The British Veterinary Union in Unite (BVU) has welcomed the airing of a Radio 4 documentary investigating the increased costs of vet bills and how this is linked to the corporate takeover of high street vets. 

The BBC File on Four Investigates documentary (which aired yesterday 15 April), ‘What’s Happening To Your Vet Bills?’, featured interviews with members of the BVU working in corporately-owned clinics as well as branch chair Dr Suzanna Hudson-Cooke, including her analysis on how private equity firms have taken over the industry and led to soaring bills that have become unaffordable for many owners 

The programme included research from a BVU survey of members, which laid bare the crisis in the vet industry and shows a clear need for reform. The polling is set to be presented to the Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) which is currently undertaking a formal investigation into the industry and found 73 per cent of BVU members believed the costs customers are being charged in their practices were too expensive.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Our membership has painted a bleak picture of the soaring costs of vet care. In many cases vet firms are private equity owned with a mantra of profits before pets and workers’ pay is also being squeezed. There is a desperate need for reform.” 

Ownership of pets in the UK has skyrocketed since the Covid pandemic, with 60 per cent of households now owning at least one pet. Vet fees have soared too, going up by more than 60 per cent over the last decade. 

Large corporate groups own 60 per cent of the market. In 2013 just 10 per cent of vet clinics were owned by such firms. Due to this, pet owners have reported being overcharged and facing a lack of choice, while independent competitors are being pushed out of the market 

BVU Branch chair Dr Suzanna Hudson-Cooke said: "Vets want our services to be accessible and affordable because we care about animal health and welfare. 

"Members working at these corporately-owned firms say the relationship between the pet owner and vet has been damaged as it makes it seem like the vets only care about money, which is not true. It is not individual vets seeking to make a profit but corporate firms run by private equity companies seeking to cash in.

“The workers are also being squeezed by the profit driven nature of such businesses, which often leave them short staffed to save the business money, and expect large amount of unpaid overtime. This culture of overwork is contributing to compassion fatigue and burnout in a sector already suffering a mental health crisis.

“The BVU wants regulatory reform of the sector, in particular ensuring that there is regulation of standards of care in veterinary practices. Our message is clear: fair fees, fair pay and smaller profits.”

The CMA’s investigation is due to be published later this year. Among the BVU's hopes for the CMA outcome include 

  • The creation of a veterinary ombudsman where people can make complaints about companies and practices rather than individual workers,
  • Separation of the current regulatory body into an independent regulator, overseen by the Professional Standards Authority,
  • Improvements to the Cascade system which prescribes medicine, to allow cost to be considered as a factor in choosing these for companion animals such as cats and dogs.

ENDS

Notes to editors 

The BVU is a national professional branch of Unite the union, supporting all workers in the veterinary sector. 

For media enquiries ONLY please contact Unite press officer Natasha Wynarczyk on 07970081524

Email: natasha.wynarczyk@unitetheunion.org