DATA-BACKED GUIDE · UPDATED JULY 2026
The CMA vet investigation explained: what it means for pet owners
For two years the Competition and Markets Authority dug into why pet care costs so much. Its 2026 investigation confirmed what many owners already suspected: the market is not working well for them. Corporate-owned practices were charging 18.3% more on average than independents, and prices had risen 63% between 2016 and 2023, far outstripping general inflation over that period. This guide sets out what the CMA found and the concrete changes arriving in September 2026.
The quick version
- The CMA found competition had weakened as six groups came to own more than 60% of practices, up from 10% in 2013.
- Corporate-owned practices charged 18.3% more on average than independent ones, even for comparable treatment.
- Vet prices rose 63% between 2016 and 2023, a jump the CMA said owners could not explain simply by rising costs.
- The investigation concluded that owners often lack the information to shop around or challenge their bills.
- From September 2026 every practice must publish price lists and display prescription fees, which are capped at £21.
- The watchdog estimated pet owners overpay by around £1bn over five years.
Published and surveyed prices
Where these 25 prices come from — 12 named sources
- bluecross.org.uk
- celiahammond.org
- harrisonfamilyvets.co.uk
- liverpool.ac.uk
- vets4pets.com
- thegreenvets.uk
- westbrookvets.co.uk
- manypets.com
- medivetgroup.com
- petsnvets.org
- goddardvetgroup.co.uk
- valleyvets.net
Each is a published price list, an official survey, or a receipt/quote a reader shared. The full per-price list with year and area is on the standard consult page.
Typical standard consult price by region
On the prices we hold, a typical standard consult is cheapest in North of England (median £55) and dearest in South of England (£64) — roughly 16% more for the same appointment.
21 real standard consult prices grouped into broad UK areas, cheapest first. Most are advertised or officially surveyed prices — the count shows how many sit behind each figure, and every individual price is source-linked on the standard consult page.
| Area | Prices | Median | Relative | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North of England | 7 | £55 | £40–£58 | |
| London | 6 | £62 | £27–£66 | |
| Scotland, Wales & NI | 4 | £63 | £60–£68 | |
| South of England | 4 | £64 | £61–£66 |
Chain vs independent: who charges more
In the prices we hold, a standard consult at a corporate-owned practice runs a median of £62 against £55 at an independent — about 13% more for the same appointment. That closely mirrors the regulator's own finding that corporate groups charge 18.3% more on average.
The same standard consult, split by who owns the practice. Medians, cheapest first, with the count behind each.
| Ownership | Prices | Median | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | 5 | £55 | £40–£60 |
| Corporate-owned | 10 | £62 | £49–£68 |
Why the price varies so much
The investigation looked across the whole market, but your own experience depends on local conditions and who actually owns the practice you use. In a town with one dominant chain, prices and choice can look very different from a city with several independents competing for business. Ownership matters more than most people realise: the CMA found corporate-owned practices charging 18.3% more on average than independents, and that gap holds even when the treatment looks the same on paper. Consolidation was not always visible either, because chains kept familiar local names on the door, so an owner might assume they are dealing with a small independent when the practice is actually part of a group of hundreds. Overall prices climbed 63% between 2016 and 2023, a rise the CMA said was not fully explained by costs alone. That is why the remedies lean so heavily on transparency. Once every practice publishes prices from September 2026, the real bills below become far easier to check against your own quote, and it becomes harder for ownership structure to hide behind a friendly local sign.
How to pay less
- Ask about published price lists from September 2026 and compare a few practices before you commit to treatment.
- Use the new £21 cap on prescription fees, then buy the medicines themselves online where they are 50-60% cheaper.
- Ask directly who owns the practice, since a corporate group behind a familiar local name has been shown to charge more on average.
- Request an itemised estimate for any treatment and query anything on it that looks unclear or unexplained.
- Check the real prices on this page against your own quote before agreeing to anything non-urgent.
- For routine or planned procedures, ring around two or three practices rather than defaulting to the nearest one.
Common questions
What did the CMA actually conclude?
That competition in the vet market is weak, pricing is opaque and consolidation has left many owners paying more than they realise, to the tune of around £1bn over five years. It also found that corporate-owned practices charged 18.3% more on average than independents, and that prices had risen 63% between 2016 and 2023.
When do the new rules start?
The headline measures, including mandatory price lists and the £21 prescription fee cap, take effect from September 2026. Until then, practices are not obliged to publish prices, so you still need to ask directly and get quotes in writing.
Does the CMA set the actual prices vets charge?
No. Apart from capping prescription fees at £21, the remedies are about transparency and competition, not fixing the price of treatment itself. The idea is that if owners can see and compare prices easily, competition will do the work of keeping bills in check.
Does it cost more if my vet is owned by a corporate group?
On average, yes. The CMA found corporate-owned practices charged 18.3% more than independents for broadly similar treatment. That does not mean every corporate practice is expensive or every independent is cheap, but it is a real average gap worth asking about, especially since chains often trade under the original practice name.
Why have vet prices risen so much in recent years?
The CMA found prices rose 63% between 2016 and 2023, well beyond what rising costs alone would explain. Consolidation, weaker competition in many local areas and a lack of price transparency all played a part, which is exactly what the September 2026 remedies are aimed at fixing.
How can I tell if I am overpaying right now, before the new rules apply?
Ask your practice directly for an itemised, written estimate before any non-urgent treatment, and ask a couple of other local practices for the same. Also ask who owns the practice. Comparing your own quote against the real prices on this page is one of the few checks available until published price lists become compulsory.