A sign up section where Official Veterinarians (OVs) can register to continue providing bTB testing with aspiring Delivery Partner Xperior Farm Health under AHVLA's Veterinary Delivery Partnership programme has been added to Xperior's website (www.xperiorfarmhealth.co.uk/vets/).
Xperior Farm Health is the joint venture between Eville & Jones and Westpoint Veterinary Group that is one of the declared bidders for appointment by AHVLA as a Delivery Partner. Veterinary Director Phil Elkins said: "If appointed, we are fully committed to maintaining sub-contractor OV involvement."
As alternatives to website sign up, OVs can also do so by email (phil.elkins@xperiorfarmhealth.co.uk) or post using either a printed form that was mailed recently to more than 1,000 farm vets or by writing to Mr Elkins at Century House, Thorpe Park, Leeds LS15 8ZB.
To give experienced OVs an opportunity to influence the Delivery Partner bid, Xperior have also extended their online survey (https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PQFSWZN) until the end of July.
Phil added: "If appointed, our commitment is to provide an exemplary standard of accurate and trustworthy on-farm animal health testing services, where possible using subcontracted practices. These will be farmer friendly, provide an ongoing source of work and revenue to subcontractor Official Veterinarians, and represent excellent value for money to the taxpayer."
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I'm sorry that you see it as an insult. That is not the intention. Yes, the subcontractor contracts are of finite length, but that length is determined by DEFRA not the delivery partner. It is impossible to give anything more than a contract to a subcontractor than the length stipulated by its own contract with DEFRA.
It is not a pop about practices providing a high level of service. I have worked in and know many more practices where the OVs perform testing to an exemplary level - ie at least that stipulated by their current contract with DEFRA. This should be seen as the minimum level of service for fairness to the tax payer, the client and the wider public. Not to mention fairness to the other practices. It is important that these standards are upheld. It would be short sighted to set criteria above and beyond what is currently required of practices, and to ensure it is carried out to that level.
I am not sure I see the betrayal, or see it as a nail in the coffin for DEFRA to be seeking delivery partners for OV work. The two parent companies of Xperior are happy that with our pricing scheme OV work will continue to be profitable for practices through improved efficiency of back office management and Westpoint for one will continue to use their full time clinical vets to carry out the bulk of the OV work for their practices.
Phil