22 Jul 2022
“Lucy and Rosanna are our first proper abattoir OVs that have come in from a UK vet school and I’m really, really delighted with that” – Charles Hartwell, Eville and Jones chief executive.
Allister Webb
Job Title
From left: Charles Hartwell, Lucy Blount and Rosanna Moss.
A leading provider of veterinary public health services is hoping the recruitment of two UK graduates will herald the start of a new chapter in the sector.
Lucy Blount and Rosanna Moss are thought to be the first graduates from a UK vet school to take up OV roles in more than a decade. The duo, who graduated from the University of Bristol Veterinary School this year, have now taken up hybrid positions with Leeds-based Eville and Jones.
The roles will initially see them working one day a week in abattoirs, as well as developing their skills in clinical practice.
Chief executive Charles Hartwell described their recruitment as “incredibly important”, and suggested it showed awareness of the role and its importance is starting to grow within higher education.
He said: “Lucy and Rosanna are our first proper abattoir OVs that have come in from a UK vet school and I’m really, really delighted with that.
“I think there will be more. We’re developing relationships with other universities like Harper and Keele. Their first cohort of vets will be graduating in a couple of years and there is a lot of interest in veterinary public health there, so that is something we are really working on.”
Dr Moss, who will be working in the Bristol and Gloucester areas, is keen to encourage others to follow her lead and raise broader awareness of a vet’s work in a slaughterhouse.
She said: “The most important thing, above all, is making sure what goes on in the abattoirs is in accordance with the legislation.
“What we can then do – and what we have been talking to Eville and Jones about – is trying to shine a positive light not only to encourage younger vets to come into this sector, but also to show a more positive side of the industry to the general public, so they are aware of what happens in abattoirs and what the role of vets in abattoirs is.”
Although it may not be the path most students think of when they consider becoming a vet, Dr Moss also feels the fundamental ideas of care are the same in the abattoir and the surgery.
She said: “You’re using that same principle that you use in small animal work. In small animal work, you are making them better, but realistically what you’re doing – especially when you’re having to [euthanise] an animal – is make sure they are not suffering any more.”
Miss Blount, who will be based in the West Midlands, became interested in the sector when she visited an abattoir while on a pre‑university placement.
But she said that while most training was geared towards clinical work, a passionate lecturer at Bristol had impressed upon her the influence an OV can have in areas of animal welfare and food safety.
Miss Blount said: “That really interested me – especially as a meat eater myself, and having spoken to people who have become vegetarian and vegan based on animal welfare concerns.
“Let’s be realistic – people are not going to stop eating meat, so I think it’s quite a good way of addressing the issue head‑on and making an impact that way by improving animal welfare.”
Despite the growth of interest in meat-free diets in recent years, tracker analysis by the polling organisation YouGov suggests that 70 per cent of the UK adult population are still meat eaters, with a further 16 per cent classed as flexitarian, meaning they occasionally eat meat or fish.
It is also estimated that about 1.2 billion animals are slaughtered in the UK each year and the export of products of animal origin is worth billions of pounds to the UK economy.
Mr Hartwell said the work of OVs in all of those areas is not only critical to maintaining standards, quality and public safety, but also offers a range of potential career pathways, including into industry or government roles.
He said the company has opportunities to work in the Republic of Ireland and the Falkland Islands, and is in discussions about a potential consultancy role in the Cayman Islands.
Mr Hartwell added: “These guys, we call them heroes at Eville and Jones, and they are. They keep millions of people safe, they look after the welfare of billions of animals, and tens of thousands of lives and livelihoods.
“That’s an incredibly important part of the veterinary profession and I believe we really need more young UK vets to come into this profession. We can offer that hybrid role, where they can go and develop their veterinary skills in clinical practice while also working as an OV and developing their skills with us here.”
The company’s 750-strong workforce includes staff from 51 countries worldwide.
Mr Hartwell said that while the sector was still seen as an attractive option for vets from the EU and Turkey – despite the challenges of Brexit – it was vital to develop a pathway into the sector for young graduates and others who may have left the profession or are seeking a new role.
He added: “We can offer those options, so I think we are now starting to become a compelling and valid proposition for people wanting to get into veterinary public health, or dip their toe in and see what it’s about.”
