Vet fees are being looked at (Image: Diy13 via Getty Images)
Millions of pet owners stand to benefit from the most sweeping shake-up of veterinary regulation in six decades, as the Government this week unveiled its White Paper outlining its vision for a fairer and more prosperous veterinary sector – yet one industry insider warned the “practical outcome could be higher fees and higher insurance premiums” for pet owners.
Fresh measures, the Government insists, will fundamentally modernise the industry, delivering stronger protections for households and greater transparency over pricing – helping pet owners understand exactly what they are paying for, sidestep unexpected costs and select the best value care for their animals. To achieve this, vet practices will be obliged to publish price lists for routine treatments and be open about options and changes, enabling pet owners to make informed decisions about their animals’ care.
This will be underpinned by an enhanced ‘Find a Vet’ service and a £21 cap on written prescription charges. The Government further noted that having access to key prices in advance would assist owners in identifying the best value available.
A new independent veterinary ombudsman is additionally being explored to provide pet owners with a clear and accessible route to redress when complaints cannot be settled directly with their practice. Equipped with the authority to issue binding rulings, the ombudsman will ensure disputes are resolved more swiftly and equitably, bolstering confidence throughout the sector.
The White Paper sets out fresh proposals for veterinary businesses to become subject to statutory regulation, including a compulsory licensing scheme, inspections and published compliance reports to enhance accountability and consumer choice. Enhanced transparency surrounding prices and practice ownership will be required for the first time, enabling pet owners to make genuinely informed choices about their animals’ care.
Secretary of State for Defra, Emma Reynolds, said: “Pets are part of the family, but for too many households the cost of caring for them has become a real worry. These reforms will help owners avoid unexpected bills, compare prices more easily and get the best value care for their pets. We’re modernising a system that hasn’t been updated for 60 years, putting pet owners first while giving vets the modern framework they need to support the future of the profession.”
The White Paper addresses the conclusions of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which raised concerns surrounding transparency and competition within the veterinary sector. Recommendations from the CMA will tackle competition issues, before the new legislation takes effect.
Eddie Holmes (Image: Newspage)
These alterations, the Government stated, were essential given the profession today is fundamentally different to the 1960s when the Veterinary Surgeons Act was brought in. The industry was then predominantly comprised of agricultural vet practices and small family-owned businesses.
The sector is now largely driven by small animal care and a small number of major corporations, meaning existing legislation has failed to keep up with the demands of the contemporary landscape. The Government stated that the reforms will bolster veterinary professionals and businesses, ensuring the regulatory framework remains in step with a modern, expanding sector.
UK Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said: “The veterinary profession has changed enormously over the past 60 years, but the legislation underpinning it has not kept pace. This new framework will build a stronger, more resilient veterinary profession fit to meet the needs of the UK’s animal sector whilst ensuring the highest standards of care for our animals.”
British Veterinary Association president Dr Rob Williams MRCVS added: “Current veterinary legislation is shockingly outdated and frankly is no longer fit for purpose. The publication of today’s White Paper is a positive, landmark moment for vet professionals, as well as for animals and their owners, taking us all one step closer to improved legislation that meets the demands of modern veterinary medicine.”
Meanwhile, Tim Hutchinson MRCVS, President of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, said: “These are the biggest reforms to the veterinary sector since 1966 and, while we welcome the CMA’s pricing and transparency recommendations being incorporated into this white paper, it’s no overstatement to say that Defra’s proposed reforms are even more significant for the public interest and animal health and welfare.
“They will provide stronger powers for the RCVS to regulate all veterinary and animal healthcare businesses, ensure the title ‘veterinary nurse’ is used only by properly qualified professionals, allow for the regulation of the wider veterinary team, and introduce a modern fitness to practise framework.”
The White Paper has been brought forward following a wide-ranging public consultation, which drew thousands of responses from both members of the public and the veterinary profession. All submissions were thoroughly considered in shaping the final proposals.
Eddie Holmes, founder of vet comparison website VetsCompared, said he welcomed the government’s intention to improve transparency, competition and outcomes for pet owners, “as the veterinary sector needs reform, and pet owners should have clearer information on prices, ownership, treatment options, prescriptions and routes of redress”.
He added: “However, there is a serious risk that these reforms are being presented as a route to cheaper vet fees when the practical outcome could be higher fees and higher insurance premiums, unless the implementation is handled carefully. It is notable that, while the government headline refers to ‘cheaper vet fees’, the industry voices quoted in the announcement do not appear to make that claim.
“The comments from the RCVS, BVA and BVNA focus on modernisation, regulation, professional recognition, animal welfare, transparency, choice and public confidence. Those are important objectives, but they are not evidence that prices will come down.
“That distinction matters because these reforms do not simply remove cost from the system. In many areas, they add cost. Mandatory licensing, inspections, published compliance reports, price disclosure, complaint handling, ombudsman processes, data submissions and enhanced Find a Vet reporting will all create new operational burdens for practices.
“Large corporate groups can centralise that work across compliance, legal, data and pricing teams. Independent practices cannot do that so easily. For many independents, the same people delivering clinical care will also be expected to manage more administration, more reporting, more documentation and more regulatory process. That cost has to go somewhere.
“If written prescription fees are capped, that may reduce one visible charge for pet owners. But if practices lose income from prescriptions or medicine margins, they are likely to recover it through consultation fees, diagnostics, procedures, medication reviews, care plans or other charges. That is not necessarily profiteering. It is basic cost recovery in a high-pressure clinical business.
“There is also a risk that price transparency pushes some prices up, not down. If independent practices discover that they are materially cheaper than corporate competitors, many will conclude that they have been undercharging. Public pricing may reduce excessive charges in some areas, but it may also cause cheaper practices to move closer to the local market rate.
“The insurance effect also matters. If practice costs are recovered through consultations, diagnostics and procedures, those costs may flow into insurance claims. Higher claims costs usually mean higher premiums, narrower cover, higher excesses or tighter insurer controls. Pet owners may save on one line item while paying more through insurance or treatment costs elsewhere.
“The policy objective is right. Pet owners deserve transparency. But the implementation must not unintentionally accelerate consolidation or make independent practice ownership less viable.
“Good independent vets are often the practices most likely to provide continuity, local accountability and fair pricing. They should not be hit hardest by a compliance model designed around the capacity of large corporate groups.
“The government and CMA should ensure that these reforms are proportionate, digitally deliverable and realistic for independent practices. Otherwise, a package promoted as reducing costs could end up increasing fees, increasing insurance premiums and weakening the independent sector that many pet owners trust most.”