A year of the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway: focus on sheep

As of February 2023, qualifying farmers in England have been able to apply for a government-funded annual vet visit - the Annual Health and Welfare Review - as part of the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway (AHWP) (non-Basic Payment Scheme farmers have been able to apply since late September 2023). A year on since the AHWP was first launched, this article outlines how the pathway is working, the sector-specific endemic disease schemes and how to conduct (and apply for) a vet visit. To illustrate how the scheme is working on a more practical level, the article focuses on the sheep sector specifically, and includes case studies about the AHWP from both the client and vet perspective, highlighting just how much can be covered in the annual review.