Watchdogs to probe soaring vet fees

[Dry Rot]

Watchdogs to probe soaring vet fees amid fears pet owners are being fleeced as treatment costs rise by 13% a year and some practices charge £40 just to see an animal​

Watchdogs to probe rising vet fees amid fears pet owners being fleeced

It is worried that pet owners are not given easy access to information about pricing and treatment options when deciding which vet to use and which services to buy.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Bald Rick]

About time too.

I blame that Supervet fella for putting it out that all animals can be saved …. If you pay me £000s for the privilege of experimenting on your pet

 

[delilah]

Market share. Will the CMA recommend a reversal in consolidation ? Utterly pointless exercise otherwise.

 

[Swarfmonkey]

I'll probably sound a bit like @delilah when I say this, but market share is the problem. There's been significant consolidation in the ownership of vets surgeries in the UK, with 55% of vets surgeries now under corporate control (that figure is from the annual report of CVS, the single largest player in the market). The b'stards have got their hands on the big vet hospital down the road from me, with the result that service level is down, and prices up.

*edit*

Turns out I posted near as dammit the exact time as delilah did

 

[Muck Spreader]

I would also suggest that the massive increase in pet insurance has driven up prices. Back in the day, it was what can you do for a couple of hundred quid, otherwise put the animal down. Now the bills can go into the tens of thousands or whatever the insurance company max is..

 

[Swarfmonkey]

Good point that. Garages pump up the price for repair jobs when the insurance is footing the bell. Whose to say vets are any different?

 

[rusty]

I would also suggest that the massive increase in pet insurance has driven up prices. Back in the day, it was what can you do for a couple of hundred quid, otherwise put the animal down. Now the bills can go into the tens of thousands or whatever the insurance company max is..

Back in the day if your pet rabbit was ill you would just neck it and go to the pet shop for a replacement.
When my wife has to have the vet to her horse the first thing she says is ‘It’s not insured!’

 

[Woolless]

Increasing corporate ownership has to be the major factor. It used to be enough that the partners made a good living, the assistants got a wage and there was money to buy new equipment that was required, keep up premises etc. Now, with shareholder profits in mind, the sky is the limit.

I'm sure inflated charges when most pets are insured also contributes. Bear in mind, it's only in the last couple of years that any of this has been reflected in better wages for vets. Despite a widely predicted national shortage of vets, the Vet Record salary survey four (?) years ago showed that the annual average had reduced by £1000.

 

[Highland Mule]

Despite a widely predicted national shortage of vets, the Vet Record salary survey four (?) years ago showed that the annual average had reduced by £1000.

Curious - how much was it?

 

[Jackov Altraids]

I'll probably sound a bit like @delilah when I say this, but market share is the problem. There's been significant consolidation in the ownership of vets surgeries in the UK, with 55% of vets surgeries now under corporate control (that figure is from the annual report of CVS, the single largest player in the market). The b'stards have got their hands on the big vet hospital down the road from me, with the result that service level is down, and prices up.

*edit*

Turns out I posted near as dammit the exact time as delilah did

And 52.6% of those surveyed worked for a small animal practice so those in particular could be a very high proportion of those connected to a corporate group.

from;

The 2019 Survey of the Veterinary Profession

The report of a survey carried out with the veterinary profession by IES on behalf of the RCVS.

www.rcvs.org.uk

 

[SilliamWhale]

Surely inflating costs for insurance is fraud?

 

[maen]

Vets have gone down the same route as Dentists, Gp’s and now junior doctors. They have become, how shall I put it, become ….k… greedy B.st…s. There is little to no competition to level the prices vets charge and they all have inflated opinions of their worth. I think we will see a gradual privatisation of GP surgeries because they simply refuse to work and care for there allocated patients. What’s more they are not audited. Other privatisation will surely follow.

We used a vet several years ago when the poultry industry had a problem with dietary diarrhoea. Poultry Farmers spent thousands of pounds treating and bedding sick poultry. Ministry vets were always monitoring ‘ pad scores’, farm visits were common. Funnily enough when new crop grain went into the mills the problem stopped. Like turning off a light. It has not returned. The vets knew the reason but would sooner work with the ‘industry’ rather than there fee paying clients. The solution would have been to import wheat and mix into the ration until the problem was under control. The other option, that was taken, was to ignore animal welfare and enable the milling industry to use all their contracted substandard grain.

Life has changed, we are all but a source of revenue. If this is not the case think yourself very very lucky and savour that relationship.

 

[suffolksmallholder]

If you want to gauge how your local Veterinary Surgeries mindset is at, ring and ask them if they could operate on a wild animal.
The answer could be very enlightening.
Hedge-fund money has taken over a good number of practices. This has been happening for a good number of years though.
SS

 

[DeeGee]

Surely inflating costs for insurance is fraud?

But surely big business Is fraud?

Charging punters as much as they possibly can to keep feeding the fat cats and satisfy shareholders…….
Is this not the mantra of free market economics?

This is a genuine question, economics is not my best subject.

 

[wr.]

Surely inflating costs for insurance is fraud?

A young chap ran into the back of my niece's VW Golf in June. Very good local repair shop had a good look and quoted £1900. The boy racer's insurance insisted on picking the car up and taking it to one of their garages who quoted £7k and the car was written off.
I smell a scam but the insurers were happy to pay up.

 

[Dry Rot]

I'll probably sound a bit like @delilah when I say this, but market share is the problem. There's been significant consolidation in the ownership of vets surgeries in the UK, with 55% of vets surgeries now under corporate control (that figure is from the annual report of CVS, the single largest player in the market). The b'stards have got their hands on the big vet hospital down the road from me, with the result that service level is down, and prices up.

*edit*

Turns out I posted near as dammit the exact time as delilah did

...and I read somewhere, that of that 55%, half of them are owned by half a dozen companies.

 

[Dry Rot]

A young chap ran into the back of my niece's VW Golf in June. Very good local repair shop had a good look and quoted £1900. The boy racer's insurance insisted on picking the car up and taking it to one of their garages who quoted £7k and the car was written off.
I smell a scam but the insurers were happy to pay up.

I could tell you a similar tale, but in my case I bought the salvage and did the repair work myself. That too was a write off but it sailed through it's MOT. I came out several £k ahead. Definitely fraud.

 

[Woolless]

Curious - how much was it?

I think the average had fallen back from £41k to £40k but don't quote me.

 

[Woolless]

Vets have gone down the same route as Dentists, Gp’s and now junior doctors. They have become, how shall I put it, become ….k… greedy B.st…s. There is little to no competition to level the prices vets charge and they all have inflated opinions of their worth. I think we will see a gradual privatisation of GP surgeries because they simply refuse to work and care for there allocated patients. What’s more they are not audited. Other privatisation will surely follow.

We used a vet several years ago when the poultry industry had a problem with dietary diarrhoea. Poultry Farmers spent thousands of pounds treating and bedding sick poultry. Ministry vets were always monitoring ‘ pad scores’, farm visits were common. Funnily enough when new crop grain went into the mills the problem stopped. Like turning off a light. It has not returned. The vets knew the reason but would sooner work with the ‘industry’ rather than there fee paying clients. The solution would have been to import wheat and mix into the ration until the problem was under control. The other option, that was taken, was to ignore animal welfare and enable the milling industry to use all their contracted substandard grain.

Life has changed, we are all but a source of revenue. If this is not the case think yourself very very lucky and savour that relationship.

I would have to take issue with 'greedy barstewards'. The fact is that the country is short of vets and doctors. Various factors at play but but why settle for your real terms pay being reduced when there are umpteen empty posts?

Do you have any evidence for the allegation I have highlighted above?

 

[Swarfmonkey]

...and I read somewhere, that of that 55%, half of them are owned by half a dozen companies.

I can't say that surprises me. It was bound to happen after that buttnugget Blair liberalised the ownership of vet practices. Until 1999 only a vet could legally own a veterinary practice...