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 Order is the outcome of its market investigation, concluded in March 2026, and was published in final form on 22 September 2026. The headlines:

• Published price lists, practice information and cremation options: from 22 December 2026 (large groups) and 22 March 2027 (smaller providers)
• Ownership disclosure: 22 March 2027 for every practice, large or small
• Complaints and mediation: 22 March 2027 for every practice
• Prescription fee cap: £21 for the first medicine and £12.50 for each additional one, from 22 March 2027 (large groups) and 22 September 2027 (smaller providers)
• Written estimates, itemised bills and telling you about written prescriptions: from 22 June 2027 (large groups) and 22 September 2027 (smaller providers)

“Large” means a business with 15 or more practices or out-of-hours centres. Each date comes from the compliance table in the CMA’s final Order and is when that 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. It found that 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. Large groups must do so from 22 December 2026 and smaller providers from 22 March 2027. The same dates apply to published information about each practice, prices for parasite treatments, and the terms of pet care plans. Our directory records which practices publish prices; we’ll track the number as the deadlines pass.

Ownership disclosure

Veterinary businesses that belong to a larger group must make clear who owns them, including in their branding and communications. Every practice, large or small, must comply by 22 March 2027. Until then, our guide to checking your vet’s ownership covers the manual methods, and the directory does the work for you.

The prescription fee cap

A written prescription lets you buy medicine from any registered pharmacy instead of the practice. The fee for writing one is capped, and practices must tell you that taking a prescription elsewhere is an option. Large groups must apply the cap from 22 March 2027 and start telling you, with a standard leaflet for ongoing medication, from 22 June 2027. Smaller providers must do both by 22 September 2027. Our guide to vet prescriptions and the fee cap explains how to use this to cut medicine costs.

Estimates, itemised bills and cremations

Practices must give clearer written estimates for significant treatments and itemised bills, from 22 June 2027 for large groups and 22 September 2027 for smaller providers. Transparent cremation options and prices, an area where the CMA found particularly poor value for pet owners, come sooner: 22 December 2026 for large groups and 22 March 2027 for smaller providers.

Complaints

From 22 March 2027, every practice must have a proper in-house complaints process, keep a log of complaints, and offer mediation when a complaint can’t be settled directly.

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: It would have 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 often saves money already, 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.