New vet ownership rules could let private equity hide behind local clinic names
The Competition and Markets Authority altered proposed disclosure rules, allowing large corporate owners of veterinary practices to be listed under brand names rather than their parent companies, prompting a threatened legal challenge.
A recent CMA probe into the veterinary sector revealed that consolidation by private-equity-owned groups had pushed pet-owner costs up by about 16.6 percent compared with independent clinics. The regulator’s original draft demanded that practices disclose the name of the corporate vet group, but the final wording was altered to require only a “network or group” label, permitting large owners to appear as local brands. The Progressive Veterinary Association, representing a coalition of veterinarians, argued this revision would hide the true owners and announced it would seek a judicial review.
The association noted that more than 60% of UK practices are now owned wholly or partially by six major groups, including CVS, Pets at Home, Medivet, IVC, VetPartners and Linnaeus under Mars Petcare. The CMA responded that the new approach will still give pet owners clear information about whether a clinic is part of a national chain. It emphasized that extensive consultation had been undertaken and that the proposals aim to protect consumer choice while being practical for vets.
Why it matters
Pet owners may pay higher fees without knowing their vet is owned by a large private-equity group.
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