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CMA's vet reforms to lead to higher prices?

ended 02. July 2026

A Newspager says he believes that the CMA's reforms of the vet sector will actually lead to prices going up.

Vets will, from September, be forced to publish their prices publically. But a Newspager fears that this will mean vets see they are under-charging compared to their rivals, and up their prices.

The CMA will also crack down on high prescription charges that vets charge – though this is how many independent vets make money and keep their prices relatively low. It could mean they raise prices or even are forced to sell up.

  • Do you agree? Why?
  • Or do you not? Why?
  • Is any government intervention at risk of causing unintended consequences?

Responses today.

1 responses from the Newspage community

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Editor
Samuel Mather-Holgate
Managing Director & IFA at Mather and Murray Financial
Greater transparency should put downward pressure on vet bills, not push them up. At the moment, too many pet owners only discover the cost once they are emotionally committed and already in the consulting room. Publishing prices gives consumers a fighting chance to compare, question and shop around. Yes, some vets may realise they are cheaper than rivals, but in a visible market that cuts both ways: expensive practices will have to justify their fees too. The real problem is not intervention itself, but clumsy intervention. Done properly, the CMA’s reforms should reward clear pricing, fair prescriptions and genuine competition — all of which ought to help households already stretched by the cost of living.