We know from speaking to many farmers and from the case studies we have on this site that there are widespread differences into how test operatives, whether private vets or Animal Health staff, carry out the skin test. The test, even if performed with strict adherence to the official procedures, is not perfect and even Defra admits this. However, it is even more unreliable if the procedures are not correctly performed. The correct procedure involves careful measurement of the skin folds to the nearest millimetre before and after injecting animals at two sites in the neck, before and 72 hours after injecting tuberculin into the areas, which should be shaved first. Some testers, keen to get the testing done as quickly as possible, are not as thorough as others. Cattle that are difficult to handle also pose problems for testers.

An Aberaeron vet apparently wrongly diagnosed a cow with bovine tuberculosis. A hearing heard that this left the farmer unable to sell on any of her herd. It is alleged that the vet ignored official guidelines when inspecting and testing a herd of around 100 cattle at Plas Pantsaeson, Moylegrove, Pembrokeshire in 2009. The vet concerned was Wyn Lewis of Derwydd, Felinwynt and he was involved in a disciplinary hearing of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

The 56-year-old vet works for Priory Veterinary in Aberaeron and Cardigan. He denied failing to carry out accurate checks for bovine TB and submitting paperwork which reported he had done so. He was hired by the agency, Animal Health, to carry out tests on 104 animals, but allegedly simply glanced at some and used his thumb and forefinger to measure others instead of using proper instruments. Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons prosecutor Nicole Curtis said Lewis was hired by the Agency Animal Health to undertake tests and ought to have known that by failing to measure folds some or all of the records entered on the certificate were false and he was inaccurate in his certification. The hearing was adjourned until Tuesday, July 19 2011.

On 19 July the decision of the RCVS was to suspend him for five months (bearing in mind he had been on suspension in the meantime for three months. The disciplinary committee's decisions on facts, misconduct and sanction can be read in full at http://www.rcvs.org.uk/complaints/disciplinary-hearings, including the full details of the case.

According to the cull opposition group, Pembrokeshire Against the Cull (PAC), the vet concerned, Wyn Lewis, apparently wrote a letter to the local paper, the Tivyside, in 2010, when public concern about the cull and the way WAG was conducting its preparatory work was at its zenith, in which he told local people they should stop writing in to protest about the cull, that the debate was over! His attempt to stifle opinions being aired inevitably generated yet more fiery letters.

With regards to testing there is an interesting post about other court cases relating to testing at http://www.bovinetb.info/animals_tested_and_slaughtered.php which mentions that large volumes of testing puts a considerable burden on veterinaries. It is suggested that non-compliance with the European Union stipulation of cutting hair and measuring skin thickness may be widespread (see http://www.bovinetb.info/docs/dnv-report.pdf), particularly in the more busier winter months. There are details of another court case (http://www.bovinetb.info/docs/rcvs_owen-thomas.pdf) brought against John Richard, Owen-Thomas, a veterinary, who, in 2009 falsely alleged that tests had been carried out on animals which had not been tested. This was heard in 2011. Another case was brought against vet Iwan Wyn Parry for using untrained staff in 2007 order to get the work done (http://www.bovinetb.info/docs/rcvs_parryiwan.pdf).

Information sources
http://www.rcvs.org.uk/complaints/disciplinary-hearings/ http://www.cambrian-news.co.uk/news/i/15834/
http://www.pembrokeshireagainstthecull.co.uk
http://www.tivysideadvertiser.co.uk/news/8989099.Vet_faces_TB_allegations
http://www.bovinetb.info/animals_tested_and_slaughtered.php