Livestock health and welfare strategy 2025 to 2030

The role of the veterinary profession and One Health approach

The Lowe report in 2009 highlighted that a number of changes and challenges to the veterinary profession were underway. These changes have continued, and include a shift in focus of the profession away from supporting agricultural productivity per se, to promoting and protecting animal welfare, prevention of animal diseases through provision of advice and the safeguarding of public health and food assurance.

Alongside this, the majority of vets now work with companion animals, rather than as previously with livestock. This shift has brought challenges around recruitment and retention in the sector, particularly in remote and rural areas. The structure of the sector has also altered, as buying groups and corporate (investor) ownership of practices have developed, and has largely replaced the independent small business model. These changes have led to concerns over a fair deal for pet owners being considered by the Competition and Markets Authority. Nevertheless, the profession is highly respected and its economic value in Scotland is significant.

The Highlands and Islands Veterinary Services Scheme (HIVSS) aims to ensure the provision of an equitable veterinary service to prevent and eradicate animal diseases and protect animal welfare for all animals kept by crofters and others of similar economic status for agricultural purposes in some remote areas of the Scottish highlands and islands. The scheme operates by provision of a grant to participating veterinary practices to help support the cost of providing veterinary services to livestock on holdings located in remote areas.

One positive response to these continuing changes in the veterinary profession has been the establishment by Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) of a new Veterinary School in Scotland. This focuses on admitting undergraduates from rural areas and students entering via the Higher National Diploma (HND) route, with the aim of enhancing recruitment and retention in the livestock sectors. Additionally, within the profession itself there is a growing recognition of the contribution that vets can make to One Health approach and sustainability agenda associated with food production, working alongside the medical and environmental professions.

One Health approach aims at understanding, anticipating and addressing risks to global health, including threats to the environment and preventing pathogens reaching the human population. This recognises that the majority of emerging human infectious diseases originate in animals and that the solution is to control them both nationally and internationally.

In Scotland, the adoption of a One Health approach has largely been focussed on antimicrobial resistance. A recent review collated research activity on this topic and analysed strengths and opportunities which include consolidating work to understand the linkage between livestock production, the environment (particularly water use), food and human health and the translation of research outcomes to end-users. The Scotland’s Healthy Animals website provides a resource to promote best practices, such as biosecurity and planning to prevent infection, using alternatives including vaccines to minimise antibiotic use and reduce the development of resistance.

Over the coming years, it is anticipated that further similar step changes, facilitated where possible by government, can be made in industry and the veterinary profession to continually improve standards, compliance and enforcement.