‘We want to build trust’, new vet bill check platform claims

A new veterinary price comparison platform has been unveiled that will allow pet owners to upload bills to assess whether they are fair or not.

VetsCompared bosses say they want to help develop a “more trusting and constructive relationship” between practices and their clients in the wake of the long-running Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigation.

But they also claimed prices in the sector are still rising nearly twice as fast as overall consumer inflation.

Developers of the new platform, launched today (14 May), claim it is intended to give pet owners more control over how they access and pay for treatment.

Practice switching

Its main features include practice switching, the ability to request prices from up to 12 clinics and the provision to upload a bill to determine whether charges are either “low”, “fair” or “high”.

Those assessments are said to be based on “national benchmarks” derived from data provided by practices.

But officials have insisted they are not trying to portray individual practices as right or wrong on price and stressed there was “no excuse” for abuse of practice staff – a repeated concern throughout the CMA process.

‘Greater transparency’

Founder Eddie Holmes said: “Our view is that greater transparency helps reduce tension, not exacerbate it.

“One of the biggest drivers of frustration for pet owners is uncertainty around pricing and a lack of understanding around treatment costs before decisions are made.

“By helping improve transparency and making it easier for owners to better understand pricing, compare options, and have more informed conversations with their vet, we hope the industry can move towards a more trusting and constructive relationship between practices and clients.”

CMA requirements

The company, which operates a sister ComplianceForVets platform, intended to help practices meet impending CMA requirements, has also argued that the problem of prices rising faster than inflation, as highlighted by the investigation, is continuing.

It pointed to data from the Office for National Statistics, which suggested veterinary prices had risen by 6.1% in the past year, compared to a 3.3% increase in the wider Consumer Prices Index.

But it also argued clients could make savings by using independent practices, highlighting areas including nurse consultations and booster vaccinations as particular examples.

Mr Holmes said: “We believe independent veterinary practices in particular provide an incredibly valuable service to communities across the UK and deserve greater recognition for the level of care and value they deliver every day.”