A programme that supports veterinary surgeons in Wales to enhance their antibiotic stewardship skills has received significant backing from vets in the field.
The Veterinary Prescribing Champion (VPC) network is part of Arwain DGC – an award-winning Welsh Government-funded programme dedicated to reducing antibiotic resistance in animals and the environment.
Working with partners across the agricultural and scientific community, Arwain DGC supports farmers and vets by supporting data-driven decisions, innovative technologies, and demonstrating best practices.
Livestock vets participating in the VPC network receive ongoing training to maintain a unified approach to prudent antimicrobial dispensing within, and between, veterinary practices. By fostering a supportive environment, participants can engage in open discussions and share knowledge and understanding, which are essential to driving behaviour change.
Over the past 12 months, the VPC network has experienced a significant increase in activity and participation. Six new practices have signed up, and an additional 12 new VPCs – taking the total to 86 VPCs across 91% of eligible practices in Wales.
The network’s programme has continued to exceed many of its targets, delivering an increasing number of CPD-focused events, including workshops and webinars for vets and practice staff, covering a variety of clinical topics enhanced with evidence-based data.
These target milestones have been backed by data from a recent support and training survey, in which an overwhelming 95.8% of respondents felt that opportunities to discuss AMR were an important part of their Continuing Professional Development (CPD), with high demand for in-person regional events and webinars, which were particularly valuable resources.
Lara Robinson-Fletcher, a VPC at Daleside Vets, said participation in the network is important to her professional development and to safeguarding the health of animals and humans.
She said:
“Being part of the VPC network brings a sense of pride to my work. It means being part of a community of like-minded vets who all recognise the importance of antimicrobial stewardship and who are similarly passionate about prescribing responsibly.
“It also means that I am part of a network of people who can all share their frustrations, stumbling blocks and successes. We can all learn from each other. It gives perspective on realistic antimicrobial stewardship goals whilst acknowledging that it isn't always easy.
“Also, knowing that I am responsible for prescribing antibiotics to my patients and knowing that in itself can drive antibiotic resistance unless antimicrobial stewardship initiatives are practised makes me even more determined to prescribe responsibly.”
Heading up the next phase of the VPC network is Arwain DGC’s new Veterinary Development Manager, Amelia Sidwell.
She said:
“I am delighted and honoured to be taking over the role of Veterinary Development Manager as Dr Gwen Rees takes a step back. I will continue in my Clinical Lead role alongside this, as remaining closely connected to vets in practice and directly supporting our VPCs in implementing their stewardship goals are of particular importance to me.
“It's incredible how far the VPC network has come since its initial inception, and I am looking forward to being part of this next phase – building on the strong foundations already in place and continuing to support practical, collaborative approaches to antimicrobial stewardship.”
VPC clinical leads have provided 1:1 practice support to more than 20 practices. This help has been delivered through in-house workshops, action, planning, and clinical audits, with client-facing resources produced to help spread the AMR message. Peer-to-peer engagement is encouraged too, with discussion groups and drop-in sessions for new VPCs, with real-world data to support prescribing habits.
Future plans for the VPC network include offering training in human behaviour change to support antibiotic stewardship goals. More research will help guide prescribing practices and increase support for the wider practice team. There will be additional high-quality CPD opportunities for vets delivered through webinars, discussion groups, and journal clubs.
North Wales VPC, Dr Joe Angell of Wern Vets Cyf, said:
“The Arwain DGC programme as a whole has been “hugely impactful in Wales” and is a “great example of academics, vets, and farmers working positively together on a major public health issue.”
He said:
“The outcomes are clear and speak for themselves: a major countrywide reduction in antimicrobial use, the recovery of antimicrobial sensitivity in some areas, and successful examples of farmers and vets collaborating to achieve tailored reductions whilst maintaining and improving animal welfare and production outcomes.
“The issue of antimicrobial resistance is real, with the potential for affecting many human and animal lives and urgent and immediate action is required in both the local and wider context for this to be successfully addressed.”
