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RSA update - no changes to policies
Dog with vet
“It is important to note this is a pilot and we have not made any changes to customer policies" - RSA.

Insurance company apologises for confusion

There will not be any changes to RSA policy conditions, according to a statement issued to the Pet Insurance Guide.

RSA has also apologised to its customers and the veterinary community for any confusion their communication caused.

In May 2015, RSA wrote a letter to vet practices informing them of 'important changes to their policy conditions'.

The letter said that if a pet needed to be referred to a specialist for non-emergency treatment, then the owner would need to contact the insurance company first. RSA would then work with the customer to agree on which practice they can take their pet to, depending on individual circumstances.

Now, in a further statement to the Pet Insurance Group, RSA say that they have not made any changes to customer policies:

“It is important to note this is a pilot and we have not made any changes to customer policies. A number of our policies already state that a customer should contact us before receiving referral treatment.

"Customer claims will continue to be honoured as long as the customer is adequately covered by their existing policy. We apologise for any confusion our communication has caused for our customers and the veterinary community."

The Pet Insurance Group briefly checked current policy documents and found that More Than policies are the only policies which require pre-approval.


They advise anyone with an RSA policy to check their existing policy documents to see whether there is any requirement to get pre-approval.

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Equine Disease Surveillance report released for Q4 2025

News Story 1
 The latest Equine Disease Surveillance report has been released, with details on equine disease from Q4 of 2025.

The report, produced by Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance, includes advice on rule changes for equine influenza vaccination.

Statistics and maps detail recent outbreaks of equine herpes virus, equine influenza, equine strangles and equine grass sickness. A series of laboratory reports provides data on virology, bacteriology, parasitology and toxicosis.

This issue also features a case study of orthoflavivus-associated neurological disease in a horse in the UK. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NSA webinar explores sheep tailing and castration

The National Sheep Association (NSA) is to host a free webinar on the castration and tail docking of lambs.

The webinar, 'Understanding the tailing and castration consultation: A guide for sheep farmers', will be hosted online on Monday, 2 March 2026 at 7.30pm.

It comes during a government consultation into the methods used for these procedures. Farmers are encouraged to engage before the consultation period closes on Monday, 9 March 2026.

The webinar offers clear and actionable guidance to support farmers to contribute meaningfully to the consultation and prepare for potential changes.

On the panel will be former SVS president Kate Hovers, farmer and vet Ann Van Eetvelt and SRUC professor in Animal Health and Veterinary Sciences Cathy Dwyer. Each panel member will utilise their own specialism and expertise to evaluate risks and outcomes to sheep farming.

Find out more about the webinar on the NSA website.