Our response to the CMA consultation
April 19, 2024
Our response to the CMA’s consultation:
The Vet Times has today (19th April 2024) published an article regarding the submissions provided to the CMA’s consultation on their proposal to hold a Market Investigation Reference (MIR) into the veterinary services market for household pets.
The article discusses how the CMA has been consulting with the veterinary profession and others over the last month or so as it decides whether it should launch the MIR. Along with other corporate groups, industry bodies including the BVA and RCVS, and others, we have submitted our thoughts. We’re happy to share our submission, which you can find here.
As we have said to the Vet Times, we are concerned about the effects of a prolonged market investigation and how that could impact our teams.
We believe that what the conversation around the CMA process misses more than anything is that veterinary and support teams are in this business out of love for animals and a desire to help them have full and healthy lives. The ongoing discussion, including in the media, continues to distract from that, and fails to take into account the passion our colleagues have to deliver exceptional care to patients and their owners.
In our response to the CMA, we have urged it to conclude any investigation ahead of the statutory deadline and act quickly to draw conclusions, to help reduce the disruption this is causing. We have helped facilitate that by providing them with proposals on how their key concerns can be addressed.
We’ve also reiterated the benefits of networks like ours in improving animal welfare outcomes, investing in new technologies and research, achieving sustainability targets and supporting more vets into the profession, among other positive impacts.
We also believe that the Government has a part to play, and have renewed our calls for them to remove the barriers to transformative change that we face, particularly through the shortage of vets in the UK. We want them to encourage more overseas vets into the country, support universities through greater funding of veterinary courses, and update the existing framework to allow those vet nurses who would wish to, to expand their roles.
Outside of the CMA process, we’re committed to working alongside the profession to change attitudes towards veterinary care and improve consumer understanding of the true value of our veterinary teams.
We’re expecting the CMA to announce its planned next steps soon. Whatever happens, we will continue to engage openly and transparently with the CMA during its investigation, and with customers, in order to highlight the amazing job that all vets, vet nurses, surgeons, specialists and support staff do across the country.
Duncan Phillips, CEO, IVC Evidensia UK & IE
You can read the full IVC Evidensia submission to the CMA consultation, by downloading it here. Or, you can read more about Duncan and the rest of our senior leadership team here.
The Vet Times has today (19th April 2024) published an article regarding the submissions provided to the CMA’s consultation on their proposal to hold a Market Investigation Reference (MIR) into the veterinary services market for household pets.
The article discusses how the CMA has been consulting with the veterinary profession and others over the last month or so as it decides whether it should launch the MIR. Along with other corporate groups, industry bodies including the BVA and RCVS, and others, we have submitted our thoughts. We’re happy to share our submission, which you can find here.
As we have said to the Vet Times, we are concerned about the effects of a prolonged market investigation and how that could impact our teams.
We believe that what the conversation around the CMA process misses more than anything is that veterinary and support teams are in this business out of love for animals and a desire to help them have full and healthy lives. The ongoing discussion, including in the media, continues to distract from that, and fails to take into account the passion our colleagues have to deliver exceptional care to patients and their owners.
In our response to the CMA, we have urged it to conclude any investigation ahead of the statutory deadline and act quickly to draw conclusions, to help reduce the disruption this is causing. We have helped facilitate that by providing them with proposals on how their key concerns can be addressed.
We’ve also reiterated the benefits of networks like ours in improving animal welfare outcomes, investing in new technologies and research, achieving sustainability targets and supporting more vets into the profession, among other positive impacts.
We also believe that the Government has a part to play, and have renewed our calls for them to remove the barriers to transformative change that we face, particularly through the shortage of vets in the UK. We want them to encourage more overseas vets into the country, support universities through greater funding of veterinary courses, and update the existing framework to allow those vet nurses who would wish to, to expand their roles.
Outside of the CMA process, we’re committed to working alongside the profession to change attitudes towards veterinary care and improve consumer understanding of the true value of our veterinary teams.
We’re expecting the CMA to announce its planned next steps soon. Whatever happens, we will continue to engage openly and transparently with the CMA during its investigation, and with customers, in order to highlight the amazing job that all vets, vet nurses, surgeons, specialists and support staff do across the country.
Duncan Phillips, CEO, IVC Evidensia UK & IE
You can read the full IVC Evidensia submission to the CMA consultation, by downloading it here. Or, you can read more about Duncan and the rest of our senior leadership team here.
