RCVS responds to BBC Panorama documentary on veterinary costs

Following the broadcast of the BBC Panorama documentary ‘Why are vet bills so high?’ on Monday 12 January 2026, Linda Belton, Senior Vice-President of the RCVS who was interviewed on the programme, said:

“We appreciate having the opportunity to comment on some of the issues raised by the documentary around clinical autonomy and the need for regulation of veterinary businesses.

“As the documentary states, the professional responsibilities of veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses are first and foremost concerned with animal health and welfare, with this taking precedence over commercial considerations. This is why we wrote to all vets and veterinary employers to remind them of the primacy of clinical autonomy, as well as strengthened the supporting guidance to our Code of Professional Conduct to ensure that the commercial interests of businesses do not unduly influence the clinical decision making of individual vets and veterinary nurses.

“However, we also recognise that veterinary practices are businesses, and that having a thriving veterinary sector that can invest in equipment, staff and training provides better outcomes and options for animal health and welfare. We also encourage the concept of contextualised care, which is a way of delivering veterinary care that is adapted to the needs and circumstances of the individual animal, its owner and the wider context. 

“The RCVS, as the regulator, has long called for a change to legislation so that we can regulate veterinary businesses, rather than just individual veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses. This would close the ‘regulatory gap’ and ensure that veterinary businesses have greater accountability, and would have to adhere to a set of practice standards on a mandatory basis.

“We expect the Government will be consulting on new veterinary legislation in the next few months, and that the regulation of veterinary businesses by the RCVS will be a key part of this.”