Guidance

APHA Veterinary Investigation Centres and surveillance pathology partners

Services provided and contact details for Veterinary Investigation Centres (VICs) and surveillance pathology partners in England and Wales.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) offers services to vets in England, Wales and Scotland through a national network of:

  • Veterinary Investigation Centres (VICs), which can provide diagnostic tests, post-mortem examinations and advice from their resident veterinary investigation officers
  • surveillance pathology partners, independent institutions which also offer subsidised post-mortem examinations

Find your nearest VIC or surveillance pathology partner

Use the APHA Google map of VICs and surveillance pathology partners to find your nearest centre and contact details.

All VICs are open:

  • Monday to Thursday: 8:30am to 5pm
  • Friday: 8:30am to 4.30pm

Find your nearest surveillance pathology centre

You can also use the surveillance pathology centre postcode lookup to:

  • find your nearest VIC that carries out post-mortem examinations or surveillance pathology partner
  • find out whether that postcode is eligible for free carcase collection

Use the postcode of the farm from where the carcase is to be submitted and not the practice.

All VICs

Bury St Edmunds

APHA Veterinary Investigation Centre
Rougham Hill
Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk
IP33 2RX
Email: buryst.edmunds@apha.gov.uk
Telephone: 03000 600 018

Carmarthen

APHA Veterinary Investigation Centre
Job’s Well Road
Johnstown
Carmarthen
Carmarthenshire
SA31 3EZ
Email: carmarthen@apha.gov.uk
Telephone: 03000 600 016

Lasswade

APHA Lasswade
Pentlands Science Park
Bush Loan
Penicuik
Midlothian
EH26 0PZ
Email: rllasswade@apha.gov.uk
Telephone: 03000 600010

Penrith

APHA Veterinary Investigation Centre
Merrythought
Calthwaite
Penrith
Cumbria
CA11 9RR
Email: penrith@apha.gov.uk
Telephone: 03000 600 012

Shrewsbury

APHA Veterinary Investigation Centre
Kendal Road
Harlscott
Shrewsbury
Shropshire
SY1 4HD
Email: rlshrewsbury@apha.gov.uk
Telephone: 03000 600 023

Starcross

APHA Veterinary Investigation Centre
Staplake Mount
Starcross
Exeter
EX6 8PE
Email: starcross@apha.gov.uk
Telephone: 03000 600 020

Thirsk

APHA Veterinary Investigation Centre
West House
Station Road
Thirsk
North Yorkshire
YO7 1PZ
Email: thirsk@apha.gov.uk
Telephone: 03000 600 098

All surveillance pathology partners

Aberystwyth WVSC

Aberystwyth WVSC
Wales Veterinary Science Centre
Buarth Road
Aberystwyth
Ceredigion
SY23 1ND
Email: enquiries@wvsc.wales
Telephone: 01970 612 374

Royal Veterinary College

Farm Animal Pathology and Diagnostics
PPS (Pathobiology & Population Sciences)
Royal Veterinary College
Hawkshead Lane
North Mymms
AL9 7TA
Email: fapd@rvc.ac.uk
Telephone: 01707 666630
Mobile: 07793801684

SRUC Veterinary Services

St Boswells Disease Surveillance Centre
Greycrook
St Boswells
Roxburghshire
TD6 0EQ
Email: vcstboswells@sac.gov.uk
Telephone: 01835 822456

University of Bristol

Farm Animal Post-mortem Services
Bristol Veterinary School
Langford House
Langford
Bristol
BS40 5DU
Email: pmservices@bristol.ac.uk
Telephone: 0117 428 4767

University of Cambridge

Department of Veterinary Medicine
University of Cambridge
Madingley Road
Cambridge
CB3 0ES
Email: anatomic-pathology@vet.cam.ac.uk
Telephone: 01223 337680

University of Liverpool

Farm Animal Post Mortem Services
University of Liverpool
Leahurst Campus
Neston
CH64 7TE
Email: court@liverpool.ac.uk
Telephone: 0151 794 6120

University of Nottingham

Farm Animal Pathology Service
University of Nottingham
College Road
Sutton Bonington
Leicestershire
LE12 5RA
Email: farmpathology@nottingham.ac.uk
Tel: 07815 659975

University of Surrey

Veterinary Pathology Centre
School of Veterinary Medicine
Francis Crick Road
University of Surrey
Guildford
GU2 7AQ
Email: vetpath@surrey.ac.uk
Telephone: 01483 689 823

Veterinary investigation officers

Veterinary investigation officers are based at VICs and have expert knowledge and direct access to a wider network of scientific expertise. This includes new and developing tests and molecular tests which may not be accessible elsewhere.

You can contact your local officer to discuss:

  • complex, unusual or difficult disease problems
  • results of post mortem examinations
  • laboratory testing carried out by APHA
  • the findings of your own examinations

This service is open to all vets, and you do not need to have used APHA’s other services to discuss cases with the officer.

Veterinary investigation officers also carry out farm visits in specific circumstances such as the investigation of zoonotic outbreaks or new and emerging diseases.

Updates to this page

Published 28 October 2024

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