What happens during an endemic disease follow-up
Source: gov.uk (2025-06-26)

Find out what you must ask your vet to do during a follow-up.

You must ask the vet to complete the following steps before you claim.

During the follow-up: sampling for disease or condition testing

You must ask the vet to do the required sampling and testing. It will differ depending on:
- the species you have chosen
- the result of your review
You must ask your vet to read the vet’s guidance on the required sampling and testing (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/vets-how-to-do-an-animal-health-and-welfare-review-and-endemic-disease-follow-up). You will only be eligible for funding if the vet follows this guidance. You can also read the vet’s guidance for details of the required testing, but this is not mandatory.

You can:
- arrange your follow-up to fit in with your existing testing schedule if you’re already testing for the relevant diseases or conditions
- use follow-up test results for other accreditation schemes you’re a member of (check with the accreditation scheme that they will accept testing from the follow-up)
You cannot use other accreditation scheme test results for this follow-up funding.

If you ask the vet to test for other medical conditions or diseases, you must pay for that separately.

During the follow-up: biosecurity assessment

You must ask the vet to assess biosecurity on your farm. It will differ depending on:
- the species you have chosen
- the result of your review
You should ask your vet to read the guidance for biosecurity assessments for each species:
- what must be included in a follow-up summary for cattle (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cattle-testing-required-for-an-animal-health-and-welfare-review-and-endemic-disease-follow-up/vets-testing-beef-cattle-for-endemic-disease-follow-up#what-documentation-you-need-to-give-the-farmer)
- what must be included in a follow-up summary for pigs (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pigs-testing-required-for-an-annual-health-and-welfare-review-and-endemic-disease-follow-up/vets-testing-pigs-for-endemic-disease-follow-up#what-documentation-you-need-to-give-the-farmer)
- what must be included in a follow-up summary for sheep (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sheep-testing-required-for-an-annual-health-and-welfare-review-and-endemic-disease-follow-up/vets-testing-sheep-for-endemic-disease-follow-up#what-documentation-you-need-to-give-the-farmer)
During the follow-up: health and welfare advice

You must ask the vet to give you health and welfare advice about your livestock. You may discuss topics such as:
- biosecurity
- medicine usage
- any other health and welfare concerns you have
You can read the vet’s guidance for more information on health and welfare advice (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/vets-how-to-do-an-animal-health-and-welfare-review-and-endemic-disease-follow-up), but this is not mandatory.

Get help with your follow-up

Contact the RPA and give your IAHW agreement number, if you need help arranging or completing your follow-up.

Rural Payments Agency

PO Box 352

Worksop

S80 9FG

Email: xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx)

Telephone: xx-xxxx-xxxx

Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm, except public holidays

Find out about call charges (https://www.gov.uk/call-charges)

Funding to improve animal health and welfare: guidance for farmers and vets (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/funding-to-improve-animal-health-and-welfare-guidance-for-farmers-and-vets)