The CMA vet reforms, explained for pet owners

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has ordered legally binding changes to how UK vet practices operate — the outcome of its market investigation, concluded in March 2026. The headlines:

• Published price lists — from December 2026 (large groups), March 2027 (smaller providers)
• Ownership disclosure — same dates
• Prescription fee cap — £21 for the first medicine, £12.50 for each additional one, from March 2027 (large groups) and September 2027 (smaller providers)
• Written estimates, itemised bills and clear cremation options — same timetable as the price lists

“Large” means groups with 15 or more sites. The CMA’s Orders formally take effect in late 2026; the deadlines above are when each remedy must be in place. This page tracks what each one means for you — we update it at every milestone, and the revision log above shows what changed.

Why the CMA acted

The investigation began in September 2023, after an initial review drew a record number of public responses. Its finding: the market isn’t working well for pet owners. Prices have risen well ahead of general inflation, around 60% of practices now belong to large corporate groups (up from about 10% in 2013), and owners often can’t see prices, compare practices, or tell who owns their vet.

What each remedy means

Published price lists

Practices will have to publish prices for common services and medicines, so you can compare practices before registering. Our directory records which practices publish prices; we’ll track the number as the deadlines pass.

Ownership disclosure

Veterinary businesses must make clear who owns them, including in their branding and communications. Until the deadlines pass, our guide to checking your vet’s ownership covers the manual methods — and the directory does the work for you.

The prescription fee cap

The fee for writing a prescription — the document that lets you buy medicine from any registered pharmacy instead of the practice — is capped, and practices must tell you that taking a prescription elsewhere is an option. How to use this to cut medicine costs: vet prescriptions and the fee cap.

Estimates, itemised bills and cremations

Practices must give clearer written estimates for significant treatments, itemised bills, and transparent cremation options — an area where the CMA found particularly poor value for pet owners.

The government went further: July 2026

In July 2026 the government published its white paper responding to the CMA and to the long-running consultation on modernising veterinary regulation. The headline proposals:

• A new Act to replace the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 — the 1966 Act predates corporate ownership of practices and regulates only individual vets, not the businesses they work for.
• Licensing of veterinary businesses — for the first time, the business (not just the individual vet) would be regulated, with mandatory licensing and inspections.
• An independent veterinary ombudsman — with the power to make legally binding decisions on complaints, including ordering compensation.

These require primary legislation, so the timetable stretches beyond the CMA’s own remedies. The government calls it the biggest reform of the sector in half a century.

What you can do now

You don’t need to wait for the deadlines:

1. Check who owns your vet — search the directory or follow our guide.
2. Ask for a written prescription for ongoing medication and compare the pharmacy price — this already often saves money, cap or no cap.
3. Ask for a written estimate before significant treatment. Good practices already provide one.
4. Compare practices near you — including independent and non-profit options — before you need one urgently.