Vet suspended for TB test error

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has suspended a Welsh vet for one month for using untrained locums to test for bovine TB.

A Royal College panel found Iwan Wyn Parry guilty of “disgraceful conduct” for allowing vets who had not completed the obligatory one day TB training course to do the work, and then certifying that he himself did the testing.

The investigation started following a complaint that a locum vet used the wrong syringe during a test.

The College concluded that Mr Parry, a partner in Tudor, Lawson, Dallimore and Parry at Dolgellau in Meirionnydd, had “flouted” Government regulations on cattle movements by allowing 43 animals to be assessed by untrained staff.

All animals tested by two untrained locum vets later tested negative for bTB, but the panel decided that there had been a potential impact on disease control and national stock protection.

Mr Parry said he honestly believed that what he was doing was entirely legitimate, but admitted in retrospect that he had made an error and he deeply regretted it.

The panel was convinced that there would be no repeat of such conduct, and accepted that Mr Parry had been severely punished by the stress of the tribunal and damage to his reputation.

A harsher penalty was not imposed because to do so would have had severe financial consequences for the vet and cause problems for the local community.