Steering Group recommended bovine TB strategy
A group of farmers, vets, scientists, industry and government has set out a recommended strategy to get England to Officially Bovine TB-Free status by 2038.
The recommended strategy brings together the latest science and on-farm experience. It focuses on cutting TB in cattle, reducing how it spreads between herds, and giving farmers better tools and clearer information to manage risk.
Ministers will now consider these recommendations.
Read the recommended strategy here: 2026 recommended bovine TB strategy.
A summary document has also been produced: 2026 recommended bovine TB strategy summary.
Promotional material has been produced: 2026 recommended bovine TB strategy promotional material.
Introduction: A new Chapter in bovine TB Control
In August 2024, the government announced the start of work to refresh the bovine TB strategy for England. Rather than developing the strategy behind closed doors, the aim was to shape the new approach with input from those who deal with TB every day – including farmers, vets, industry, scientists and the wildlife sector.
This co-design approach has brought together the latest science and practical experience. It has led to the Steering Group’s recommended strategy, which sets out practical ways to reduce TB in cattle and reduce the risk of spread between herds.
The co-design approach: the Strategy Refresh Steering Group
A Steering Group was set up from the bTB Partnership for England to lead the co-design work.
The group brough together farmers, vets, scientists, industry and government. Its role was to agree the main areas to focus on and oversee the work needed to develop a recommended strategy.
To do this, the Steering Group set up a series of Working Groups, each looking at a key theme. These groups developed detailed recommendations.
The Steering Group then used this work to develop a recommended strategy – considering different recommendations, drawing on evidence, and bringing them together in a clear and practical approach within the recommended strategy.
This co-design process has helped make sure the recommended strategy is grounded in evidence, informed by experience, and focused on what can work on the ground.
Steering Group member profiles
John Cross OBE (Chair)
John is a livestock farmer and long-standing advocate for collaborative approaches to bTB control.
Paul Westaway (Deputy Chair)
Paul is a farmer from in the High Risk Area.
Ele Brown
Ele is Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer for England and a Defra Deputy Director with responsibility for the bTB programme.
Andrew Soldan (retired)
Andrew previously served as Veterinary Director at APHA.
Representatives of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU)
James Russell & Gwen Rees
James & Gwen represented the British Veterinary Association.
Chris Addison
Chris is a farmer from the Low Risk Area.
James Wood OBE
Professor James Wood is an academic with expertise in veterinary epidemiology.
Rosie Woodroffe
Professor Rosie Woodroffe is a leading academic in wildlife ecology and disease.
Henry-James Gay
James is a dairy farmer from the High Risk Area.
Aled Edwards
Aled works for the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) as the Head of England Field Delivery.
Ed Simmons
Ed is a private vet and represents the British Cattle Veterinary Association.
Irene Cristofaro
Irene is a Veterinary Director, Animal & Plant Health Agency.
Steering Group member biographies can be found on the TB Partnership membership page.
Strategy themes and Working Groups
The Steering Group set up a number of Working Groups to explore the specific themes of the strategy refresh:
- Communications and engagement.
- Governance and financial instruments.
- How to accelerate cattle vaccination: licensing to deployment.
- Cattle surveillance and breakdown testing.
- Trade, biosecurity, and movement testing.
- Badgers and other wildlife.
- Responding to changing epidemiology and disease risk.
- Non-bovine farmed species (overseen by the Steering Group).
Each Working Group was chaired by a member of the Bovine TB Partnership and supported by a Steering Group lead. The groups consisted of Defra and APHA officials alongside volunteers from across the farming, veterinary, scientific, and wildlife sectors which allowed the strategy to benefit from a wider range of expertise and views. Typically each Working Group was attended by around 12 people with over 100 individuals involved overall.
Independent scientific review: The Godfray Report
Defra commissioned the independent panel of experts who conducted the 2018 Bovine TB Strategy Review to consider whether there was any substantive new evidence or analysis that affects the conclusions made in their report. This was to ensure work on a comprehensive new bovine TB strategy for England benefited from the latest evidence and science.
The panel’s remit included:
- Reviewing recent scientific and policy-relevant evidence published since 2018.
- Advising on opportunities to improve, enhance, or accelerate interventions proposed in the original strategy.
- Identifying gaps in the evidence base and areas where further research or development is needed.
The report was published on 4th September 2025 at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bovine-tuberculosis-godfray-evidence-review-update-2025. Each Working Group actively considered the panel’s findings and using its insights to shape their recommendations. This helped ensure the refreshed strategy was based on the most up-to-date science and reflected opportunities to improve or accelerate TB control.
Further information on the independent panel of experts can be found here.
Stakeholder, end user and public engagement
We know there’s broad interest in bovine TB, and while the Working Groups brought valuable stakeholder expertise, they could not capture every view. To ensure a wider range of voices were heard, Defra commissioned Ipsos to lead a structured programme of stakeholder and public engagement.
Dialogue with partners and affected groups
Ipsos facilitated a series of regional workshops with those directly impacted by, or who will deliver the strategy from across the sector. These sessions were focused on identifying priority issues, barriers to implementation, and potential solutions. The aim is to build ownership of the strategy and ensure it is deliverable, trusted, and aligned with sector needs.
Dialogue with the public
A representative group of members of the public participated in online sessions to explore their views on bTB control measures, roles and responsibilities, and the overall direction of the strategy. This strand helped ensure the strategy reflected the priorities of public taxpayers and is socially acceptable.
Building consensus
A final workshop brought together a mix of partners, affected groups and public participants to discuss areas of difference, explore trade-offs, and identify points of consensus. This process supported transparency and helped build shared understanding across groups.
Together, these activities helped shape a strategy that is not only scientifically and operationally sound but also reflective of diverse perspectives, including those who will implement the strategy and those the strategy affects.