the australian veterinary reserve and the role of non-government veterinarians

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The AVA is contributing to efforts to implement therecommendations of the Review of Rural VeterinaryServices conducted by Mr Peter Frawley. The Report of

the Review recommended a wider role for private practitioners inseveral aspects of government veterinary work.

The recommendations included the Australian VeterinaryReserve (AVR) designed to have a veterinary capability trainedand equipped to deal with animal disease emergencies,integration of rural veterinary practices into provision of serviceswith industry / community benefits and disease surveillance.

The AVR training program is designed to train 100practitioners over three years. A pilot course has beencompleted, evaluated and re-engineered. Training, which iscontracted to Animal Health Australia, will commence inNovember 2006.

The Chief Veterinary Officers of the Commonwealth, Statesand Territories, meeting as Animal Health Committee inNovember 2005, will consider the on-going maintenance of the

AVR post June 2006. Proposals for disease surveillance include a National Animal

Health Surveillance Strategy. This in turn involves retrieving de-identified syndromal information from practice computers.

A Data Retrieval Trial involving 16 private practices acrossAustralia ran for five weeks before being reviewed by participantsat a workshop during the AVA conference in Broadbeach in May2005.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry hasadvised that all the participants are very positive about theproject and the web-based data entry system is working well.Data sets are being modified to reflect experiences and feed backand the trial has been extended until late September. AnimalHealth Committee will consider a report on the trial inNovember 2005.

Kevin DoyleAVA Veterinary Director

The Australian VeterinaryReserve and the role of non-

government veterinarians