Farm vet service ends after long search to recruit fails

Thursday 30 November 2023

Guernsey will no longer have a specialist vet on-island to help care for dairy herds and other farm animals.

The service had been provided by Isabelle Vets since 1919, but their only farm vet is leaving on 1 December and they have been unable to recruit a replacement.

Their smallholder vet services will also end from 1 January.

“In preparation for this situation, in August 2022, we informed the States of Guernsey of the situation as the dairy herd is part of the island’s heritage, and since then have been working closely with their Veterinary Officer, along with farmers and the Guernsey Farmers’ Association, to discuss a service going forward,” Isabelle Vets said in a statement.

“We want to stress this is not a commercial decision as farm animal welfare is our highest priority. 

“We have been advertising for mixed vets (who treat all species) for several years. The practice’s farm work has dropped off massively, and now only equates to an average of two visits a week, so it has proved impossible to recruit a full-time farm vet. 

Pictured: Guernsey's dairy herds are part of the island's heritage said Isabelle Vets.

“To ensure the ongoing veterinary care of herds and flocks on the island, VetPartners, the larger veterinary group Isabelle Vets is part of, will offer a remote service with a farm vet visiting from the mainland, starting from December 1st. Farmers will also be able to seek veterinary advice from a VetPartners farm vet 24 hours a day. 

“Isabelle Vets will continue to support farmers on Guernsey and in an emergency situation our vets can provide pain relief or euthanasia, and we will provide a base and vehicle for the visiting farm vet.”  

The company joined the UK VetPartners group in July.

States Vet David Chamberlain acknowledged that it was difficult to recruit people to cover dairy cattle and large animals.

He said that the company’s conclusion that a UK vet would come on a regular basis because there was not enough work to sustain an on-island service was a reasonable one.

They would also upskill farmers to be able to treat their animals themselves under guidance from the UK vet through telemedicine.

“We the States are trying to explore all the potential limitations with this and trying to make certain the welfare of the animals is always provided for under this regime.”

Guernsey has 11 working dairy farms and just over 1,250 cows supplying milk.