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University of Bristol initiative honoured at antibiotic awards
University of Bristol Veterinary School receives its award in the Agriculture & Food category.

AMR Task Force wins in the agriculture & food category

An antimicrobial resistance research initiative led by vets at the University of Bristol scooped top honours at the Antibiotic Guardian Awards.

Led by Dr Kristen Reyher, The ‘AMR Force’, programme won first prize in the agriculture and food category. The British Poultry Council and Wayland Farms were also highly commended.

The category - a first for the annual awards ceremony - attracted 16 retailers, universities, independent businesses and farmers, with nine scoring enough to be shortlisted by the judges. The wins in other categories were more focused on healthcare.

Now in its third year, the Antibiotic Guardian Awards celebrate organisations and individuals who have shown achievements in tackling antimicrobial resistance at a local, regional or national level. The campaign is led by Public Health England in collaboration with Defra and professional bodies.

Chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies opened the awards by acknowledging the antibiotic achievements of the poultry meat and pig sectors.

The Prescribing & Stewardship award went to the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA) Alliance for its ‘Target Task Force’ initiative - a cross-sector collaboration between vets and farmers to identify baseline antibiotic usage. RUMA also scooped the Community Communications award for its #ColostrumIsGold campaign - an initiative to cut the need for antibiotics in neonatal and older animals through improved colostrum management.

Collecting the awards on behalf of RUMA, Amy Jackson said: “The last two years have been incredibly hard work for all involved in engaging the farming industry with the issue of antibiotic resistance. But tonight’s event, including the number of entries from farming and the quality of the shortlists, shows the progress we’ve made.

“The discussion really has moved on from ‘who is to blame’, to ‘what can we do?’, and the best practice on show will help us all take a truly One Health approach in the future.”

Image (C) RUMA

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Applications open for MMI research grants

News Story 1
 RCVS' Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) has launched round two of its veterinary mental health research grants.

Researchers have until 11.59pm on Wednesday, 28 May 2025 to apply for a grant for research which reflects MMI's 2025 focus areas.

Only one Impact Grant was awarded last year, and so this year there are two Discovery Grants and one Impact Grants available. Each Discovery Grant is worth £5,000 and the Impact Grant is worth £15,000.

For more information or to apply, email researchgrants@rcvs.org.uk to contact the MMI team.

 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
BBC Radio 4 documentary addresses corporate fees

BBC Radio 4's File on 4 Investigates has released a documentary exploring how corporate-owned veterinary practices may be inflating bills to increase profit.

Released on 15 April, 'What's Happening To Your Vet Bills?' revealed the policies which many corporate groups have in place to increase their profits. This included targets and upgrades which veterinary teams are tasked with meeting on a regular basis.

It also features Anrich Vets, an independently-owned practice based in Wigan. Following the case of Staffordshire terrier Benjy, who is diagnosed with a tumour, the documentary shares how the team were able to offer contextualised care and advice to make the procedure as affordable as possible for his owners.

The documentary can be heard on demand on BBC iPlayer.