VetPartners offers sell practices in bid to get Goddard deal approved

VetPartners has responded to the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA’s) concerns about its acquisition of Goddard Veterinary Group.

The CMA opened its investigation into VetPartners’ purchase of Goddard Holdco Limited, which trades as Goddard Veterinary Group, in March.

The CMA’s phase 1 investigation into the deal found that the merger raises competition concerns in 11 local areas across Greater London, as the combined businesses would account for a significant proportion of veterinary services in each of these areas. While veterinary practices owned by VetPartners and Goddard currently compete for customers at each of these locations, the CMA is concerned that the combined businesses would not face sufficient competition after the merger. This could lead to pet owners facing a worse quality of service, including more limited treatment options, or having to pay higher prices.

VetPartners has offered undertakings to the CMA, which involve sell veterinary practises. The CMA said it “considers that there are reasonable grounds for believing that the undertakings offered by VetPartners or a modified version of them, might be accepted by the CMA under the Enterprise Act 2002”.