, in which they had tackled outbreaks of notifiable disease, economic challenges and issues of food safety: “Work in all of these areas has been underpinned by good science and good planning,” he commended.

Speaking in Cardiff at the second joint Conference of the Government Veterinary Surgeons and the Association of Government Veterinarians (18-19 June 2008), Dr Moore also thanked DEFRA for its contribution towards the development of a public health module for the new RCVS Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice. The new module will help to develop and expand the knowledge of veterinary surgeons in this critical area.

Under the theme ‘Positive Partnerships: Positive Impact’, the conference addressed a wide range of topics, including a keynote address from recently-appointed Chief Veterinary Officer Nigel Gibbens.

Mr Gibbens stressed the importance of transparency in the policy-making process: “We [government veterinary surgeons] must bring the best possible evidence to the table in a way that people understand and listen to. Every bit of evidence that we give could and should be published,” he said.

Other contributors addressed issues of better regulation, research, health and safety, risk management, veterinary work in the armed forces and policy development. Meanwhile workshops were run on topics including effective communication, animal welfare and sustainable development.

The conference attracted over 100 veterinary surgeons working across government, including DEFRA, the Food Standards Agency, the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, the Meat Hygiene Service, Animal Health, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, Central Science Laboratory, Central Veterinary Laboratory and the Home Office.

Presentations from the event are available to view on the Government Veterinary Surgeon's website.