Tagging calves and clipping cattle prior to slaughter are associated with a significant risk of injury, which may be severe, necessitating treatment and time lost from work. Policy makers, safety advisers and the farming community should reconsider whether these procedures are necessary and whether current guidelines should be modified in order to improve safety.

Screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm can be carried out in a remote and rural area with high uptake, acceptable clinical results and at no greater cost than in more densely populated areas.

Background: The relationship between geographical location, private costs, health provider costs and uptake of health screening is unclear. This paper examines these relationships in a screening programme for abdominal aortic aneurysm in the Highlands and Western Isles of Scotland, a rural and remote area of over 10,000 square miles.