Create a Veterinary Services Ombudsman
This petition gathered 11,999 signatures between 4 May 2021 and 4 November 2021, according to the Parliament petitions site. The Government responded on 20 August 2021.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Create a Veterinary Services Ombudsman
An impartial Ombudsman is necessary. A Govt created Veterinary Services Ombudsman would bridge the gap between dissatisfied client and the service provider. At present the RCVS handles any issues brought to them by clients but cannot be seen to be impartial.
The rising costs of Veterinary services is of great concern, not just to the pet owner but to the Insurance industry. The extraordinary cost of Out Of Hours practitioners is a particular worry as corporate organisation is closing the market leading to excessive costs for those owners at the most vulnerable time with little choice but to pay the enormous fees charged in an emergency.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 20 August 2021; the petitions site lists the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as responsible. Its summary:
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has a statutory duty to supervise the conduct of veterinary surgeons. The Government does not plan to introduce an ombudsman or to regulate veterinary prices.
The opening 298 words of the 551-word response:
I appreciate the concerns raised about the cost of treatment, including for out of hours services. However, the Government does not believe that a veterinary ombudsman is necessary for the regulation of the veterinary sector, nor does it intend to intervene in veterinary prices but is committed to maintaining high standards of animal welfare.
Fees set by veterinary surgeons or veterinary practices are a private matter between individual practices and their clients and are not a matter in which Government intervenes. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons’ guide to professional conduct parts 9.5.-9.8 states that all fees set by veterinary surgeons are at the discretion of individual practices and, as a result, they may vary between one practice and another. Concerns about the fees charged for veterinary services or about the veterinary market can be raised with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) at the following address:
Competition and Markets Authority
The Cabot
25 Cabot Square
London
E14 4QZ
Email: general.enquiries@cma.gov.uk Telephone:020 3738 6000
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) regulates the veterinary profession in the UK in accordance with the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966. It has a statutory duty to supervise the professional conduct of veterinary surgeons, which it does through the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct and by investigating concerns. In addition, the RCVS Royal Charter 2015 states their objectives as to set, uphold and advance veterinary standards in the interests of the health and welfare of animals and in the wider public interest. Included within the Charter’s functions are:
• Promulgating guidance on professional conduct
• Setting standards for and accrediting veterinary practices and other suppliers of veterinary services
• Facilitating the resolution of disputes between registered persons and their clients;
Together the Act and the Charter underpin the RCVS disciplinary process and guidance.
Read the full response on the petitions site.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions.json?state=with_response&page=33UK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
a29174e00ddb31a2… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
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