Today’s [22 September 2026] publication by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) of its Veterinary Services Market Investigation Order 2026 marks the introduction of a number of legally binding changes that relevant veterinary businesses must start to make over the coming months, intended to remove barriers to competition and improve transparency for pet owners.
Alongside this, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Undertakings 2026 set out the commitments we have made to support, and monitor compliance with, the CMA’s remedies that are being imposed on these veterinary businesses.
The CMA has previously set out a broad timetable for when different sizes of veterinary businesses are expected to comply with these remedies.
This includes publishing information on prices, parasiticide (flea, tick and worm treatments) prices, pet care plans, written policies and processes, and cremation services by large service providers from December 2026, and by smaller service providers from March 2027.
CMA remedies including requirements for prescription price caps, written estimates, and itemised bills will come into force from March 2027 onwards, again, depending on the size of the veterinary business.
The CMA has also committed to publishing an updated explainer on what veterinary businesses need to do to comply with the Order, which the College will share with practices, once available.
RCVS President Tim Hutchinson MRCVS (pictured) said:
“While we continue to welcome many of the remedies set out in this Order and our role in monitoring veterinary business compliance with them, we are aware that many practices have already introduced some of the measures the CMA has set out for the benefit of animal owners.
“We will scrutinise the detail of the final Order and Undertakings in the coming days and continue to work with both the CMA and relevant veterinary businesses over the coming months to help ensure that the CMA’s requirements are as clear and straightforward to implement and monitor as possible.”
Following the CMA’s earlier publication of its Funding Order, veterinary businesses must inform the College if they are a ‘Qualifying Veterinary Business (QVB)’, ie one that operates one or more first-opinion practices or out-of-hours centres, and therefore required to pay the CMA’s practice levy. Accurate and up-to-date information about QVBs will help to ensure that costs are spread proportionately across the sector.
Any veterinary business that has not yet provided this information to us (statutory deadline 4 September 2026) should do so as soon as possible by completing the online form we emailed to veterinary businesses in August. Enquiries may be made to [email protected]
