Alastair George

I graduated from Edinburgh in 1985. After a short spell in mixed practice, I spent the remainder of my career working for the Government. I was a Veterinary Investigation Officer in the East Midlands for 12 years before moving to London to work for 17 years as a Veterinary Adviser for Defra and APHA in a variety of policy areas. I returned to Scotland shortly before retiring in 2022.

I believe I can bring a wide variety of skills, knowledge and experience to the role. I have strong communication skills. This was a key element of my job as a Veterinary Adviser for example chairing meetings with stakeholders, writing guidance for the public and for Government vets or providing verbal updates to notifiable disease control teleconferences. All required a tailored approach to suit each particular audience.

I have considerable experience of working on committees and working groups. I already have experience of BVA Council as I served a term as representative for the East Midlands before moving to London. In my last job working on exotic notifiable disease, I had a particular interest in equine and porcine disease and I was a member of the HBLB Codes of Practice sub-committee, the UK Equine Disease Coalition and the APHA Pig Expert Group.

The BVA needs the participation of its members to develop veterinary policy. It is my aim to actively engage with BVA members in Scotland at all levels including the Young Vet Network to gather views on current and emerging issues and ensure these views are clearly represented at BVA Council.