Description
8-Day Budget campaign to put Indie vets and cost-of-living at the heart of the Budget debate
The Progressive Veterinary Association (PVA) is inviting independent veterinary professionals to a webinar on the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) veterinary market investigation, its Orders and the campaign to ensure the independent sector is heard. The PVA’s 8-day Budget campaign will raise awareness in the run-up to the Chancellor’s Budget on Wednesday 28 October 2026, inform the Government about the impact of the CMA’s Orders and press it to act. It will give vets an opportunity to share their experiences with MPs and the media, explain the value of strong independent practices to local communities and make the case for affordable veterinary care.
PVA director Iain McGill will update attendees on the PVA’s ongoing legal and procedural challenge to the CMA. The webinar will highlight that the CMA’s Orders will put pressure on independent practices and contribute to higher veterinary bills. The PVA will press the Government for a new formal strategic steer to the CMA that puts affordability at the centre of its work, and to consider whether a Public Interest Intervention Notice (PIIN) is warranted. It is also calling for a clear cost-of-living requirement to be restored in regulators’ strategic guidance. The webinar will address the PVA’s concerns about a potential conflict of interest involving a member of the CMA veterinary services inquiry group. The PVA will outline the evidence behind its concerns and the governance questions it believes require answers.
