Pet owners could save money if vet bill change is enforced | UK | News

UK vets could be made to disclose their price lists and put a limit on prescription costs, according to radical changes proposed by the UK’s competition watchdog. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has released its initial decision in its market investigation into the UK’s £6.3 billion veterinary services sector.

The proposed measures aim to transform the consumer experience, resulting in more options and savings. Among the 21 suggested actions are improved information on prices, treatments, medicines, and ownership, a cap on the cost of written prescriptions, and a new comprehensive price comparison website.

The CMA’s investigation found that the current system is ‘not fit for purpose’ and needs modernisation to keep up with commercial practices and safeguard pet owners. The investigation, which primarily focuses on veterinary businesses rather than individual vets, highlighted concerns, including those affecting pet owners:

• are often unaware of the prices of commonly used services and whether their local practices are part of large national chains
• have no effective way of comparing vet prices when they get a pet or move areas
• may be paying twice as much for commonly prescribed medicines from vet practices than they could pay online, amounting to hundreds of pounds more than they need to pay
• often receive no written estimate for courses of treatment running to hundreds – or even thousands – of pounds
• are often unable to tell if they are getting good value for money from pet care plans
• may be overpaying for individual cremations
• often have no effective means of complaining when things go wrong

The CMA claimed that these factors are common across the market and prevent people from benefiting from robust competition among veterinary businesses. Average veterinary prices across the market surged by 63 per cent between 2016 and 2023, significantly outpacing inflation, reports the Daily Record.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has found that pet owners are paying an average of 16.6 per cent more at large veterinary groups than at independent vets. It was found that for at least three of these large groups, prices increased faster at practices they acquired compared to those that remained independent.

The CMA also noted that a significant portion of the market is making higher profits than would be expected in a well-functioning competitive environment. And, the CMA has concluded that the current regulatory system is inadequate.

It only regulates individual veterinary professionals and not veterinary businesses, despite the fact that most practices are part of a large corporate group. In light of these widespread concerns, the CMA’s independent expert inquiry group has provisionally decided that a comprehensive package of 21 measures is necessary to address these issues and revitalise competition in this market.

Martin Coleman, Chair of the Inquiry Group, said: “Pet owners are often left in the dark, not knowing whether their practice is independent or part of a chain or what a fair price looks like. They are sometimes committing to expensive treatment without understanding the price in advance. And they do not always feel confident asking for a prescription or buying medicine online – even when it could save them hundreds of pounds.

“Even where pet owners could access some of this information, it is difficult for them to compare prices and services – despite the fact that, in most of the country, there are several local practices they could choose between.

“We are proposing major reforms aimed at bringing about a transformation in the experience of pet owners and empowering them to make the best choices for their circumstances. We believe that our proposals would enable pet owners to choose the right vet, the right treatment, and the right way to purchase medicine – without confusion or unnecessary cost.”

What are the proposed changes?

The CMA is putting forward an extensive package of measures to tackle these concerns, including:

• Requiring vet businesses to publish comprehensive price lists, be clear if they are part of a large group, and make sure that their policies and processes allow vets to act in the best interests of pets and pet owners. These measures will give pet owners the information they need to choose the right practice and treatment options for them.
• Making it easier for pet owners to access cheaper medicines online, including by requiring vets to tell pet owners about savings they make by buying medicines online and, where a medicine is likely to be needed frequently, automatically providing a written prescription to enable the pet owner to purchase the medicine elsewhere (unless the pet owner chooses otherwise), and capping the price of providing prescriptions at £16. These measures will help prompt consumers to consider buying medication online and protect them from having to pay excessive prices for the prescriptions they would need to do so.
• Requiring vets to give pet owners clear price information when they are choosing a treatment, with prices in writing for treatments over £500 and itemised bills. This will make it easier for consumers to consider different treatment options and providers.
• Requiring the RCVS to enhance its Find a Vet website to include pricing data drawing on the price lists vets will be required to publish; this data can also be used by third party websites and apps. This will allow consumers to compare vet prices much more effectively, for instance when they first get a pet or move areas.
• Requiring vets to give clear price information to pet owners arranging a cremation. This is important to allow pet owners to make the best decisions for their circumstances, at an especially emotional time.
• Requiring vets to give pricing breakdowns for pet care plans. This will allow pet owners to better decide if these would provide good value for money in their own circumstances.
• Recommending that the government urgently prioritises a new Veterinary Surgeons Act and updates regulation to include veterinary businesses, as well as individual vets and nurses, and give the regulator powers to set and enforce requirements and standards for these businesses. Reform is needed to make sure pet owners’ interests are protected and there is an effective complaints handling route if things go wrong.

The CMA’s final determination will be released by March 2026. The changes would be rolled out via a legally enforceable CMA Order and could witness certain provisions taking effect before the end of 2026.

Smaller veterinary practices will receive extended timeframes for compliance. Veterinary businesses can introduce modifications that would advantage their clients in the interim, and the CMA urges them to contemplate doing so.

The CMA has acknowledged that the proposed changes would necessitate businesses to modify systems or make other adjustments, which would result in some administrative costs. However, the CMA’s preliminary view is that the benefits to consumers of these measures would far exceed the costs to businesses.

The CMA will now open a consultation on the Provisional Decision. All interested parties are invited to respond to the provisional conclusions by the deadline of 12 November 2025 via the consultation page on GOV.UK. For additional information, visit the Veterinary Services case page, which includes key statistics and the administrative timetable.