What vet practices publish online by 22 March 2027

A guide to the website items in the CMA's Veterinary Services Market Investigation Order 2026, for independent practices with fewer than 15 sites. Each item cites the Article it comes from.

Last checked against the published Order on 26 September 2026. This is a summary, not legal advice. Read the Order on gov.uk

Who the Order covers

The Order applies to veterinary businesses in the UK, including sole traders and partnerships. Non-commercial registered charities are outside it. A business with fewer than 15 first opinion practices and out-of-hours centres is a Small Veterinary Business (Article 2), and gets the later dates below. Every independent with one to three sites falls in that group.

The dates

30 November 2026: tell the RCVS who you areEvery vet business operating when the Order came into force sends the RCVS its details and a compliance contact, unless already done (Article 26).
22 March 2027: first compliance dateMost website items below. Duties apply from the next working day after the date (Article 3).
22 September 2027: second compliance dateEstimates, itemised bills, prescriptions and the RCVS prescription literature on your website.

The website items for 22 March 2027

Price listThe 36 services in Schedule 1, named exactly as the Schedule names them, prices including VAT, split by species and weight band where the price varies, with a note that prices are for the typical case and may be higher in complex cases (Article 7).
What is included in procedure pricesFor dental assessment, castration and both kinds of spay: which of general anaesthetic, local anaesthetic, sedation, pain relief, hospitalisation, pre-op bloods and post-op checks are included (Article 7(2)(e)).
Parasiticide price listYour most common parasiticides with product details and VAT-inclusive prices, the statement to consult your vet or SQP, and a link to the VMD Register of Online Retailers (Article 8).
Pet care plans, if you offer themOn the main plans page: what each plan includes, how many times, monthly and annual price, the standalone price of each item, and cancellation terms. Any savings claim shows how it was worked out (Article 9).
Practice informationQualifications of your long-term vets and nurses, RCVS Practice Standards Scheme status with a link, and your out-of-hours provider's details if you outsource it (Article 6).
End-of-life care optionsCommunal cremation, individual cremation if offered, making your own arrangements, and home burial, published with equal prominence (Article 20).
Written complaints processIncluding a named free mediation (ADR) provider, and the RCVS decision tree once the RCVS publishes it (Articles 21 to 23).
Group or trading name, if you run 2 or more sitesOn the homepage, in the top banner and in every page's metadata, at least as prominent as the practice name (Article 5).

How the pages are laid out

Services on Schedule 1 that you do not offer but routinely refer out: the Order asks you to say so on the website (Article 7(7)). If out-of-hours care or cremation is outsourced, link to that provider's price list.

What follows on 22 September 2027

What is not on the website

Some of the Order is about how the practice works day to day, so no website can show it: booking confirmations with the consultation price and a price list link, notices at the premises, plan renewal reminders, written policies for impartial advice, and complaint handling timescales. We cover these in a call, and the Audit & Edit evidence pack lists them so nothing is forgotten.

Sources

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