Vet referrals explained: costs, choice and who owns them

A vet referral is when your own vet sends your pet to another vet with more specialist skills or equipment, usually at a referral centre or animal hospital. It’s for tests, an operation or treatment your practice can’t provide. You can ask for a referral, ask where else you could go and what it will cost, and check who owns the centre before you agree. Afterwards, your pet’s care goes back to your own vet.

What is a vet referral?

A referral moves one part of your pet’s care to another vet for a diagnosis, a procedure or treatment. Then the case returns to your practice. It isn’t the same as switching vets: you stay registered where you are.

Referral centres take most of their work from other vets. The CMA’s Order gives specialist imaging, dentistry and complex surgery as examples. You generally can’t book these services yourself. They’re only open to a pet whose vet has referred it.

Not every referral vet is a specialist. RCVS guidance says your vet must tell you how expert the referral vet is, including whether they’re on the RCVS list of Specialists or Advanced Practitioners. Only vets on those lists may be described that way.

A second opinion is different again: another vet looks at the case and gives their view, without taking on treatment.

When will my vet refer my pet?

Usually when your pet needs something the practice doesn’t offer, for example:

• a CT or MRI scan
• complex surgery, such as some bone and joint operations
• care from a vet who focuses on one area, such as eyes, hearts or skin
• intensive care around the clock

In an emergency your pet may go straight to a 24-hour hospital, and the questions below can wait until your pet is stable. See out-of-hours vets for how night and weekend cover works.

You don’t have to wait to be offered a referral. RCVS guidance says vets should help when you ask for a referral or a second opinion.

Can I choose where my pet is referred?

You can ask. In the CMA’s survey, only 30% of owners said they were offered a choice of where to go for their most recent referral. Yet there’s often more than one suitable centre within reach.

RCVS guidance says your vet should weigh:

• how urgent the treatment is
• the referral vet’s experience
• where the centre is
• your circumstances, including your insurance

If you’d like a centre your vet doesn’t know well, they may explain that they can’t judge it, and may decline to refer there. Ask why, and ask what they’d suggest instead.

To see what’s near you, search our directory for “referrals” and add your postcode. You’ll get practices with “referrals” in their name, nearest first, each with its owner. Some centres use other names, such as “veterinary specialists” or “animal hospital”, so ask your vet too. Or see every referral centre we know of and who owns it, sorted by region or by distance from you.

Who owns referral centres?

Many referral centres belong to the same large groups that own high-street practices. In 2025 the CMA counted the referral-only centres owned by each of the six largest groups:

• Linnaeus, owned by Mars: 18
• IVC Evidensia: 11
• CVS: 9
• Medivet: 3
• VetPartners: 2
• Pets at Home: none

Being referred within your vet’s own group isn’t a problem in itself. It may be the best place for your pet. But you should know. RCVS guidance says your vet should explain any link to the referral centre that could be a conflict of interest, including when it belongs to the same group. The CMA found that 42% of owners referred to another practice didn’t know who owned it.

The CMA read the plans some groups drew up when buying practices, and found they had considered steering more referrals to their own centres. It found only limited evidence of this happening, and vets at these groups were no less likely to offer a choice of centre. It found no evidence that groups block rival practices from using their centres, and it did not ban in-group referrals.

How to check who owns a referral centre

1. Search our directory for the centre’s name. Its page shows the owner, how we know, and other practices nearby.
2. If it’s part of a group, open the group’s page to see its other practices. You’ll find out whether your own vet is one of them.
3. Can’t find it? Search the town instead, or follow our guide to checking ownership.

As of 19 October 2026, 62% of the 7,602 UK practices in our directory belong to a corporate group.

How much does a vet referral cost?

There’s no standard price. The cost depends on the tests, the treatment and how long your pet stays in. Get an estimate before the first appointment:

• RCVS guidance says both your vet and the referral vet are responsible for making sure you understand the likely cost.
• Ask the referral centre directly. It knows its own prices; your vet can only estimate.
• Ask what the first consultation costs, and what the next step usually costs if the tests find a problem.

Price lists for referral centres are coming. Under the CMA’s Order, every referral centre must publish one, with set prices for common items it offers, such as CT and MRI scans. The deadline is 22 December 2026 for large groups and 22 March 2027 for smaller businesses.

What the CMA Order says about referrals

The CMA’s Order was published in final form on 22 September 2026. None of its rules apply yet. When they do:

• Price lists: referral centres publish their prices online and at the centre. From 22 December 2026 for large groups, 22 March 2027 for smaller businesses.
• Honest advice: practices must have policies that let vets give impartial advice on referral options and costs, without pressure from the business. Same dates as price lists.
• Ownership: a referral centre in a group shows the group’s name on its website and signs, and a practice names the group when it refers you within it. From 22 March 2027 for everyone.
• Written estimates: if treatment is likely to cost £500 or more, your vet’s written estimate includes the likely referral cost and tells you to confirm it with the centre. From 22 June 2027 for large groups, 22 September 2027 for smaller businesses.

“Large” means a business with 15 or more practices or out-of-hours centres. The Order doesn’t require your vet to give you a list of referral centres, but it does require practices to leave vets free to recommend the best one for your pet. Our guide to the CMA reforms covers the rest of the Order.

Pet insurance and referrals

Before the first appointment:

• Call your insurer: tell them about the referral and ask how much cover you have left for this condition.
• Check your policy type: some policies cover a condition for only 12 months. Others cover it for life, as long as you renew each year. Ask which yours is.
• Ask the centre about claims: does it claim from your insurer directly, or do you pay and claim back? Ask about any insurance admin fee. If it charges one, the fee must be on its price list.
• Keep paying: don’t let a policy lapse during treatment. A new insurer is likely to treat the condition as pre-existing.

If your insurer turns down a fair claim, complain to the insurer first. If it doesn’t sort it out within eight weeks, the Financial Ombudsman Service can look at it for free.

Questions to ask before you agree

• Why does my pet need referring, and how soon?
• Which centres could we go to, and why do you suggest this one?
• Is the referral vet a Specialist or an Advanced Practitioner?
• Is the centre part of the same group as this practice?
• What will the first appointment cost, and what might follow?
• Will the centre deal with my insurer?

If you’re unhappy with how a referral was handled, complain to the practice first. The free Veterinary Client Mediation Service can help if that doesn’t work.