Fresh closure fears for Thurso vet lab
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RENEWED fears about the future of the vet lab near Thurso have been raised with one local farmer claiming any decision to close the unit would be “a disaster”.
Robert Coghill, a Landward Caithness councillor and former NFU area president, said he would be “very disappointed” if the veterinary investigation unit at the Janetstown Industrial Estate closes.
“It would be very short-sighted to shut the facility as it provides an invaluable service for farmers in Caithness and Orkney. It just would not make sense,” he said.
Mr Coghill pointed out the closure of the unit would have an economic impact on the area as jobs would be lost.
The lab, which plays a key part in keeping animal diseases at bay and maintaining the high health status of farm produce from Caithness, Sutherland and the Northern Isles, has two vets on contract. It also employs two scientific and two administration and support staff.
Local farmer Alistair Swanson – another former area NFU president – said he would be “very concerned” about a renewed threat to the vet lab.
He maintains the loss of the facility would impact on jobs and the service provided to the farming community in the north Highlands.
Mr Swanson, who farms at Tister, near Halkirk, and was involved in two previous campaigns to keep the centre open, is particularly worried about any risk to the postmortem service carried out by the lab. “It would be unacceptable to lose it,” he said.
Mr Swanson underlined the key role the facility plays in general disease surveillance and claimed that could be jeopardised.
“I would think there will be a lot of lobbying going on to try and keep the facility here, especially for the postmortem service,” he said.
Caithness, Sutherland and Ross MSP Rob Gibson also expressed concern about the threat.
He described the services the lab provides as “vital” and said he would be “keeping a close watch” on developments and doing what he could to ensure the unit survives.
Mr Coghill, Mr Gibson and Mr Swanson spoke to the John O’Groat Journal following the publication of a Scottish Government ?report.
A year-long review of animal disease surveillance has been carried out by former Scottish NFU president John Kinnaird. His report recommends a reduction in the number of veterinary investigation labs as well as changes in how the service is carried out.
At present, the Scottish Agricultural College provides most veterinary surveillance through its eight disease surveillance centres in Thurso, Inverness, Perth, Aberdeen, Ayr, Edinburgh, Dumfries and St Boswells in Roxburghshire.
The Kinnaird report proposes establishing a strategic management board – chaired by Scotland’s chief vet and including industry representatives and vets – to oversee veterinary surveillance.
It also recommends:
1: The strategic management board should consider a phased reduction in the number of disease surveillance centres, putting in place alternative means of service delivery.
2: Establishing a single central laboratory to test surveillance samples from the DSCs.
SAC chief executive and principal Professor Bill McKelvey stressed the Scottish Government’s disease surveillance network is vital in protecting both animal and human health.
He pointed out a survey carried out as part of the review identified high overall satisfaction levels among service users. “Given those high satisfaction levels, we acknowledge that any potential changes raise concerns for staff, service users and the public,” he said.
Prof McKelvey noted the report recommends a reduction in the number of disease surveillance centres in Scotland but does not outline in detail how that can be done.
Scottish rural affairs secretary Richard Lochhead accepted the need to set up a strategic management board and said he would consider the remaining recommendations carefully before reaching a decision.
VETERINARY surveillance covers:
1: New threats to animal or human health, food safety or animal welfare.
2: The introduction of an exotic disease.
3: Changes in known conditions.
4: Changes in husbandry or controls which might allow new conditions to emerge.
The review panel gathered evidence through visits to Orkney, Stranraer and all eight DSCs and meetings with key figures in Scottish industry and veterinary science, as well as surveys of farmers and vets. There were 666 responses from farmers and 93 from vets.
The vet lab in Thurso has been without a head since the sudden death in December 2008 of Dr Sandy Clark.
The local veterinary practice has been contracted to carry out postmortems and provide expert advice.
SAC veterinary services employs 23 veterinary staff and approximately 100 scientific and support staff.
