Nick Edser, Business reporter
and Jim Connolly & Abi Smitton, BBC News Investigations
Written prescription fees from vets will be capped at £21 and practices must publish price lists for services, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has said. The watchdog also plans a price comparison website to boost competition and help reduce costs for consumers.
The CMA’s in-depth investigation found vet prices rising at nearly twice the rate of inflation. It said about 60% of UK households own a pet and the sector is worth more than £6.7bn. The reforms are expected to begin coming into force later this year.
Under the changes, vets must tell pet owners they can request a written prescription, which could allow them to buy medicines more cheaply elsewhere. Prescription fees, currently uncapped, will be limited to £21 for the first medicine and £12.50 for each additional medicine.
Practices will have to publish comprehensive price lists covering standard services such as consultations, common procedures and cremation options. For treatments expected to cost £500 or more, vets must provide a written estimate in advance, including aftercare costs, and supply an itemised bill; emergencies are exempt. Businesses must also make clear whether they are part of a larger group or independent.
Price and ownership information will be made available through the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons’ “Find a Vet” service and shared with third-party comparison sites. The CMA said it supports government plans to reform veterinary law so businesses, as well as individuals, are accountable to an independent regulator.
Martin Coleman, chair of the independent Inquiry Group, said the reforms would help pet owners find the practice, treatment and price that meet their needs, and make ownership, treatment options and prices clearer. The CMA found more than 70% of pet owners bought long-term medication from their vet practice even though many could save around £200 a year or more by buying online.
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) said the measures “will help pet owners make more informed choices” but warned practices have also faced rising costs. Dr Rob Williams, president of the BVA, called existing legislation “woefully outdated” and noted that advances in veterinary technology mean vets can now offer more treatment options than in the past, which increases costs. He urged pet owners with cost concerns to talk to their vets.
The report included examples of wide price differences. Kelly Norton, 50, who travels around Europe in a camper van with her husband and their 11-year-old dog Vinny, said her UK vet quoted £1,600 to remove a benign tumour, while a vet in Italy quoted €160 (£138) for the same operation. She described the disparity as “atrocious” and said she was angry that people sometimes have to give up or euthanise pets because they cannot afford UK treatment.
Veterinary staff say high costs reflect running expenses. Will Trewarman, a senior veterinary surgeon at Vale Veterinary Group in Kidderminster, told BBC Your Voice that vets are not making excessive profits, pointing to high energy bills and costs for staffing, equipment, drugs and other products.
The CMA’s package aims to increase transparency, make it easier to compare local practices and hold vet businesses to account, while giving pet owners more options to manage costs. Additional reporting by Jemma Crew.
