The RCVS has today submitted its formal response to the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) provisional decision on remedies for the veterinary sector, following its market investigation into ‘veterinary services for household pets’.
While the RCVS supports many of the proposed measures, particularly around transparency and pricing, and is pleased that the CMA has echoed its long-standing call for legislative reform and mandatory veterinary business regulation, it has shared its concerns on some of the proposals.
Pricing and transparency
In its response, which was developed by the College’s CMA Working Group, the RCVS welcomes the CMA’s proposed remedies to address pricing and transparency issues, to ensure animal keepers and owners have all the necessary information to assist them in making informed decisions relating to the health and welfare of their pets.
The RCVS agrees in principle with the proposal that it makes pricing and ownership information publicly available on its Find a Vet search tool. The RCVS notes, however, that some of the requirements - such as a pet care plan value calculator, or price comparison tool - would be complex, costly, and time-consuming to develop and may not achieve the desired aim if prices are displayed without any context. In its response, the RCVS notes that any additional requirements or functionality would need to be proportionate and cost effective, as would the remedies themselves, in terms of their likely impact on practices.
New legislation
The CMA’s recommendation that the government needs to urgently prioritise a new Veterinary Surgeons Act supports the College’s long-held position that it needs new statutory powers to enable the effective and enforceable regulation of veterinary businesses, as well as individual veterinary professionals.
In its response the RCVS also asks the CMA to consider making appropriate recommendations to government about changes to the legislation to protect the role of veterinary nurses. There was no mention of veterinary nurses in the CMA’s document, and this omission has disappointed many vet nurses who are keen for recognition of the title and development of the role which is currently limited by legislation.
Governance reform
While the RCVS supports the recommendations for new legislation and agrees that governance reform is appropriate, it disagrees with both the rationale in the CMA’s general comments on its governance structure and the particular governance models proposed in the report.
The RCVS notes that the CMA’s report does not evidence any link between competition concerns and the College’s governance. Indeed, the competition and market problems that the CMA has identified are with businesses (which the RCVS does not regulate), not the individual practitioners that it does regulate. There also appears to be some continued misunderstanding by the CMA about the role of the College.
Next steps
The RCVS has provided extensive support to the CMA throughout this market investigation and is prepared to continue to support the remedies should they become part of a legally-binding order on practices and businesses.
Linda Belton, RCVS Senior Vice-President, said:
“In addition to our formal response to the CMA’s remedies, we want to take the opportunity to ask that all veterinary businesses, in support of veterinary professionals being able to gain appropriately informed consent for the treatment of patients, are open, transparent and upfront with their clients about costs. We also encourage ‘contextualised care’ – this being veterinary care that acknowledges different ways to approach the diagnosis and treatment of an animal, depending on the circumstances of the individual animal and their owners, and the context in which the care is delivered.
“It is also essential that veterinary surgeons have autonomy in clinical judgement and decision-making, regardless of business structures or commercial pressures.”
Read the full response.