The CMA Vet Services investigation: what it found and what it changes

Two things prompted the review. First, an unprecedented volume of consumer complaints about UK vet pricing — when the CMA opened public consultation in 2023 it received over 56,000 responses, the largest response volume to any of its consultations. Pet owners reported being unable to compare prices ahead of treatment, being surprised by bills after the fact, and not knowing whether the practice they used was independently owned or part of a corporate group.

Second, the structural shift in UK veterinary services over the previous decade. Six corporate groups — CVS Group, IVC Evidensia, Linnaeus (Mars Veterinary Health), Medivet, VetPartners, and Pets at Home's Vets4Pets — together acquired a substantial share of UK first-opinion practices. The CMA's review concluded that this consolidation, combined with weak price transparency, was producing harm to consumers.

The 2025 final report identified an adverse effect on competition driven by four interacting features of the market.

Weak price transparency. Pet owners typically could not see prices ahead of treatment. The CMA found that practices commonly required a consultation before any price could be quoted, that fees were rarely listed on websites, and that comparison between practices was effectively impossible.

Concentrated corporate ownership. The six largest corporate groups had each acquired hundreds of UK practices. The CMA found that consumers rarely knew that the practice they used was corporate-owned, and that practices within the same corporate group commonly priced above local independents on routine services.

Prescription medication margins. The CMA found that medication dispensed by practices generated material profit, and that practices often did not inform pet owners that the same medication was available for less elsewhere via a written prescription. The CMA called this out as a specific area of consumer harm.

Out-of-hours care. The CMA found that consumers had limited choice when emergency or out-of-hours care was needed, and that out-of-hours surcharges were inconsistently disclosed.

The CMA ordered four classes of remedy. The implementing order, when published, is the authoritative source; this is the CMA's own published summary.

1. Mandatory price-transparency disclosure. Every regulated UK vet practice must publish prices on its website for the routine services consumers buy most often, with VAT inclusion stated explicitly.
2. Corporate ownership disclosure. Practices owned by one of the corporate groups must disclose this on their website and patient-facing communications, so consumers can identify ownership.
3. Plain-language treatment options. Vets must offer pet owners clear explanations of treatment options and their costs, including lower-cost alternatives where clinically appropriate.
4. 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 remedies are being phased in from 2026 onwards. Each remedy has its own implementation deadline set by the CMA's order. The full timeline page on Vet Cost Index sets out the year-by-year implementation schedule.

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 aggregates these disclosures into a single national index as practices begin publishing.