Response to DEFRA consultation

CVS welcomes the announcement by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) that they will be commencing a consultation on proposed reforms to the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 (VSA).

Reform of the VSA was a remedy recommended by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), along with price transparency, in its October 2025 provisional decision of its market investigation into veterinary services for household pets in the UK and the Government had previously announced its intention to consult on this.

CVS has been calling for reform to the VSA for some time and has engaged with both DEFRA and the CMA during the market investigation to share its views on these expected reforms. CVS believes reform will help strengthen consumer confidence in the profession, ensure enhanced regulation including practice level accountability for maintaining appropriate standards such as mandatory compliance with the voluntary Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) which CVS practices embrace. CVS also believes that expanding the scope and role of Registered Veterinary Nurses to undertake a wider range of procedures is long overdue.

CVS understands the consultation will last for eight weeks and looks forward to continuing its dialogue with DEFRA, and to sharing its thoughts during the consultation.

The Group continues to expect to deliver FY2026 results in line with the Board's expectations.

Paul Higgs, Chief Veterinary Officer commented: "The Veterinary Profession has been calling for reform of the outdated Veterinary Surgeons Act for over a decade, something CVS continues to be supportive of. We are pleased to see the Government take the opportunity of the CMA investigation to accelerate this process."