Clearer pricing will help pet owners compare costs and shop around, saving families money
Millions of pet owners and vet professionals across the country will benefit from major reforms to the veterinary sector - the first overhaul in sixty years.
The reforms help households understand what they are paying for, avoid unexpected costs and choose the best value care for their pets.
They come after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found problems in the veterinary market could be costing households up to £1 billion over five years. The CMA found that vet fees have risen at nearly twice the rate of inflation - which is why this government is taking action.
The proposals will make the system clearer, fairer and more transparent for owners - while supporting veterinary professionals alike.
Benefits for pet owners:
- Clearer prices easing the ability to look around: Vet practices will be required to publish price lists for common treatments, and be transparent about options and changes allowing pet owners to choose the best treatment for their animals. Knowing key prices beforehand helps owners to choose the best value.
- More competition to lower costs over time: Vet businesses must disclose who owns them so pet owners know if their local practice is part of a larger chain or independent. This knowledge and price transparency helps owners to decide which practice to use which increases competition and bring down costs over time.
- Greater confidence in care: Every vet practice will need an official operating licence - similar to GP surgeries and care homes.
- Fairer treatment complaints process: Stronger rules on how veterinary businesses must operate with an easier and more effective route for customers to raise concerns along with more support offered to allow vets and vet nurses to carry out their roles successfully; benefitting animal health and welfare.
- Better access to quality care: New measures will bring veterinary nurses and certain allied veterinary professionals into regulation, freeing up veterinary surgeons to focus on more specialist care, improving access and reducing delays.
Benefits for veterinary professionals:
- Legal recognition for veterinary nurses to strengthen professional identity, helping improve job satisfaction and boosting retention rates.
- Regulatory oversight of veterinary businesses, not just individual vets, so the responsibility for upholding standards is shared and clearer.
- Modernised processes for registration and "fitness to practice", focusing on current competence rather than past mistakes.
- A modern governance model for the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), whose current structure has remained largely unchanged since 1966 and now lags behind other healthcare regulators. Proposals will reduce potential conflicts of interest and strengthen public and professional trust.
Animal Welfare Minister Baroness Hayman said:
"Pets are part of the family, and owners deserve clear information, fair treatment and confidence in the care their animals receive.
"We're focused on making vet services work better for families by improving transparency, increasing choice and helping people make informed decisions, while continuing to support the professionals who care for our animals."
UK Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Christine Middlemiss said:
"Updating these rules will help build a modern veterinary service that is easier for the public to understand and navigate, while strengthening animal health outcomes and supporting a skilled, resilient workforce.
"Reforming the Veterinary Surgeons Act is a crucial step towards building a stronger, more resilient profession. This consultation gives pet owners and professionals the chance to help shape a system that works better for everyone."
British Veterinary Association President Dr. Rob Williams MRCVS said:
"Veterinary teams play a vital role in society, from caring for the nation's animals and supporting our farmers and food production, through to assisting international trade, disease control and public health. If we're to continue delivering this work effectively, we need reformed veterinary legislation, and those changes will impact how we go about all aspects of our work; it's therefore imperative that colleagues engage with Defra's proposals, ensure their voices are heard and grasp this opportunity to shape a veterinary sector that's fit for the 21st century."
Martin Coleman, Chair of the CMA Inquiry Group said:
"We welcome the government's consultation to update this vital regulation and protect pet owners. Our vets investigation is ongoing, but we have already set out our strong concern that the current rules are not fit for purpose and need reforming to keep pace with commercial practice and further build pet owner trust in veterinary businesses."
Why change is needed:
60% of vet practices are owned by non-vets, with many operating under unclear ownership structures. The reforms propose a new licencing system requiring businesses to meet clear standards - with enforcement action, including potential loss of licence, where they fail to do so.
A modern disciplinary process will accompany the reforms, with a wider range of sanctions to ensure customer concerns are properly addressed and support veterinary professionals to safely carry out their roles. This will work to improve care whilst reducing punitive outcomes and will benefit both owners and professionals alike.
Veterinary professionals are essential to the UK's high animal health and welfare standards. These reforms strengthen professional recognition, modernise outdated regulation and help safeguard the profession's ability to continue to protect the UK from the threats to disease and food security.
This announcement follows the publication of the Animal Welfare Strategy, and is part of this Government's ambitious reforms to animal welfare - improving the lives of millions of animals across the UK.
The consultation will run for 8 weeks.
Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, said:
"For years, Which? has been exposing unclear pricing and poor practice in the vet industry so it's good to see the government taking steps to modernise the sector and ensure it treats pet owners fairly.
"The current regulation is decades out of date and oversight of veterinary businesses, not just individual vets, is urgently needed. The government needs to ensure that its new licensing system has the right sanctions in place for businesses which break the rules.
"The government must ensure these changes are introduced as soon as possible to restore consumer confidence in the sector. As part of these reforms, it should also legislate to establish a mandatory Ombudsman scheme with the power to make binding judgements about customer complaints and take action against any vets or vet practices falling short."
Additional information:
- Consultation document available on request.
President of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, Professor Tim Parkin BVSc FRCVS said:
"We're delighted to see the launch of this consultation and are very grateful to Defra's veterinary policy team, and all stakeholders, for the hard work and close collaboration over the last year to get us to this point. This really is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for all of us to help shape the future of the veterinary professions and animal healthcare industry, and to introduce a modern regulatory framework that's fit for purpose in the 21st century. At nearly 60 years old, the Veterinary Surgeons Act is in urgent need of reform - it's time for change."
BVNA President Sarah Holliday commented:
"At BVNA we are delighted that this consultation is now underway, representing an important step towards a potential reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act. BVNA has welcomed the opportunity to represent the veterinary nursing profession throughout the entirety of the sprint process, which has demonstrated meaningful and effective collaboration between each of our respective organisations. We thank the team at Defra for their sustained efforts in arriving at this stage, and we look forward to continuing to work together towards legislation which truly reflects the veterinary landscape of today and the future."
Charlotte Beckett, interim Chief Veterinary Officer at the RSPCA, added:
"This is really positive news for the veterinary profession, pet owners and animal welfare.
"We know costs are a real concern for pet owners - and our Animal Kindness Index found more than half (52%) are worried about how to afford vet bills. That's why clearer pricing is such an important step forward - bringing greater transparency to the sector, and helping current and future pet owners understand the potential financial implications of responsible pet ownership.
"These reforms can equip pet owners with knowledge and confidence to deal with health and welfare concerns their pets may have promptly - protecting animals and ensuring many welfare issues do not escalate.
"But we know these have been tough times for the veterinary profession too - so moves to modernise governance, legally recognise hardworking veterinary nurses, and provide better oversight are critical to a sector that does such vital work in communities across the country.
"We now look forward to working with the UK Government, and the veterinary profession, to help inform and contribute towards these vital reforms, and keep building a better world for every kind."
Paul Manktelow, Veterinary Director at Blue Cross, said:
"We were delighted to welcome Baroness Hayman to our Blue Cross animal hospital in Victoria, London. We spoke with her about the work our veterinary team do, treating pets whose owners are amongst the most vulnerable in society and struggle with the cost of private vet fees.
"We highlighted the pressures on the sector and welcomed Defra's review of the outdated Veterinary Service Act and recognition of the vital role veterinary nurses play."
Karen Reed, Veterinary and Welfare Director at Dogs Trust, said:
"Dogs Trust welcomes the decision to consult on reforming the Veterinary Surgeons Act, which the professions have been long calling for. We work closely with the veterinary professions and rely on their support so we particularly welcome the announcement to review the regulations governing RVNs and other allied professions.
"We recognise that clear information, transparent pricing and high professional standards are essential to protecting animal welfare. Pets are family members, and owners need confidence that they can make informed decisions about their care. Improving owner satisfaction while supporting veterinary professionals would be a positive step towards a system that works better for both animals and the people who care for them."
