Volume 3: The Early Years, 1986-88
2. Dissemination of information
Means of dissemination

2.7 Veterinary Officers of the Veterinary Field Service routinely received information from VFS headquarters by means of advisory letters and Animal Health Circulars. These contained instructions about new and existing diseases. They were publications issued by a policy division at Tolworth and informed staff of new instructions as a result of policy changes. ¹

2.8 Information about new diseases was routinely publicised by the VI Service through its magazine Vision, which was distributed to all VICs and to the Scottish centres. ²

2.9 There were various means by which information could be distributed to public and private institutions and to farms, including a number of journals in the animal health and agricultural field. The BVA distributed its weekly publication the Veterinary Record to all members, including veterinarians in both government service and private practice. Information was also circulated through publications of specialist societies within the BVA, such as the Pig Veterinary Society, the Sheep Veterinary Society, and the British Cattle Veterinary Association. ³

2.10 ADAS ⁴ produced Bulletins for each region of England and Wales. These were circulated to farmers in those regions, and members of the SVS, including the VI Service, contributed articles. The MAFF Press Office could issue news releases containing information provided by the SVS to farmers. ⁵

2.11 The regular and widespread livestock shows, open days at VICs, farm visits by Veterinary Investigation Officers (VIOs), and presentations by VI Servicestaff at farmers' meetings all offered well-known and well-used channels for communication between the SVS and farmers. ⁶