Category
Pet Lifestyle, The Vet Consultancy
Written by Paul
Dr Paul Manktelow is a vet who’s worked for almost 20 years on the front line in some of the UK’s busiest veterinary hospitals. As Chief Vet in the Charity Sector, he leads a team of vets and nurses that treat thousands of pets every year. Paul also appears regularly in the media as a TV and radio presenter, writer, public speaker and podcast producer.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has now published its final report into the UK veterinary sector, following a long-running investigation into rising costs, transparency and competition.
For many pet owners, the headlines have been clear.
Veterinary care is getting more expensive.
But what does the report actually say? And will it make any real difference?
What the CMA Found
At its core, the CMA concluded that parts of the veterinary market are not working as well as they should for pet guardians.
Between 2016 and 2023, veterinary costs increased by around 63 percent, compared to inflation of roughly 32 percent. That gap has understandably raised concerns about affordability.
The report also highlighted issues around:
- Limited price transparency
- Unclear ownership of practices
- Barriers to accessing prescriptions
- Reduced ability for clients to compare providers
In simple terms, many owners are making decisions about their pet’s care without having clear information upfront.
What Is Changing?
Importantly, the CMA is not proposing to control prices directly. Instead, the focus is on improving transparency and helping owners make more informed choices.
Proposed changes include:
- Mandatory online price lists
- Clear disclosure of practice ownership
- Written estimates for more complex procedures
- Easier access to prescriptions
- A cap on prescription fees
- Clearer information around out-of-hours care
On paper, these are positive steps. Better information should help people understand what they are paying for and what their options are.
Will This Make Vet Care Cheaper?
This is where the conversation becomes more nuanced.
Greater transparency means you can better understand a bill.
It does not necessarily mean the bill will be lower.
Veterinary medicine has advanced significantly in recent years. We now have access to more diagnostics, more treatments and more complex procedures than ever before. All of this improves outcomes, but it also increases cost.
In the latest episode of The Consult Room, I explore this in more detail, breaking down what the CMA’s findings mean in practice and whether these reforms are likely to improve affordability.
What This Means for Pet Owners
These changes should:
- Make it easier to compare practices
- Improve clarity before treatment decisions
- Give more choice around where to buy medications
But they will not remove the need to have open conversations about cost.
If anything, they make those conversations more important.
The Bigger Picture
The CMA report is an important step. It shines a light on how the system works and where improvements are needed.
But the central question remains….Not whether we understand costs better – but whether we can afford them.
And that is something that transparency alone cannot solve.
