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Animal Health and Welfare Strategy for Great Britain
Chapter 4: Working in partnership
4.1 Co-operation and collaboration
It is fundamental to a successful collaboration that all those involved contribute to and benefit from the partnership. So much more can be achieved through collaboration and co-operation. For example, a positive approach to sharing information through the new Veterinary Surveillance Strategy will enable new and emerging trends to be identified, helping prioritise disease prevention measures. This is something no individual partner could achieve on its own. Such initiatives should identify who is best placed to influence change and what information, knowledge, skills or messages are needed to address the problem.
Veterinary Surveillance Strategy Veterinary Surveillance is an example of how working in partnership can deliver substantive collective benefits. Surveillance partners from across industry, academia, Government and a disparate range of other interests are working together to deliver on the shared strategic goals outlined in the Veterinary Surveillance Strategy. A partnership framework will facilitate the collation of a wide variety of data and the sharing of quality-flagged information. An information management system, RADAR (Rapid Analysis and Detection of Animal related Risk) will collate data from multiple sources. RADAR will facilitate better dissemination of surveillance information which will be an invaluable tool for animal owners and their veterinary advisors, as well as, Government. A prioritisation system based on disease and welfare profiles will allow Government, vets and animal owners to make better informed decisions about where best to assign resources to manage animal health and welfare risks. |
Contingency Planning Contingency planning for exotic disease depends on Government working in close partnership with all those who would be involved in controlling an outbreak, including local authorities, police forces, farmers and other members of the rural community. Understanding the roles and responsibilities of all operational partners and stakeholders contributes significantly to successful operations. To this end Contingency Plans for diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease and for Avian influenza and Newcastle Disease are reviewed with stakeholders annually and are always available on Departmental websites; detailed veterinary, technical and administrative instructions are also publicly available. The involvement of operational partners and other stakeholders in exercises is helping to ensure that all partners would be able to contribute fully to achieving common goals. |
The principle of partnership is not limited to a working relationship with Government. Animal owners and veterinary surgeons must work together to identify common problems, priorities and solutions and to share best practice. Groups with a common interest such as farmers, vets and retailers need to work together to achieve shared goals of, for example, better produce from thriving stock.
Veterinary Medicines: RUMA Animal owners need to have access to the medicines needed to treat disease in their animals. However, they also need to have the knowledge required to ensure the responsible use of these medicines in sustainable livestock systems. Vets and animal owners must ensure that medicines are used and disposed of in accordance with acceptable standards. The Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA) is an example of stakeholders working in partnership to improve standards of practice. It is open to all interested organisations and aims to promote the highest standards of food safety and animal health and welfare in British livestock farming. RUMA formulates comprehensive guidelines for the responsible use of antimicrobials in livestock production giving advice on all aspects from administration and the responsibilities of the owner and vets to strategies for reduced usage. |
Representative organisations and individuals have already made valuable contributions to developing this strategy. They will continue to have an even more important role in delivering it. When a new policy is being considered Government will engage with all those affected, including wider rural and environmental interests, to ensure that all views are heard and a balance between the interests of society, the environment and economy is achieved. By being fully involved people will have greater confidence that the most appropriate policy and delivery decisions are being taken and that the burden of cost on all parties is recognised and kept to a minimum.
The Genesis Faraday Partnership The Genesis Faraday Partnership (GFP) is committed to improving the interaction between the research community, intermediate organisations and the animal health and breeding industries. Its purpose is to ensure the optimal use of the opportunities presented by the expansion in knowledge of animal genetics to enable a more sustainable livestock industry with improved animal health and welfare, efficient animal production and thriving livestock breeding and animal health companies. To achieve this GFP promotes and co-ordinates research, assists with technology transfer and organises and promotes relevant training activities. The GFP is supported by the Scottish Executive, Defra, DTI, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the EU. Its membership comprises over 70 academic, industrial (breeding and pharmaceutical) and intermediate organisations (levy boards and agricultural organisations). |
National Equine Database Government is working in partnership with the equine industry to establish a National Equine Database to help implement the requirements for horse passports, and for disease control and veterinary surveillance. It will also help to provide Government with a more accurate knowledge of the numbers of horses in the country. This can be used as part of an overall strategy for the horse, and their role in the rural economy. The database will be used by industry to record breeding and performance data to help improve the breeding of horses. |
4.2 Recognition of responsibility
All those with an interest in animal health and welfare must accept personal responsibility for making this strategy work. Disease recognises no land boundaries and Government works with a range of partners and stakeholders to prevent and contain the spread of exotic diseases. Measures to counter illegal imports, contingency planning to control disease outbreaks, and surveillance are all vital links in this chain. But all animal owners must practise biosecurity standards and monitor the health of their animals to ensure that the spread of exotic diseases is contained as well as protecting against endemic disease. Countryside users must respect the disease prevention measures used by farmers. Companion animal owners need to monitor the health of their animals and ensure they do not harm or interfere with livestock. Furthermore, animal owners must ensure that they provide at least the minimum acceptable standards of care for all their animals, even though a case of poor welfare does not spread to other animals like an infection, the knowledge that it occurs is of concern to society.
Illegal Imports Significant progress has been made through the Government's illegal imports action plan. The effectiveness of border controls has been strengthened by the transfer of responsibility for anti-smuggling activity to HM Customs and Excise. Government has commissioned assessments into the risks of exotic disease entering GB from illegal imports to help inform our activity. Government has worked to increase public awareness of the restrictions and the reasons for them, which apply to the importation of animal products for personal consumption. This will be developed further, in association with stakeholders, to communicate to all communities living in and travelling to the UK. |
Zoonoses Action Plan The Zoonoses Action Plan (ZAP) Salmonella Programme was launched by the British Pig Executive and the Meat and Livestock Commission in June 2002. The objective of the programme is to monitor trends in the levels of salmonella on pig farms so that action can be taken to reduce the prevalence of salmonella in pigs presented at abattoirs. The programme is being funded by the industry with support from the Food Standards Agency and Defra. |
Pet Travel Scheme UK quarantine requirements protect both humans and animals against the introduction of rabies and other exotic diseases into the UK. The Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) allows exemption from quarantine requirements for cats and dogs visiting or from certain countries, subject to compliance with specified conditions. PETS provides protective measures for companion animals by requiring treatments to avoid the risk of importing rabies and other exotic diseases. |
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