CMA announces veterinary sector review

A statement from IVC Evidensia on the recent CMA announcement on review of the veterinary sector:

We are proud of the amazing job that our vets, vet nurses, specialists and support staff do, and of the overwhelmingly positive feedback that we receive from around half a million of our customers each year. At the same time, the veterinary profession has been modernising rapidly and is facing complex issues including a chronic shortage of vets and inflationary pressure on prices.

“IVC Evidensia will continue to engage openly and transparently with the CMA, to build their understanding of the profession and these issues.  We are keen to ensure that the strong competition that already exists in the market is channelled to deliver the best outcome for consumers and ensures that being a vet or vet nurse is a rewarding career and appreciated as such by society at large.

“IVC Evidensia does not recognise the CMA’s concerns relating to choice of treatments or choice of provider. We are committed to providing customers with a wide range of high-quality care and treatment options, across different price points. Our vets and vet nurses have full clinical freedom to recommend and provide the care which is best suited to both a patient’s medical needs and an owner’s financial position.

“We remain concerned that a market investigation, which is necessarily a lengthy process, risks further undermining public confidence in the veterinary profession, exacerbating existing challenges around vet morale and mental health, and potentially impacting both animal and human health. We urge the CMA to report in a timely manner, building on the broad consensus across the profession. We hope that the remedies proposed by IVC Evidensia and others in the industry will enable the CMA to consider these complex issues quickly, for the benefit of consumers, animals, and the vets, vet nurses and specialists caring for animals every day.”