MPs call for independent regulator of vets

MPs are calling for the government to boost consumer confidence in the veterinary sector by establishing an independent regulator.

A report by the EFRA Committee says the government should end the veterinary sector’s system of self-regulation, undertaken by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. A new body should instead be set up to carry out inspections, bringing the sector in line with others such as medicine and law, and improving consumer confidence, the report adds.

EFRA Committee chair, Alistair Carmichael, said: “Self-regulation makes the veterinary sector an outlier and lacks supporters among the workforce itself.

“To improve consumer confidence, the Government should establish a new independent regulator charged with inspecting practices, and let the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons specialise in continuing to represent the profession’s interests.”

A recent in-depth investigation of the sector by watchdog the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found vet prices had been rising at nearly twice the rate of inflation.

Under CMA proposals, veterinary practices will be required to publish clear and comprehensive price lists covering standard services such as consultations, diagnostics and prescriptions. Practices will also have to provide written estimates for treatments expected to cost £500 or more, including aftercare, along with itemised bills.

New rules will also require practices to clearly state whether they are independently owned or part of a larger corporate group, with ownership information displayed both onsite and online. This data will also feed into a central comparison service run by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, allowing pet owners to compare local providers more easily.