A new six-month contract for TB testing agreed between private vets and DAERA, includes a 33% rise in the fee paid out for on-farm work.
The new contract had been the subject of protracted negotiations between both parties, with representatives of private vets unhappy with a number of issues, including that their rates of payment had fallen well behind counterparts in England and Wales.
The previous contract had been in place since 2016, and expired on 10 April 2023. Without agreement in place, there was a short break in testing.
However, normal service resumed from 17 April, with both vets and DAERA agreeing an interim contract of six months running to 10 October 2023, to allow for further negotiation on a longer-term arrangement.
New rates
The new contract published online has payment rates of £72.62 for the first animal, and then £3.33 per head up to 100 cattle and £3.04 thereafter. That compares to the contract in place since 2016 which paid £54.50 for the first animal, and £2.50 per head between two and 100, and £2.28 thereafter.
It means that when testing 100 cattle, private vets will now receive £402.29 as opposed to £302, and if testing 200 cattle it is £706.29 compared to £530.
Under the terms of the previous contract, vets argued it had become loss-making in recent years, especially when completing smaller herd tests that mean fewer cattle can be processed in one day.
There has also been significant wage inflation in the sector, with veterinary practices struggling to fill vacancies in large animal work.
Read more
Badger cull ruling by ‘end of June’
Private vet TB testing resumes in NI
A new six-month contract for TB testing agreed between private vets and DAERA, includes a 33% rise in the fee paid out for on-farm work.
The new contract had been the subject of protracted negotiations between both parties, with representatives of private vets unhappy with a number of issues, including that their rates of payment had fallen well behind counterparts in England and Wales.
The previous contract had been in place since 2016, and expired on 10 April 2023. Without agreement in place, there was a short break in testing.
However, normal service resumed from 17 April, with both vets and DAERA agreeing an interim contract of six months running to 10 October 2023, to allow for further negotiation on a longer-term arrangement.
New rates
The new contract published online has payment rates of £72.62 for the first animal, and then £3.33 per head up to 100 cattle and £3.04 thereafter. That compares to the contract in place since 2016 which paid £54.50 for the first animal, and £2.50 per head between two and 100, and £2.28 thereafter.
It means that when testing 100 cattle, private vets will now receive £402.29 as opposed to £302, and if testing 200 cattle it is £706.29 compared to £530.
Under the terms of the previous contract, vets argued it had become loss-making in recent years, especially when completing smaller herd tests that mean fewer cattle can be processed in one day.
There has also been significant wage inflation in the sector, with veterinary practices struggling to fill vacancies in large animal work.
Read more
Badger cull ruling by ‘end of June’
Private vet TB testing resumes in NI
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