GovWire

The VMD has 6 overarching corporate priorities:

Priority 1 - Our people

Aim: Working to ensure that the VMD is a great place to work.

• We will maintain a well-trained, motivated and content workforce that nurtures our diversity.

• Through providing a programme of staff engagement activities and a suite of platforms, we will continuously evaluate well-being, resilience, and performance throughout the year and will ensure staff have the tools, support, and facilities they need to deliver.

Priority 2 - Policy making and delivery

Aim: Design and implement effective policy and legislation in GB and NI encompassing veterinary medicines regulation, antimicrobial resistance and residues of veterinary medicines in food.

• We will ensure that the Veterinary Medicines Regulations and the GB and NI regulatory frameworks, including post-authorisation activities and surveillance, remain effective and fit for purpose and reflect developments and technical advances in industry to support the wider animal health sector, and other stakeholders, with availability of safe and efficacious veterinary medicines, with resilience in supply lines and appropriate and safe use of medicines.

• We will collaborate with other government departments, devolved administrations and stakeholders on design and implementation of policy and surveillance that ensures people, animals, the environment, our food and the availability of animal medicines in the UK is not compromised.

• We will lead on veterinary Antimicrobial and Anthelmintic Resistance policy and activities and continue to support initiatives which contribute to the One Health agenda and Defras Animal Health and Welfare Pathway aspirations.

Priority 3 - Regulatory service

Aim: Delivery of core regulatory services, with overall performance against published standards to be at or above the effective level.

• We will apply robust benefit: risk methodology when assessing applications for (and variations to) authorisations of veterinary medicines, to ensure the quality and safety of those products on the UK market.

• Through risk-based inspections and enforcement, including working with regulatory partners, we will ensure only appropriately authorised veterinary medicines are responsibly used, to assist competitiveness, aid consumer confidence, assist with safety and help to maintain their effectiveness.

• We will continuously monitor our performance against our published targets and standards and, where necessary, take timely action to ensure these are met.

Priority 4 - Global influence and recognition

Aim: Collaborate internationally with other regulatory authorities to further inform our science strategy and policy and influence global regulatory standards.

• We will engage internationally with other regulatory authorities and initiatives to improve global standards on regulation of veterinary medicines.

• We will work to secure availability of medicines for our animal keepers by enhancing market opportunities through our collaboration with other national regulators, building partnerships for joint assessments of marketing authorisations and exchanging knowledge and best practice on other aspects of regulation.

• We will support the capacity strengthening efforts of other international regulatory authorities through provision of scientific and technical capability, and policy and regulatory expertise relating to veterinary medicines and antimicrobial resistance.

Priority 5 - Business compliance

Aim: Operate a business that is compliant with legislation and standards and seek to continually improve our systems and services.

• We will uphold our principles to comply with relevant legislation and standards, through maintaining international recognition for quality and information security standards, protecting and managing information responsibly, whilst advocating open information sharing.

• We will invest in the continuous improvement of systems and services and deliver our commitment to raising awareness of our work and enabling feedback to drive improvement.

• We will maintain full cost recovery for regulatory services, ensuring the business delivers within the allocated budget and we will exceed government standards for prompt payment of undisputed invoices.

• We will proactively engage with Defra Corporate Services on HR and Estates provision, ensuring that the polices and support for colleagues are in place and being used consistently.

• We will ensure our internal and external stakeholders have all the information they need to carry out their role, access our services and comply with the Veterinary Medicines Regulations. We will provide opportunity for our stakeholders to tell us what they need to inform and improve our services and policy and respond to feedback.

Priority 6 - Net zero, the environment, and sustainability

Aim: Contribute to meeting Defras aims on sustainability, carbon reduction and protecting the environment.

• We will enable environmental considerations to inform our policy, those we regulate, and those we protect through research, regulation and education.

• We will rigorously assess and monitor the potential negative effects of veterinary medicines on the environment that may occur through use or disposal and take appropriate preventative and corrective action.

• We will consider the environmental impacts of our procurement and the way we work to reduce our carbon footprint both directly and indirectly.