What is the Annual Health and Welfare Review?

The Annual Health and Welfare Review is part of the government’s support for livestock farmers in England. It provides access to a fully funded yearly vet visit, giving cattle and sheep farmers the opportunity to receive tailored health and welfare advice and carry out testing for endemic diseases.

These reviews are designed to help farmers improve herd and flock health, boost productivity, and support more sustainable farming practices.

Why this support matters

Reducing the impact of endemic diseases can deliver major benefits on farm. Healthier animals generally perform better, incur fewer costs, and contribute to more efficient systems overall.

There are wider benefits too, including lower greenhouse gas emissions through improved efficiency, reduced antibiotic use, and stronger biosecurity across the farm.

• Improve herd and flock health
• Support better long-term productivity
• Reduce reliance on antibiotics
• Strengthen disease prevention and biosecurity

What funding is available?

Farmers in England can access financial support through the Annual Health and Welfare Review and associated funding packages.

Annual review payments

• £522 for a beef cattle review
• £436 for a sheep review

Additional funding options

Further payments are available depending on herd or flock health status:

• £215 for beef cattle herds with no BVD detected
• £837 for beef cattle herds where BVD is present
• £639 for sheep health improvement actions

This additional funding supports more in-depth disease testing and provides practical guidance on how to reduce or eliminate disease from your farm.

Tailored health planning for your farm

As part of the process, farmers work with their vet to choose the most appropriate health improvement measures for their own system.

For sheep enterprises, this may include selecting from a range of targeted health packages based on the specific challenges within the flock. Farmers can also receive support for biosecurity assessments, disease risk identification, and practical advice on reducing disease spread within and between farms.

How to access the funding

To access this support, farmers must first complete an Annual Health and Welfare Review with a vet of their choice.

To be eligible, you will need:

• A Single Business Identifier (SBI) linked to a County Parish Holding (CPH) number registered in England
• 11 or more beef cattle
• Or 21 or more sheep

Eligible farmers can enter into a multi-year agreement to complete the review annually and access additional funding options over time.

How Herdwatch can help with compliance and records

Keeping accurate records is a key part of meeting compliance requirements and getting the most from health and welfare schemes. Herdwatch helps simplify this by keeping everything in one place.

Register OFF movements in seconds

Select the animals you are moving and Herdwatch will notify CTS instantly, helping you stay compliant.

Register ON movements quickly

Scan the barcode on the animal passport using the app. Herdwatch notifies BCMS and automatically pulls in all animal details.

Ensure accurate data is sent on time

Compliance is critical in any beef enterprise. Herdwatch helps ensure movement data is recorded correctly and submitted in the required format.

Report animal deaths easily

Select the animal and report directly to BCMS through the app. You then have seven days to return the passport, helping you stay on track.

Make the most of available support

The Annual Health and Welfare Review and associated funding provide a valuable opportunity to improve herd and flock health while receiving financial support.

By combining veterinary advice with accurate records and strong farm management practices, farmers can reduce disease risk, improve productivity, and build more resilient livestock systems.