‘UK veterinary complaint procedures frequently disadvantage pet owners’ | Veterinary medicine

According to findings from Which?, the complaints process in the veterinary industry is often designed to work against pet owners. This comes as concerns grow over inflated prices and the UK competition watchdog investigates the veterinary sector as a whole for fairness issues. The consumer body’s survey, which included over 1,000 pet owners, revealed that half the respondents felt prices for care and treatment were too high, and a quarter felt the cost was higher than expected. The main issues raised by pet owners were typically the quality of care, customer service, and not receiving relevant information. However, most owners are hesitant to make a complaint or escalate the matter further due to a belief that it will not be successful or because they do not know how to do it. The investigation has found that the Veterinary Client Mediation Service (VCMS) which addresses complaints, is a voluntary scheme, and the RCVS (Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons) has high thresholds for investigating grievances, leaving pet owners to feel dismissed or that the process is in favor of veterinary professionals. A VAT spokesperson said that the VCMS helped resolve over 80% of complaints and is committed to improving outcomes for consumers. The RCVS supports proposals for mandatory practice regulation and enhancements in consumer protection. However, the RCVS claims that the case studies presented do not completely align with their reported facts.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/may/30/vet-complaint-process-in-uk-often-stacked-against-pet-owners