Supporting HiHealth Members Following Biobest Laboratory Closure
Following the closure of Biobest Laboratories, we understand this is an uncertain time for farmers and veterinary practices involved in the Biobest HiHealth Scheme.
SRUC’s Premium Cattle Health Scheme (PCHS) is working closely with Biobest to support members who wish to transfer and continue their herd health accreditation with as little disruption as possible.
Our priority is to ensure continuity of herd status, testing programmes and reporting.
For HiHealth Members — How to Transfer to PCHS
Biobest have contacted their Health Scheme members directly to highlight the option of transferring to SRUC Premium Cattle Health Scheme.
To enable transfer:
Step 1 — Complete the Biobest Closure Declaration
Members must complete and return the Closure Declaration issued by Biobest. This allows Biobest to pass herd details and testing records to the SRUC Health Schemes team at St Boswells.
Step 2 — Provide details to SRUC
If your herd test is due within the next month:
- Complete the SRUC Transfer Form
- Add PCHS as an agent on:
- Instructions are provided with the transfer form
This allows us to register your herd and issue SRUC testing labels and paperwork so samples can be processed without delay.
Testing Priorities During Transition
To ensure continuity of accreditation:
- We are prioritising herds whose testing is due within the next month
- February testing herds should submit transfer paperwork as soon as possible and will be prioritised
- Herds not due for immediate testing will still be transferred once Biobest Closure Declarations are processed.
There is no need for non-urgent herds to retest early.
Sample Submission Guidance for Vets
Veterinary practices are essential partners in maintaining smooth continuity for affected herds.
Annual Herd Tests
- SRUC labels and paperwork should be used where possible
- Samples submitted without SRUC labels can still be processed. However, unlabelled annual herd test samples may experience processing and reporting delays.
Other Health Scheme Submissions
Submissions for:
- Added animals
- Health declarations
- Miscellaneous Health Scheme testing.
can be submitted as normal using the Health Schemes submission form available on the SRUC website.
Sample Delivery Address
All samples should be sent directly to:
SRUC Health Schemes
Greycrook
St Boswells
TD6 0EQ
Helping Us Manage Enquiries
Due to the high volume of enquiries during this transition, the PCHS team at St Boswells is currently handling significantly increased call levels.
To help us prioritise urgent cases:
- Herds not due to test imminently should complete the Closure Declaration and await transfer
- Non-urgent enquiries should be sent by email to healthschemes@sruc.ac.uk.
We aim to respond within 2–3 working days.
Information for Existing PCHS Members
The sudden closure of Biobest Laboratories has caused a significant and unexpected increase in testing demand.
While we are working hard to expand our testing capacity and minimise disruption, there may be some unavoidable delays in processing samples and reporting results over the coming weeks. Please be assured that maintaining the quality, accuracy, and integrity of your herd health testing remains our top priority.
Our team is actively implementing additional resources and processes to manage the increased workload and return to normal turnaround times as quickly as possible. We greatly appreciate your patience and understanding during this period of transition for the industry.
Please help us to minimise delays by sending all non-urgent queries by email to HealthSchemes@sruc.ac.uk to keep the phone-lines clear as much as possible.
Maintaining service quality for existing members remains a core priority. Thank you for your continued support and cooperation.
Our Commitment
We recognise that herd health accreditation is a long-term investment. Our team is committed to supporting farmers and vets through this transition and maintaining high standards of scheme delivery.
We will continue working closely with industry partners over the coming weeks to ensure continuity and clarity for all members.
For transfer support and guidance, please contact: healthschemes@sruc.ac.uk.
Posted by SRUC Veterinary Services on 02/02/2026
