- Samples (except fish) will only be accepted for examination on request from a veterinary surgeon. Farmed fish will be accepted directly from farmers when submission through a veterinary surgeon is impracticable. The results of diagnostic tests on all species (including fish) are reported to the submitting or nominated private veterinary surgeon.
- Post-mortem fees cover gross examination and any ancillary histopathological, microbiological, biochemical or other tests deemed appropriate by both AFBI Stormont and Omagh. Additional charges will apply when customers request tests which fall outside this definition.
- Carcases or viscera received, but subsequently found to be unfit for examination, will be disposed of without examination and charged for as if post-mortem examination had been carried out.
- All specimens accepted for examination become the property of AFBI (Stormont and Omagh) and may be subject to additional testing for purposes of disease and infectious agent surveillance and research and development.
- All fees are subject to VAT and invoices will be issued monthly to veterinary surgeons, poultry producers and fish farmers.
- AFBI reserves the right to alter fees and the composition of specified test packages without prior notice and also retains the right to refuse acceptance of certain submissions e.g. where issues of Health and Safety are involved.
- No fees will be applied in respect of samples in which infectious agents causing diseases, notifiable under the Diseases of Animals (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 or Zoonoses Order (Northern Ireland) 1991 are detected.
- All specimens submitted by mail, train, bus or courier must be packaged in compliance with current Health and Safety and the Road Transportation regulations.
- Government accounting (Northern Ireland) procedures will be used for recovery of all outstanding debts.
- Separate charging regimes apply to farm animal, companion animal and commercial testing and are available on request.
Complaints procedure
If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our diagnostic service, please contact Frank Malone at:
info@afbini.gov.uk
