Vets market investigation: draft substantive Order and Undertakings

Overview

This consultation is closed. It was open from 21 July to 20 August 2026. 

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published the consultation responses and the final: 

• Veterinary Services Market Investigation Order 2026
• Veterinary Services Market Investigation Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Undertakings 2026

This is an important milestone. The Order introduces legally binding measures benefiting millions of UK pet owners. These include being transparent about:  

• who owns a practice  
• prices for services and medicine
• prices for end of life services
• what’s included in pet care plans

The Order aims to improve competition in the sector, leading to better outcomes for pet owners. This marks the end of our market study into veterinary services for household pets. 

About this consultation 

In March 2026 we published the final report of our market investigation into the supply of veterinary services for household pets. This found that the current system is not working as well as it should for pet owners, veterinary professionals and the animals they care for. 

To address the problems we have found, we have introduced Orders placing requirements on veterinary businesses. 

The inquiry group also decided that the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) would be well placed to both: 

• support the remedies that will be imposed on veterinary businesses 
• monitor businesses' compliance with those remedies 

The Orders and Undertakings give effect to the inquiry group's decisions in the final report, and will remedy, mitigate or prevent competition problems in this sector.

This consultation invited views on the: 

• Draft substantive Order notice  
• Draft substantive Order  
• Draft schedule 1 - price list schedule 
• Draft schedule 2 - standard written prescription notice 
• Draft schedule 3 - standard flyer for ongoing medication 
• Draft schedule 4 - complaint log 
• Draft explanatory note 
• Draft annex 1 - indicative price list 
• Draft annex 2 - pet care plan information 
• Draft substantive Undertakings notice  
• Draft substantive Undertakings 
• RCVS monitoring proposal 
• Annex A - RCVS monitoring flowchart 

The consultation sought views on whether: 

• the drafting was consistent with the final report 
• the drafting achieves the aims of the remedies set out in the final report