The GreatConsolidation
How corporate ownership transformed UK veterinary care in a decade
From Independent to Corporate
A decade ago, independent vets dominated UK veterinary care. Today, six large groups control the majority.
Who Owns UK Veterinary Care
Six corporate groups now control the majority of practices. Size represents number of practices.
Counted within corporate above are 840 locally-run joint-venture practices (Vets4Pets / Companion Care), where a local partner co-owns the practice and sets their own prices. They remain corporate because Pets at Home Group plc still co-owns them.
The Cost of Consolidation
Veterinary prices have risen nearly twice as fast as general inflation.
A £7.5 Billion Industry
The UK veterinary market has grown significantly since 2010.
Regional Ownership
Based on 7,393 practices in our database
Can You See What You'll Pay?
The CMA found that less than 40% of practices publish prices on their websites — and that most owners don't even know who owns their vet.
of people using a large veterinary group knew their practice was part of a chain.
Source: CMA market investigation, final report (March 2026)
From automated detection across practice websites in our database, we find a published price list on 35% of practices with a website — in line with the CMA's finding that under 40% show prices online. These are detected signals and represent a floor: prices behind client portals or PDFs aren't counted.
How We Got Here
The consolidation of UK veterinary care, year by year.