Re-inventing the wheel?Farm Health Planning, 1946-2006

Dr Abigail Woods MA MSc VetMB PhD MRCVS

Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine,

Imperial College London

Prevention is better than cure!

• Defra AHWS: ‘The strategic outcome “prevention is better than cure” speaks for itself.’

• EU strategy: ‘To increase the prevention of animal health related problems before they happen’’

Farm Health Planning

• Improved farm profits and sustainability• Better stock health and welfare • A farmer/vet relationship focused on improving

performance rather than ‘fire brigade’ responses to individual cases of disease

Q: Have we been here before?

A: Yes - with preventive veterinary medicine

A similar concept to FHP, for >70yrs, it was repeatedly celebrated as a novel idea whose time had come.

Research questions

How to explain the recurrent appeal of veterinary preventive medicine?

What did it involve?

What did it achieve?

Purpose of enquiry

• History for historians

• History for policy and its stakeholders– Provides background information– Problematises the present:

• Why is prevention better than cure?

– Offers strategic lessons for the present• Eg case study: 1960-75

Case study, 1960-75Lessons learned:

• Huge drive for preventive medicine, but low penetration and limited impacts due to:

– Fragmented delivery– Diminishing interest levels– Questionable cost-effectiveness– Difficulty in applying – Lack of veterinary expertise / identity– Inadequate team working – Non-veterinary alternatives