Government Consultation: Reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966
- CatsMatter
- 39 minutes ago
- 6 min read
Recently, the Government published it's intentions to bring in the biggest reforms to the sector in 60 years! Millions of owners and vet professionals across the country will benefit from major reforms to the veterinary sector – the first overhaul in sixty years. The reforms will help households understand what they are paying for, avoid unexpected costs and choose the best value care for their pets. 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.
A consultation was launched which, as stakeholders, we took part in. Our focus areas were surrounding external regulation/veterinary ombudsman, pricing and the corporate take over of veterinary practices, which has ultimately caused many of the issues we are seeing and feeling today.
Arguments for a veterinary ombudsman centre on the need for an independent, statutory body to address the growing power of corporate veterinary groups, soaring costs, and the perceived inadequacies of current self-regulation. It could be argued that the current system is stacked against consumers, leaving them with limited redress when dealing with high-cost, high-stakes veterinary care. We discussed in our answers the need for an external regulator so there is a fair oversight body that does not create a monopoly for veterinary nurses and pet owners when the representative body and regulator is the same body. We discussed how the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) reported that 3,540 enquiries were made to the RCVS Professional Conduct team between October 2023 and September 2024. Of these 692 were ‘registered concerns’ deemed to relate to potential professional misconduct, but only 22 cases progressed to a Disciplinary Committee hearing in 2024. The remaining 2,848 complaints were directed away from the RCVS for resolution elsewhere, for example through the veterinary business. We were concerned this meant the threshold for concerns was too high or that enquiries were just being batted back to be dealt with in house where conflict of interest could be stated in some cases.
Here are the main arguments for a veterinary ombudsman, primarily based on concerns within the UK sector:
1) Need for Independent and Fair Dispute Resolution
Impartiality Concerns: Critics argue that the current regulator, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), is not impartial because it acts as both a representative body and a regulator.
Limitations of Current Mediation: While the Veterinary Client Mediation Service (VCMS) exists, it is voluntary. A, statutory ombudsman would provide binding adjudication rather than just mediation, forcing practices to engage with complaints.
High Costs and Low Success Rates: Evidence suggests only 31% of veterinary complaints are resolved positively, compared to 52% across other sectors.
2. Addressing Corporate Concentration and Pricing
Corporate Power: A massive shift towards corporate ownership (with six major groups controlling60% of first-opinion practices) has led to concerns about prioritising profits over animal welfare.
Soaring Fees: Veterinary prices have risen at nearly twice the rate of inflation, often without clear, upfront transparency, leaving pet owners with unexpected, massive bills.
OOH Costs: The, extraordinary costs of Out-Of-Hours (OOH) care are a major area of concern, with little choice for pet owners in emergency situations.
3. Gaps in Current Regulation
Individual vs. Practice Regulation: The RCVS regulates individual vets and nurses, but not the practice entity itself. An ombudsman could hold the business, not just the professional, accountable for policies, pricing, and standards.
Narrow Scope of Misconduct: The RCVS often only investigates the most serious cases (e.g., dishonesty or criminal activity), leaving many "run-of-the-mill" complaints about poor care or customer service without proper investigation.
4. Protecting Vulnerable Consumers and Pets
Emotional and Financial Distress: The loss or poor treatment of a pet, considered a family member, often causes severe emotional distress, which is compounded by a difficult complaint process.
"Stacking" Against Owners: Consumers often lack the legal protection that vets have via indemnity insurance, leaving them unable to effectively challenge decisions.
5. Improving Standards and Transparency
Data-Driven Improvement: An ombudsman could collect and analyse complaint data to identify systemic issues across the sector, driving improvements in care and service standards.
Transparency: A dedicated, independent body could enforce better transparency regarding treatment options, pricing, and ownership structures.
Secondly, we raised the issue of the corporate takeover of veterinary practices which has fundamentally transformed the veterinary sector, marking a shift from independent, owner-operated clinics to large, investor-backed corporate groups. In the UK, for instance, just six companies now control approximately 60% of the market. This consolidation is driven by private equity firms and has brought significant changes, including rising costs, increased specialization, and altered working environments.
The impact of this shift is multifaceted, often characterized by both improved resources and reduced local competition.
Major Changes in the Sector
Surging Costs for Pet Owners: A significant consequence has been the rapid increase in vet fees. Reports indicate that vet bills rose by over 60% in the UK between 2015 and 2023, significantly outpacing inflation.
Market Consolidation: A small number of corporations now dominate the market, often operating under multiple, often original, brand names, which can mask the lack of local competition.
Focus on Profitability: Corporate practices often prioritize financial performance (EBITDA - earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) and shareholder returns, shifting the focus from the traditional, independent "family doctor" model.
Reduced Choice and Transparency: The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has identified issues with price transparency, with many practices failing to provide online pricing, making it harder for owners to compare costs.
Vertical Integration: Corporate giants are not only buying clinics but also controlling the entire supply chain, including out-of-hours services (e.g., Vets Now), laboratories, and cremation services.
Impact on Veterinary Professionals
Burnout and Turnover: Increased pressure to meet revenue targets and upsell services has led to higher burnout rates among staff, with some studies showing that over 60% of veterinarians in corporate settings experience burnout.
Loss of Clinical Autonomy: Many vets report feeling constrained by corporate policies, strict protocols, and reduced autonomy over treatment decisions.
Better Career Resources: On the positive side, corporate ownership often provides better access to advanced equipment, training, mentorship programs, and, in some cases, higher salaries.
Impact on Pet Care and Welfare
Standardized Care: While consolidation can lead to improved, standardized protocols, it can sometimes lead to an impersonal, high-throughput environment, replacing more tailored, compassionate care.
Unnecessary Procedures: There are concerns that the pressure to meet financial targets can incentivize the recommendation of unnecessary tests or treatments.
Access to Specialized Technology: Corporate ownership often brings investment in, and easier access to, advanced medical technology and specialist care that small clinics cannot afford.
The Future Landscape
The rapid expansion of corporate ownership is currently facing scrutiny from regulators like the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which has proposed reforms aimed at increasing transparency and fairness. While the corporate trend continues, high interest rates and increased regulatory oversight are slowing the rate of acquisitions, creating opportunities for a, potential, resurgence of independent practices. We have pressed for regulation in areas such as caps on pricing/profit, reduced VAT, and other areas of key reform which would break down the barriers to opportunity, strengthen the workforce, consumer protections and competition, and, most importantly, uphold animal welfare!
To view our previous work on the issue of the corporate take over following Linda Joyce-Jones' successful campaigning at the Welsh Parliament that we attended here;
