CMA forces vets to publish prices, caps fees as sector hails probe end

The UK’s Competition & Markets Authority on Tuesday concluded its investigation into veterinary services, mandating practices to publish price lists and capping prescription fees among remedies that will take effect within a year.

The regulator, which launched the veterinary sector review in 2023, found that veterinary prices have risen at twice the rate of inflation and that not enough information was provided to customers about the price of treatments.

Information about veterinary practices was also lacking, according to earlier findings by the competition watchdog.

The authority has ordered that practices publish a ‘comprehensive’ price list for standard services such as consultations, common procedures, diagnostics, written prescriptions and cremation options.

Additionally, veterinary practices will have to provide written estimates for treatments expected to cost more than £500 as well as itemised bills, except in cases of emergencies.

Written prescription fees will be capped at £21 for the first medicine, and at £13 for any additional one, and pet owners will have to be told they can have a written prescription, which could allow them to save money.

A ’Find a Vet’ service will be made available by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, centralising price and ownership information on veterinary practices, which will also be mandated to make it clear whether they are part of a group or an independent business.

Out-of-hours providers will also be banned from imposing long notice periods if they are unreasonable, allowing practices to end contracts if they can get better services elsewhere.

Changes to price lists and written policies will take effect between December 2026 and March 2027, while rules on price caps, prescription awareness, written prescriptions, and itemised bills will take effect between June 2027 and September 2027. Small providers have generally been granted a slightly longer time to become compliant with the new rules.

The ’Find a Vet’ service is expected to be launched in September 2027 as well, after all changes have taken effect.

The chair of the independent inquiry group, Martin Coleman, said: ‘This is the most extensive review of veterinary services in a generation, and today’s reforms will make a real difference to the millions of pet owners who want...treatment and price that meets their needs’.

CVS Group PLC welcomed the announcement by the Competition & Markets Authority, saying it brings certainty to the sector after ‘more than two years and a half of...scrutiny’.

It also noted that the final decision ‘does not introduce any new remedies over and above those announced in its provisional decision’.

It added that it was pleased to see the regulator has considered the sector’s feedback in amending the proposed fee cap, which has been increased from earlier proposals.

‘Whilst we continue to believe that some of these remedies are not fully justified, we are comfortable with them and believe they are workable. We already comply with many remedies and are well advanced in complying with others, with price lists published on our practice websites in late 2025 and 117 CVS UK companion animal practices already jointly branded,’ CVS Group added.

The company confirmed it expects to continue trading in line with expectations.

CVS Group shares were up 1.8% to 1,156.00 pence each on Tuesday morning in London.

Industry peer Pets at Home shares were down 0.6% at 179.30 pence, having yet to make any comments regarding the CMA’s new mandates.

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