The UK Government has launched a public consultation on proposed reforms to the veterinary profession, signalling the most significant update to regulation in decades.
The consultation outlines plans to modernise the Veterinary Surgeons Act, with proposals aimed at improving transparency for animal owners and strengthening oversight of veterinary businesses as well as individual professionals.
Under the proposals, veterinary practices would be required to publish clear price lists for common treatments and provide transparent information about treatment options. Every practice would also need to hold an official operating licence, similar to those required for GP surgeries and care homes, and disclose its ownership structure so clients can see whether a practice is independently owned or part of a larger corporate group.
The reforms would introduce new regulatory oversight of veterinary businesses, alongside existing professional regulation of individual vets. This would place shared responsibility on both practitioners and the organisations that own and operate practices to uphold professional standards.
The proposals are being guided by Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, which says reform is needed in light of significant changes to the sector. Around 60 percent of veterinary practices are now owned by non-vets, with many operating under what the government describes as “unclear ownership structures”.
A new licensing system is proposed, requiring veterinary businesses to meet defined standards and introducing a modern disciplinary framework. This could include enforcement action and, in serious cases, the loss of a practice’s licence where standards are not met.
The consultation follows an ongoing investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority into the veterinary sector. The CMA has raised concerns about a lack of transparency around pricing and treatment options, limited routes for redress when problems arise, and an outdated regulatory framework that applies only to individual vets rather than the businesses that own practices.
While the CMA has not yet published its final report, many of the remedies it has consulted on are reflected in the government’s proposals.
Commenting on the announcement, Martin Coleman, chair of the CMA Inquiry Group, said the current rules are no longer fit for purpose and need reform to keep pace with commercial practice and to help build trust between pet owners and veterinary businesses.
Animal Welfare Minister Baroness Hayman said the proposals are intended to give animal owners clearer information and greater confidence in veterinary care, while continuing to support the professionals delivering those services.
The consultation, titled Reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, will run for eight weeks, with responses invited from veterinary professionals, animal owners and wider stakeholders across the sector.
