News that written prescription fees from vets will be capped has been openly welcomed by a family-run practice in Knaresborough.
The announcement follows an in-depth investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) which has also said practices will have to publish price lists for services while a new price comparison website will be introduced to help boost competition.
Dr Philip Simon, owner and lead veterinary surgeon of Your Family Vets on Wetherby Road, is also in full support of the recommendation that vet practices must publish a "comprehensive" price list for standard services – including consultations and common procedures
It follows an investigation which found pet owners facing increasingly higher bills and with around 60 per cent of veterinary practices being owned by just six big corporate groups, there is little competition.
These include Pets at Home, Medivet, CVS Veterinary Group, IVC Evidensia and VetPartners, which and Linnaeus Group, whose parent company is Mars Petcare, a subsidiary of the US confectionery group Mars.
Dr Philip and his team are now fully behind the proposal so much so that they have fixed their own written prescription fee to £20!
Dr Philip said:
“As an independent, family-run vet practice, we’ve been running an open price policy since we opened in November 2024 and means owners can make more informed decisions when they have to provide care for their pet.
“And as soon as we knew about the £21 prescription proposal back in March, we immediately fixed our price at £20. It means pet owners know they are not getting ripped off.
“Our advice has always been to shop around and where possible, use independently run practices. They aren’t under pressure from any corporate paymasters who just want to see as big a profit as possible.
“Also, being independent, allows us to focus on what matters most, honest, compassionate care that always puts owners’ pets first.
“We also have in place our Ultimate Wellness Plan, which includes unlimited vet and nurse consultations, helping to spread the cost of care throughout the year.”
For further information please visit https://yfvets.co.uk/ or call 01423 900770.
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