The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), a government watchdog, says average vet prices across the market rose by 63% between 2016 and 2023 – well above the rate of inflation. In order to tackle this, the CMA has carried out a formal UK-wide investigation into the industry and will soon publish a final report setting out changes to how it wants vets to operate.
Meanwhile, many vets have told the BBC they feel under pressure to make money for their increasingly small pool of owners. In 2013, only 10% of vet practices in the UK were owned by large corporate groups. Now that figure stands at 60%.
Claire Batty, who opened her own veterinary practice on the outskirts of Whalley, Lancashire, in 2023, says she previously worked for one of the big firms, but left after becoming fed up with being “told by somebody who’s sat behind a desk you’re not earning enough money”.
Many pet owners suspect this is pushing prices up. However, Rob Williams, president of the British Veterinary Association (BVA) – which speaks for the big operators as well as independent vets – says it’s “too reductive to say this one thing happened, therefore all the prices have shot up”.
He and the chains tell me prices have jumped because consumers are increasingly opting for newly available hi-tech treatments for their animals which do not come cheap. Some suggest the public may need to consider whether it is always appropriate to opt for the most expensive treatment and also to assess whether choosing a certain breed is likely to push up their bills.
What seems undeniable, however, is that prices are high and people are struggling to afford them. So what, if anything, can be done to bring them down?