Peer review of vet research

Veterinary surgeon Sandy Trees plans to use his seat in the House of Lords to argue for a revival of UK support for overseas colleagues. Both sides have much to gain, or lose, he told John Bonner.

The UK’s livestock industry is more vulnerable now to the effects of devastating exotic diseases than at any time in its history, yet our ability to deal with any novel virus has been seriously undermined.

So says the man who may be the country’s most influential vet: “We have a situation where we are facing greater threats from exotic diseases than ever before because of globalisation and climate change. But we are increasingly vulnerable because we have fewer and fewer people with experience in the diagnosis, treatment and control of these diseases.”