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<p>APHA has approximately 430 veterinary posts and at the end of May 2023, 60 of these
were vacant. Recruitment is underway and locum vets are being used while vacancies
are being filled. Because of the nature of APHA work, veterinary resource needs can
change rapidly. This was seen during last winter and the large avian influenza outbreak
that required a prioritising resource allocation and the temporary expansion of the
Agency’s workforce.</p><p> </p><p>APHA has contracts in place to enable it to bring
in more veterinary resource from private veterinary practices at times of peak demand
and this was heavily used during the outbreak.</p><p> </p><p>APHA also was also able
to draw on veterinary resource from core Defra. There are other potential changes
to APHA’s responsibilities which will require more veterinary resource. These changes
are individually impact assessed to identify resource requirements. One such example
is the new Border Operating Model where APHA is likely to need significant extra veterinary
resource to check imported live animals. Defra provides APHA with additional funding
to expand veterinary resource where needed.</p>
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