26 Jun 2025
Mixed practice vet and APHA Field Epidemiology veterinary advisor Phoebe McCarter says preparing for the threat of exotic disease will be top of her list.
Chris Simpson
Job Title
Pictured (from left): BVA Welsh branch president Phoebe McCarter; Huw Irranca-Davies MS, deputy first minister and cabinet secretary for climate change and rural affairs; Elizabeth Mullineaux, BVA president; and Richard Irvine, CVO for Wales.
The new head of the BVA in Wales has said preparing for the threat of exotic disease will be among her top priorities.
Mixed practice vet and APHA Field Epidemiology veterinary advisor Phoebe McCarter was announced as the BVA’s new Welsh branch president at the association’s annual meeting on Tuesday 24 June.
She succeeded Gwen Rees as president, having served as junior vice-president for the past two years and on the BVA Welsh branch council for the past five.
Ms McCarter thanked Dr Rees for an “outstanding term as president” and said she was “delighted to take on this vital role”.
She added: “In particular, I want to support the ongoing work to ensure that Wales remains a front runner in animal welfare and sustainable food production, not just in the UK, but on the global stage.
“I also think that it’s vital that we are as prepared as possible to face the threat of exotic disease incursion, and intend to make this one of the priorities of my presidency.”
A report from the National Audit Office earlier in June said the UK Government is not adequately prepared to cope with a severe animal disease outbreak.
Speaking at the BVA’s annual Welsh dinner, held at Cardiff Castle later that day, BVA president Elizabeth Mullineaux said: “Phoebe has already proved herself an invaluable member of the team during her time on Welsh Branch Council and more recently as junior vice-president. I look forward to working with her even more closely.
“There remain many challenges on the horizon for Wales, from endemic diseases to veterinary capacity, and I’m delighted that we will benefit from Phoebe’s extensive understanding of the farming community here in Wales as we navigate these issues.”
A member of the BVA for 20 years, Ms McCarter spent eight years in rural mixed practice before joining the National Animal Disease Information Service as a veterinary advisor in 2018.
In 2021, she joined APHA, where she investigates exotic and endemic disease outbreaks and is involved in contingency planning and training and stakeholder engagement across the UK.
Dr Mullineaux delivered a speech at the dinner, in which she called for the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 to be reformed.
She also paid tribute to the Welsh veterinary community, saying they are “at the forefront of delivering high-quality animal health and welfare services across a diverse landscape” and a “cornerstone of animal welfare, sustainable agriculture, and community engagement”.
