CMA compliance for vet practices: Standing out in a transparent market
The Competition and Markets Authority's investigation into the veterinary sector is over and its order is now law.
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It sets new rules for how practices share prices, health plan details, prescription information, cremation options and complaints processes with pet owners.
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The aim now is to meet both the letter and the spirit of the rules, and to make sure the result works as hard for your practice as it does for the regulator.
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Most deadlines fall between December 2026 and September 2027, depending on the requirement and the size of your business. See the full timetable in our CMA resource.
WHAT'S REQUIRED - AND HOW WE HELP
Your price list
Every practice needs a price list for a defined set of services on its website. It should be one click from the homepage without scrolling, labelled 'prices', 'pricing' or 'fees', and updated before any new price is charged.
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We build price pages as real text on a real web page – not a PDF, image or embedded widget – so they can be read by the RCVS Find a Vet platform, Google and the AI assistants pet owners now use to compare costs.
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The list itself has to be plain, but you're free to add context elsewhere on your website.
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That’s where we come in: what a consultation includes, who delivers the care and why your prices are what they are. We also help you set up a simple process so the website changes on the same day as your PMS.
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If you want to revisit the prices themselves before they go public, our pricing strategy service offers training onsite or via Zoom to help team leaders audit costs and set prices with confidence.
“How do you stand out once everyones prices are public?”
YOUR PRACTICE IN PRINT
Your price list needs to be visible in reception or the waiting area too. The CMA will also supply a standardised poster about written prescriptions for your waiting room.
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We design your in-practice price list as a poster, leaflet or screen content for your waiting room TVs.
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We can also design a companion poster that sits alongside the CMA's, telling your side of the story – the care, the team and the value behind your prices.
HEALTH PLANS
If you offer a plan, you'll need to list everything it includes, how often and over what period.
You'll also need to show the standalone price of each item, the monthly and annual cost of the plan and the cancellation terms.
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If you mention a saving, you have to show how you worked it out. For unlimited consults, that means using no more than two a year unless you can evidence your members' actual usage.
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We help you show your workings in plain language that a client can follow in 30 seconds, on your website and in your leaflets.
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Done well, a transparent plan page is the most persuasive thing you can publish.
FLEA, TICK AND WORM PRODUCTS
Your most commonly sold parasiticides need to be published with prices and a link to the government's register of approved online retailers.
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We build this into your website alongside your main price list, with the wording the CMA requires.
OWNERSHIP
Businesses running more than one practice, or combining practices with other services such as pharmacies or crematoria, must clearly identify their group online, on signage, on premises and in communications.
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If you're a group, we'll help you meet this without losing the local identity your clients know.
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If you're a single-site independent, there's no obligation – but there is an opportunity. Simply saying you're independent doesn't persuade anyone.
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Explaining what your independence means for the client in the room does. We write that story and carry it through your website, signage and print.
Finish this sentence:
"Because we're independent,
we..."
OUT-OF-HOURS, QUALIFICATIONS AND ACCREDITATIONS
Your website needs to show who provides your out-of-hours care, the qualifications held by your team and any Practice Standards Scheme awards.
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We write and build these pages so they're clear, accurate and on brand.
ESTIMATES AND PRESCRIPTIONS
Written estimates, itemised bills, written prescription offers and the new prescription fee caps all change what happens in the consult room.
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Whilst this isn’t our area of expertise, if you're looking for tools to help, AI note-takers can now produce an itemised estimate as part of the consultation summary, and we're happy to talk you through the options.
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BOOKING CONFIRMATIONS
Confirmation emails and texts must include the consultation price, a link to your price list and standard text about written prescriptions.
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We write the wording and help you program it into your booking or PMS system, so every confirmation is right without anyone having to remember.
Let's talk
We're already guiding practices through the CMA requirements. If you'd like us to take this off your plate, or you just want someone to sanity-check what you've built, book a chat.
Frequently asked questions
LET'S TALK
0113 347 0057
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