BSAVA responds to CMA Proposed Remedies
28 May 2025
The BSAVA has responded to the CMA’s consultation on its working paper covering proposed remedies which outline a draft package of potential measures as part of its investigation into the UK veterinary services market for household pets. The response was submitted jointly with the British Veterinary Association (BVA), the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA), the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS) and the Veterinary Management Group (VMG).
It is clear from the working paper that the CMA has recognised the complexities of the veterinary landscape, how some clinical services are delivered and the dedication of veterinary professionals to the animals under their care. It also supports reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, in particular the need for regulation of veterinary businesses rather than individual vets and Registered Veterinary Nurses (RVN) only, who may not be accountable for business decisions.
However, our joint response raises concerns that some of the remedies are disproportionate to the issues the CMA seek to address and we have highlighted these to the CMA on behalf of our members and the wider veterinary profession. Additionally, we have suggested that some of their proposed measures should be piloted to assess their viability and impact on practices of all sizes before coming to their final conclusions.
Concerns raised in our joint response
Proportionality: The package of remedies is too extensive and complex and is disproportionate to the concerns identified by the CMA. Many components of the package would place excessive administrative burdens on some practices, in particular smaller independent veterinary businesses which have limited capacity and resources.
Cost: The package of remedies would likely increase the cost of providing veterinary services for household pets due to significant additional burdens being placed on veterinary businesses. Some of this additional cost could lead to increased veterinary fees if businesses are to remain financially viable. This in turn could result in higher bills for clients and could have an adverse impact on animal health and welfare as clients will not be able to afford veterinary care.
Veterinary medicines: Measures in relation to veterinary medicines should be carefully considered. These include for example, any cap on prescription fees or any price controls on medicines that could reduce the availability of products and limit consumer choice.
Price lists: Placing a requirement on veterinary practices to produce price lists that are too detailed, may not enable clients to easily assess the cost of services and products.
Systems: Introducing potentially costly systems could place unnecessary burdens on the sector. Such systems include the proposal to create a third-party comparison website when development of the existing RCVS Find-a-Vet website may suffice and the proposal to establish a veterinary ombudsman to address client complaints, as opposed to building on current systems.
Unintended consequences & wider impact: Although the CMA investigation covers veterinary services for household pets only, the proposed remedies would impact mixed practices that care for not just companion animals but equines or farm animals too.
The joint response in full can be accessed as follows: https://www.bva.co.uk/media/6392/final-response-to-cma-remedies-working-paper.pdf
For previous information on the CMA investigation and BSAVA-related activity, please see previous news articles here https://www.bsava.com/article/cma-investigation-bsava-responds-to-cmas-potential-remedies/