CMA publishes final orders despite 11th-hour intervention plea

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published its final remedy orders for the veterinary sector today (22 September) despite last-minute efforts from a professional body to pause the process.

The Progressive Veterinary Association (PVA) plunged the process into doubt as it expressed “grave concerns” over a potential conflict of interest affecting the CMA’s investigation.

It said it sent CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell a 50-page dossier of related evidence on 17 September and made an 11th-hour plea to Prime Minister Andy Burnham to intervene arguing the CMA “has utterly failed the British people”.

But the regulator released the orders as expected ahead of Wednesday’s statutory deadline for implementation.

Orders now law

Inquiry group chair Martin Coleman said: “Today marks a significant milestone in the biggest reform of veterinary services in a generation. Our reforms are now law and will make a difference to the millions of pet owners across the UK.

“By the end of this year, many pet owners will know upfront the cost of basic services like consultations and vaccinations and receive clear breakdowns of pet care plans. More changes will follow in the coming months, for example, pet owners will receive written estimates in advance for higher cost treatments.

“Our package of reforms will help pet owners better manage their budget and care for their pets, strengthen competition and improve trust in the veterinary sector.”

Larger veterinary businesses will now have until 23 December 2026 to implement the first phase of measures, which centre on the publication of price lists, written policies and processes.

Poster changes

The body said it received 278 consultation responses on its draft orders published in July and had made some modifications in light of them, but it said it “considers that the modifications are not material in any respect” and do not therefore require further consultation.

The draft orders particularly came under fire for the design and wording of proposed posters to be displayed in practices, which stated, “the same medicines may be significantly cheaper online”.

Although the posters still feature wording stating, “the same medicines may be significantly cheaper elsewhere”, they have been redesigned. On written prescriptions, the sentence “you should expect to be offered the choice within your consultation” has been removed.

‘Move forward’

BVA president Rob Williams said the veterinary profession “can finally start to move forward” now the CMA investigation has concluded.

He continued: “We’ll need to scrutinise the details but at first glance vet practices are for the most part already complying with many of the measures.

“It’s fantastic to see that following strong pushback from BVA, the CMA has listened to our concerns and significantly amended the wording and design of its client notice about medication and prescriptions, which we know was a huge worry for the profession.

“This positive step is a direct result of BVA’s ongoing engagement with the CMA which has resulted in an overall set of ’remedies’ that is more proportionate, workable and fairer for both vets and clients, compared to the CMA’s original recommendations in early 2024.”