The UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) Christine Middlemiss has been made a Companion of the Order of the Bathtub (CB) within the King’s New Year Honours. The Order of the Bathtub is a British order of chivalry and is second solely to a damehood or knighthood.

The honour recognises Christine’s essential position in sustaining the excessive customary of animal well being and welfare within the UK following our departure from the EU, and her vital efforts in managing the most important ever outbreak of avian influenza flu.

Since changing into CVO in 2018, Christine has achieved accomplishments of nationwide and worldwide significance, main the UK’s strategy on quite a few very important points starting from international animal well being points; biosecurity and illness threat administration; and commerce and market entry agreements.

This 12 months specifically she has been instrumental within the authorities’s tireless efforts to handle the unprecedented ongoing outbreak of avian influenza, serving to to restrict the unfold of the illness and mitigate its impacts on farmers and the general public, in addition to worldwide commerce. She led efforts to make sure that Ukrainian refugees have been in a position to deliver their pets to the UK, and likewise performed a key position in creating the authorities’s response to the Impartial Assessment on bovine TB and selling the significance of vaccination and biosecurity on farms.

Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss mentioned:

I’m really humbled to be awarded this honour. For me, it demonstrates the popularity of the significance of getting vets in authorities and what we do. As we’ve seen over the previous few years, vets have a crucial position in a wide range of points together with new and rising illnesses, meals provide and supporting individuals fleeing battle with their beloved pets.

I’m very happy with the work we do and I’m captivated with inspiring confidence in ladies and women hoping to pursue careers in science, in addition to guaranteeing that now we have extremely knowledgeable and skilled public sector vets to proceed to make a big constructive influence.

Defra Everlasting Secretary Tamara Finkelstein mentioned:

Since changing into Chief Veterinary Officer in 2018, Christine has achieved accomplishments of nationwide and worldwide significance, so I’m delighted to see her large contributions to veterinary, farming and the UK being recognised on this method.

She has repeatedly offered excellent management and useful knowledgeable recommendation while coping with extraordinarily difficult points – her honour is completely deserved.

All through her time as CVO, Christine has represented the UK on the worldwide stage, together with on the G7 summit, Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) discussions on the World Organisation for Animal Well being, and at a number of bilateral commerce negotiations.