CMA publishes draft veterinary orders as consultation opens

Business regulators have released details of the draft orders which will be used to enforce their planned reforms of the UK veterinary sector.

A month-long consultation process has also begun today, 21 July, after the long-awaited documents were published by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

But officials have stressed they will not be reviewing decisions taken when the investigation’s final report was published as part of the new exercise.

The documents set out the likely timetable under which companion animal care providers will be expected to implement the changes required under the orders, which are due to come into force in September.

Staggered deadlines

Under its anticipated timetable, large care providers with 15 practices or more will be expected to comply with provisions on issues including basic information, price lists, pet care plans, written policies and cremations by December, with smaller practices having until next March to comply.

The same deadline will be in place for all providers to deal with issues of ownership, in-house complaint processes and mediation.

Prescription price cap requirements will also apply to larger providers from March, with rules on written estimates, itemised bills, prescription awareness, written prescriptions, own brand medicines and ongoing medication information being implemented from June 2027.

Smaller business will have until next September to comply with those requirements, the same point at which all providers will be expected to meet rules relating to the expanded Find a Vet website.

The consultation website said the exercise was intended to seek views on whether the draft orders were “consistent with” and achieved the aims of the final report published in March.

It added: “We are not consulting on the inquiry group’s decisions in the final report, such as its findings on the adverse effect of competition and the remedies it is implementing.”

Vet Times Q&A

Meanwhile, in an accompanying Vet Times Q&A, inquiry group chair Martin Coleman said vets’ professionalism was “not in doubt” and he expected “the vast majority of practices will comply” with the measures.

“We’ll be working closely with industry bodies to ensure that businesses know exactly what they need to do and when – and that is our main focus.”

Views on the draft orders can be submitted here or by emailing [email protected] until 20 August.

A separate process examining a draft funding order setting out the amounts practices are likely to have to pay in levy charges linked to the reforms is due to close next Thursday, 30 July.