Devon vet removed from register over dishonest cattle test certificates

A Devon vet has been removed from the register after being found to have put public health at risk by dishonestly certifying cattle test results.

The RCVS disciplinary committee (DC) heard four charges against Brian Cullen Bowles, all relating to a visit to a Lincolnshire farm as an OV in May 2020.

For the first, the DC heard Mr Bowles carried out an intradermal comparative tuberculin (ICT) on a herd of cattle, but failed to measure the skin thickness of all cattle using callipers and failed to take and record measurements for the cattle.

The DC heard Mr Bowles, who was neither at or represented at the four-day hearing, had admitted failing to follow APHA standard operating procedures in earlier correspondence with the RCVS.

Testing procedures

A second charge was that he had certified the results of the ICT test when they had not been measured correctly; a third that his conduct on the first two was dishonest, misleading and risked undermining government testing procedures; and a fourth for his conduct on the testing despite warnings, advice and retraining having previously been given by the APHA.

The DC heard he had been sent a letter about suspension of his OV status in December 2014 if he failed to comply with APHA rules and he was suspended from OV duties in October 2016 pending further training following an audit.

The DC found all charges were proven.

‘Scant regard’

In determining sanctions, the DC found Mr Bowles had paid “scant regard” to the testing procedures set out by the APHA and breached certification requirements set out in the RCVS code of professional conduct for veterinary surgeons in “numerous and serious” ways.

Hilary Lloyd, chairing the committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The committee’s view is that the respondent’s conduct in refusing to follow the OV Instructions when testing cattle in May 2020 constituted conduct of an egregious kind.

“It follows that the respondent manifested no insight into the seriousness of his misconduct when acting as an OV.

“Given the amount of advice received and re-training which the respondent was required to undertake, he has already had ample opportunity to remediate his practice but has not done so. The committee is therefore concerned that there is a very real risk of further repetition of this conduct in the future were he to be permitted to remain on the register.”

Mr Bowles has 28 days to appeal. Full facts and findings from the case are on the RCVS website.