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Medics call for ban on preventive farm antibiotic treatments
"A future world where bugs are all resistant to antibiotics will return us to the dark days of ineffective healthcare".
Presidents and leading spokespeople sign open letter

A group of senior medics are calling on the government to put public health at the heart of its farm antibiotic policies and to commit to banning preventative antibiotic treatments in livestock.

Presidents and leading spokespeople of the Royal College of General Practitioners, the Royal College of Surgeons the Royal College of Surgeons and the Royal Society of Medicine are among those that have signed a letter to the secretaries of state for health and environment.

Other signatories include the editors-in-chief of the British Medical Journal and The Lancet.

Coordinated by the Alliance to Save our Antibiotics, the letter comes just weeks after the European Parliament voted almost unanimously for legislation that would ban preventative antibiotic treatments of healthy animals by 2022.

The Alliance said that although the government says it supports the legislation, it has repeatedly refused to endorse any ban on group prevention in the UK.

“If the government fails to implement a ban on group prevention, the UK will have some of the lowest regulatory standards in Europe and will be aligning itself with the US administration’s position, which is to strongly oppose the European ban,” said Cóilín Nunan, Scientific Advisor to the Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics.

“This should raise alarm bells about the kind of post-Brexit trade deal the UK may agree with the US, where antibiotics are used in enormous quantities in livestock.”

Professor John Middleton, president of the Faculty of Public Health, added: “A future world where bugs are all resistant to antibiotics will return us to the dark days of ineffective healthcare and condemn many to early deaths. Animal health and human health must be equally protected to save our antibiotics – that is why we’re making this call on government.”

He added: “In the post-Brexit world, it will be even more vital that we increase our standards on antibiotics use by doctors and farmers, so that the UK is a world leader, saving our antibiotics to save lives in future.”

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
UK's BSE risk status downgraded

The WOAH has downgraded the UK's international risk status for BSE to 'negligible'.

Defra says that the UK's improved risk status recognises the reputation for having the highest standards for biosecurity. It adds that it demonstrates decades of rigorous animal control.

Outbreaks of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease, have previously resulted in bans on Britain's beef exports.

The UK's new status could lead to expanded trade and better confidence in British beef.

Christine Middlemiss, the UK's chief veterinary officer, said: "WOAH's recognition of the UK as negligible risk for BSE is a significant milestone and is a testament to the UK's strong biosecurity measures and the hard work and vigilance of farmers and livestock keepers across the country who have all played their part in managing the spread of this disease.