Episode 8 - Animal welfare and the CMA report

In this episode we take a break from interviews, and Mary considers the impact of the CMA report on animal welfare. 

Recent years have seen many changes in veterinary practice, and in particular the corporatisation of the industry. Whilst there are still independent practices out there, many of the UK's veterinary practices are owned by small number of large corporates. In this situation vets and veterinary nurses are employees of a larger company, and are not responsible for pricing decisions. 

The Competitions and Markets Authority recently examined the provision of veterinary services, and has decided to carry out further work in this area. 

Healthcare for humans and animals has seen ground-breaking advances in recent years, and, as with the NHS, state of the art healthcare has a financial cost. But how much are owners willing to pay, and how much should practices charge? 

As a profession vets and veterinary nurses are not well paid in comparison to other professionals, and much of the cost paid by owners will disappear into practice overheads, including the purchase and maintenance of diagnostic equipment which wouldn't be out of place in a local human hospital. In vet practice, diagnostic tests and surgery are often carried out on the same day - a service which is not always replicated in human healthcare (NHS or private). 

Advances in healthcare have saved the lives of many animals but the cost of veterinary treatment is going up. We consider how this could impact on animal welfare, and ask the question, what do owners want? 

Competition: As mentioned, during April, we are running a competition to win a copy of One Medicine by Dr Matt Morgan, and Through a Vet's Eyes, by Dr Sean Wensley. To be in with a chance of winning all you need to do is subscribe to our email list which can be found at Animal Welfare Conversations