BVA describes veterinary fees as fair.

Leading veterinary organisations have defended the fees charged by veterinary practices for “highly-skilled medical care” in a joint submission to the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA’s) review of the veterinary sector.

Promoting the value offered by the veterinary profession, the organisations emphasise that practices need to charge appropriately to be financially sustainable and that fees cover a range of costs, including salaries, equipment, and premises.

The submission also sets out the pressures currently faced by the profession, including a shortage of veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses, the cost-of-living crisis, and the pandemic pet boom.

Published online, the submission has been jointly made by the British Veterinary Association (BVA), the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS), the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA), and the Veterinary Management Group (VMG).

Together, the groups stress the importance of transparency about pricing and practice ownership and call for reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966.

The veterinary industry has changed significantly in recent years, with the number of independent veterinary practices dropping from 89 per cent of the market in 2013 to 45 per cent in 2021.

The CMA review, launched in September, is examining the provision of veterinary services for household pets. The authority has asked pet owners and veterinary practitioners to share their views on topics including pricing, practice ownership, and out-of-hours services.

BVA president Anna Judson said: “Rising prices are a concern for everyone, particularly during a cost-of-living crisis, but it’s vital to recognise there is no NHS for pets.

“The highly-skilled medical care that vet teams are working tirelessly to provide is costly to deliver but vet fees are a fair reflection of investment in staff, state-of-the-art medical equipment, medical supplies, medicines, and the time vet teams dedicate to the care of each patient.

“However, this is a timely opportunity for us to reflect on the importance of transparency in relation to both pricing and practice ownership. We want to see healthy competition, consumer choice and thriving veterinary businesses.”

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