The proposals follow the recent consultation on reforming the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 along with recommendations made by the Competition and Markets Authority following its investigation into veterinary services for household pets.
According to DEFRA, the department responsible, “Millions of pet owners will benefit from the most significant overhaul of veterinary regulation in six decades.”
The new measures, it says, “will radically modernise the industry, delivering better protections for households and greater transparency around prices – helping pet owners understand what they are paying for, avoid unexpected costs and choose the best value care for their pets".
Practices will be required to publish price lists for common treatments and be transparent about options and changes.
An independent veterinary ombudsman is being considered to give pet owners “a clear and straightforward route to redress when complaints cannot be resolved directly with their practice”. DEFRA states: “With the power to make binding decisions, the ombudsman will ensure disputes are resolved more quickly and fairly, increasing confidence across the sector.”
Among the new proposals are that veterinary businesses will be subject to statutory regulation, with a mandatory licensing system – similar to GP surgeries and care homes; and there will be inspections of premises with publication of compliance reports.
The proposals also include reforms to fitness-to-practise processes. The current system, says DEFRA, focuses heavily on past alleged misconduct and professional disrepute offering limited options for intervention. Under the proposed framework, regulation would move towards a modern “current impairment” model that focuses on whether a professional currently presents a risk and what support may be needed to help them practise safely and effectively.
Although no timescale is given, there is to be statutory registration of veterinary nurses as well as farriers; later, physiotherapists, osteopaths, chiropractors, equine dental technicians and cattle and equine hoof trimmers will have to be registered. It is not yet clear who will have responsibility for this.
In addition to the ombudsman, practices will need to have in-house complaints procedures, and first opinion small animal practices will require a mandatory mediation process.
The Secretary of State for DEFRA, Emma Reynolds, said the reforms would help owners avoid unexpected bills, compare prices more easily and get the best value care for their pets; while the UK’s chief veterinary officer at DEFRA, Christine Middlemiss, said the new framework “will build a stronger, more resilient veterinary profession fit to meet the needs of the UK’s animal sector whilst ensuring the highest standards of care for our animals”.
She continued: “One of the most significant proposals is extending statutory regulation beyond veterinary surgeons to include veterinary nurses and other allied veterinary professionals through a licence-to-practise system.
“In recognising and regulating a broader range of professions as a sector we can provide greater clarity about roles and responsibilities, protect professional titles, and enable appropriately qualified professionals to work to the full extent of their competence. This will importantly help create a more flexible and resilient workforce while maintaining high standards of animal welfare and public confidence.”
She added: “The proposed licensing framework for businesses will establish clear standards relating to areas such as clinical governance, staffing, consumer information and accountability. At the same time, of course, regulation should remain proportionate and outcomes-focused, avoiding unnecessary burdens while maintaining confidence in the sector.”
The RCVS warmly welcomed the proposals, calling them “a step-change in how the sector is regulated”. The College said it agreed that the profession required modern legislation to protect animal welfare and noted that it was ready to separate its professional leadership and regulatory roles if DEFRA determined it necessary.
The newly-elected president of the Royal College, Tim Hutchinson, said the proposed reforms would provide stronger powers for the RCVS to regulate all veterinary and animal healthcare businesses, ensure the title “veterinary nurse” is used only by properly qualified professionals, allow for the regulation of the wider veterinary team, and introduce a modern fitness to practise framework. “These changes are essential for protecting animal health and welfare and for public confidence in the veterinary professions,” he added.
The BVA president, Rob Williams, described the publication of the white paper as “a positive, landmark moment for vet professionals, as well as for animals and their owners, taking us all one step closer to improved legislation that meets the demands of modern veterinary medicine”.
The BSAVA gave “broad support” to the proposals, in particular the legal protection of the veterinary nurse title, but it stressed that professional recognition must be paired with continued investment in lifelong learning and education for the whole team. This association, along with the BVA, has previously expressed concern that new pricing and prescription rules may disproportionately impact smaller, independent practices.
The BVNA said it was thrilled to see the white paper include statutory regulation and official protection for the title of “veterinary nurse”. This, it stated, would prevent unqualified individuals from using the title and ensure high standards of animal welfare and public safety. The association said it had pushed for years to update the law so it reflected what nurses actually do today. The BVNA also backed the proposals to hold corporate veterinary practices and businesses accountable, rather than just individual nurses and vets. This, it says, “will improve fairness and create a safer working environment”.
Sue Davies, head of consumer rights policy at Which?, described the current legislation regulating the veterinary market as seriously outdated with pet owners being badly let down by it.
Which? research has shown that the inadequacies of complaints and dispute resolution processes are a particular problem and they leave people fighting for years to get their voice heard. “This is why an independent veterinary ombudsman is sorely needed,” she said. “The government needs to keep moving forward with the reforms so that fit-for-purpose regulation is in place before the next general election.”
According to DEFRA, the reforms will “introduce more competition to lower costs over time” – though there was no detail in the white paper as to how this might happen.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/our-vision-for-a-thriving-veterinary-sector/our-vision-for-a-thriving-veterinary-sector