Reference
CMA Vet Services investigation: timeline and remedies
The Competition and Markets Authority opened a market investigation into UK veterinary services for household pets in May 2024 and published its final report in 2025. Among the remedies ordered is mandatory price-transparency disclosure on every UK vet practice’s website, being phased in from 2026.
Timeline
September 2023
Market review opens
The CMA launches a market review into UK veterinary services for household pets, examining whether competition is working well for consumers. Public consultation runs through 2024.
March 2024
Initial findings published
The CMA receives over 56,000 responses from pet owners, the highest response volume to any of its consultations. Initial findings flag concerns about price transparency, corporate ownership concentration, prescription medication margins, and out-of-hours care.
May 2024
Market investigation reference made
Following the review, the CMA refers the market for full market investigation under the Enterprise Act 2002. An independent inquiry group is appointed to conduct the investigation and propose remedies.
2025
Final report published
The inquiry group publishes its final report finding an adverse effect on competition and ordering a package of remedies including mandatory price-transparency disclosure, ownership disclosure, plain-language treatment-option explanations, and clearer information on prescription dispensing fees.
2026 onwards
Remedies phased in
Implementing orders take effect on a rolling schedule. UK vet practices begin publishing price-transparency disclosures on their websites. Vet Cost Index begins capturing each published disclosure as it goes live.
Remedies in scope
The CMA’s final order covers four areas. The full text of the order, once published, is the authoritative source; the summary below reflects the CMA’s own published findings.
- Mandatory price-transparency disclosure
- Every regulated UK vet practice must publish prices on its website for the routine services that consumers buy most often — consultations (in-hours and out-of-hours), vaccinations (dog primary, dog booster, cat primary, cat booster, kennel cough), neutering (male/female cat and dog), microchipping, dental scale and polish, prescription dispensing fees, and pet cremation (loose ashes and individual). VAT inclusion must be stated explicitly.
- Corporate ownership disclosure
- Practices owned by one of the corporate groups (CVS Group, IVC Evidensia, Linnaeus, Medivet, VetPartners, Pets at Home / Vets4Pets) must clearly disclose their ownership on their website and in patient-facing communications, so consumers can identify which practices are corporate-owned versus locally independent.
- Plain-language treatment-option explanations
- Vets must offer pet owners a clear explanation of treatment options and their costs, including lower-cost alternatives where clinically appropriate, so owners can make informed decisions before consenting to treatment.
- Prescription medication and dispensing fees
- Practices must disclose dispensing fees and the price of prescription medication, and must inform pet owners that medication can typically be obtained more cheaply elsewhere via a written prescription. The CMA’s investigation identified prescription medication as a substantial profit centre for many practices.
What changes for pet owners
For the first time UK pet owners will be able to compare published prices for routine veterinary services across practices in their area, see at a glance whether a practice is corporate-owned or independent, and receive structured cost information ahead of consenting to treatment. Vet Cost Index will aggregate these disclosures into a national index and surface them by service, location, and ownership group at /search.
Frequently asked
When did the CMA open its vet services investigation?
The Competition and Markets Authority opened its market investigation reference into UK veterinary services for household pets in May 2024, following a market review begun in September 2023. The market review had attracted over 56,000 responses from pet owners, the highest response volume the CMA had received to any consultation, and identified concerns about pricing transparency, ownership concentration, prescription medication margins, and out-of-hours care availability.
What did the CMA find?
The CMA's final report found an adverse effect on competition in the UK veterinary services market driven primarily by weak price transparency, ownership concentration in the hands of six corporate groups (CVS Group, IVC Evidensia, Linnaeus, Medivet, VetPartners, and Pets at Home's Vets4Pets), high margins on prescription medications dispensed by practices, and limited consumer choice in out-of-hours care. The CMA found that pet owners frequently could not compare prices ahead of treatment and were rarely told that the practice they used was corporate-owned.
What remedies did the CMA order?
The CMA's final order requires every regulated UK vet practice to publish standardised price disclosures on its website covering routine consultations (in-hours and out-of-hours), vaccinations, neutering, dental care, microchipping, dispensing fees on prescription medication, and pet cremation. Practices must clearly state whether prices include VAT, disclose corporate ownership of the practice, surface lower-cost alternatives where clinically appropriate, and explain prescription dispensing fees in plain language. The remedies are being phased in from 2026.
Sources
- Competition and Markets Authority — UK Veterinary Services Market Investigation: Final Report (2025).
- Competition and Markets Authority — UK Veterinary Services Market Review: Initial Findings (2024).
- PDSA Animal Wellbeing Report (annual). Industry-published figures on UK vet care costs and pet ownership.
Last reviewed: 2026-05-03. Page is updated as the CMA implementing orders are published and remedies take effect.