Wales’ chief veterinary officer (CVO) Christianne Glossop is today (Friday, October 14) stepping down from the position after 17 years in the role.
Glossop was Wales’ first chief veterinary officer following the devolution of animal health and welfare powers in 2005.
She was appointed after spending time in the State Veterinary Service, now known as the Animal and Plant Health Association (APHA), while dealing with the foot and mouth disease outbreak of 2001 and then bovine tuberculosis (bTB).
Speaking on her time as CVO, Glossop said it had been a privilege for her to have the role, as it was her “dream job”.
“With the devolution of animal health and welfare powers it was a once in a generation chance to design the approach here in Wales, and I will always be grateful to have been part of that,” she said.
Glossop said that she was “very fortunate to have an excellent team of vets and officials” working alongside her throughout her time as CVO.
“When I started in the post there was no hub of veterinary education and research in Wales and now we have the school of veterinary science in Aberystwyth, and so much more besides, which shows how far we’ve come in that time,” she said.
Glossop added that she was grateful for the opportunities that she had as CVO, and was looking forward to the next chapter of her career as a vet.
‘Much to be proud of’
Rural affairs minister, Lesley Griffiths, has thanked Glossop for her contributions to animal health and welfare in Wales.
“During her time as CVO, she has dealt with a number of difficult animal disease outbreaks such as avian flu, the impact on Wales of the 2007 foot and mouth outbreak in England, as well as tirelessly working with her team on the TB Eradication programme,” she said.
“There is so much for Christianne to be proud of during her time as CVO, I will miss her knowledge, advice and support and wish her the very best in her future endeavours.”
Minister Griffiths said that many improvements were made during Glossop’s time as CVO.
“In Wales, we now have an Animal Health and Welfare Framework and key programme for government commitments on animal welfare set out in our five year plan,” Griffiths said.
“The new Sustainable Farming Scheme will include modules focusing on animal health planning and biosecurity, aligning with the ambitions set out in the framework.
“And, we now also have a school of veterinary science at Aberystwyth University, the first in Wales, which Christianne is closely involved with.”
Wales’ chief veterinary officer
The recruitment process for Glossop’s replacement is reaching its final stage, the Welsh government has said.
However, until such an appointment is made, deputy CVO Dr. Gavin Watkins will be covering the role of CVO.
The new CVO is expected to be in post by early 2023.
