What must a practice website carry under the CMA's Order, and by when? That depends on how many first opinion practices (FOPs) and out-of-hours (OOH) Centres the business runs. Some duties sit off the website, in messages, invoices and returns to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS).
WebAsk builds websites and automations; it is not a law firm or a veterinary compliance consultancy, and this is not legal advice.
TL;DR
In force since 23 September 2026 (Article 1(2)). With fewer than 15 FOPs and OOH Centres, the price list and the practice information, parasiticide, plan and cremation pages that apply are due by 22 March 2027; for 15 or more, by 22 December 2026. The complaints process is due by 22 March 2027 at any size, as is a group or network's ownership information.
What is the CMA, and what has it done in the vet market?
In vets, "CMA" means the Competition and Markets Authority. It launched a market review on 7 September 2023 and published its report on the market investigation on 24 March 2026. Its release that day said: "Less than 40% of practices have prices on their websites - they cover few services and are sometimes hard to find."
The CMA made its Veterinary Services Market Investigation Order 2026 on 22 September 2026. It "shall come into force on the day after the Order is made" (Article 1(2)) and extends across the UK (Article 1(3)). The CMA's guidance says "The CMA, not the RCVS, will be responsible for enforcing against any non-compliance with the Order", and on a breach the CMA "could" issue directions or impose a financial penalty.
Who it covers: size, groups and charities
The Order leaves out registered charities that do not provide veterinary services for household pets "on a commercial basis" (Article 2). A "Large Veterinary Business" has "15 or more FOPs and/or OOH Centres"; a Small one has fewer than 15 (Article 2). On our reading, referral centres and crematoria are not in the count.
Ownership duties apply to a "Group or Network", which includes one person or entity "carrying on or operating more than one FOP or OOH Centre", where there is a Main Entity (Article 2). So a business with two FOPs of its own can be one.
The Article 3 dates, by size
| Articles | What they cover | Small business (fewer than 15) | Large business (15 or more) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Ownership information (groups and networks) | 22 March 2027 | 22 March 2027 |
| 6 to 9 | Practice information, price list, parasiticide price list, pet care plans | 22 March 2027 | 22 December 2026 |
| 10 | Information to the RCVS for Find a Vet | 3 months after the RCVS has fully complied with Undertakings 4.1 (the web form), or 22 September 2027, whichever is later | The same |
| 11 and 12 | Written estimates for higher cost treatments; itemised bills | 22 September 2027 | 22 June 2027 |
| 13 | Policies so vets and nurses can follow the relevant provisions of the RCVS Codes and Guidance | 22 March 2027 | 22 December 2026 |
| 14 to 17 | Written prescriptions: awareness, provision, standard flyer, own brand medication | 22 September 2027 | 22 June 2027 |
| 19 | Notice period for OOH contracts | 22 September 2026 (19(4) and 19(5)(a)–(b)); 22 December 2026 (19(5)(c)) | The same |
| 20 | Cremation options and prices | 22 March 2027 | 22 December 2026 |
| 21 to 23 | Complaint processes, complaint logs, mediation | 22 March 2027 | 22 March 2027 |
Article 18 (prescription fees) has dates of its own and is not covered here.
On the website: the price list and the pages around it
What Part 2 puts on a website (Articles 5 to 9) goes on or via the homepage, with link labels and content "Clear and Prominent", within two clicks unless the Article says otherwise (Article 4(2)); in a group or network, on the practice's own website or, failing that, "the dedicated webpage for that FOP" (Article 4(3)).
The price list
The price list gives a price for each Schedule 1 item the practice offers (Article 7(1)). The Schedule lists 36 items in five groups, and some rows ask for extras such as a "Standard appointment duration in minutes." Article 7(2) sets the format: Schedule 1's names, not free text; a cat band and five dog bands where species or weight changes the price; checkboxes on the dental assessment, castration and spay rows showing which of seven listed components are included; "prices displayed on the Price List include VAT"; and a typical-case statement.
Article 7(4) puts it no more than one click from the homepage, "hosted on a webpage which uses the terms 'price', 'prices', 'pricing' or 'fees' in page navigation information and page metadata", and Article 7(5) has it updated before a new price is charged. Annex 1 to the Explanatory Note is an optional template that "would satisfy the requirements of Article 7" (paragraph 68).
Practice, parasiticide, plan and cremation pages
Practice information (Article 2) means the qualifications of long-term vets and nurses, PSS accreditations or awards with a link to the RCVS's PSS page, and any outsourced out-of-hours provider's details. It must be updated "as soon as reasonably practicable and in any event within one week of any change to the information" (Article 6(1)(c)).
A business "which sells Parasiticides directly to Pet Owners" publishes, for each FOP, a parasiticide price list giving "the full authorised product name" and "the brand name", with "a link to the VMD Register of Online Retailers" (Articles 2 and 8). The Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013 bar, in regulation 11, advertising prescription-only veterinary medicines except to the professional audiences named there, but "paragraph (1) does not apply to price lists". The VMD's guidance says that, to avoid being classed as an advert, a price list must include "a list of all products in a particular category"; the Order's covers the "Most Common Parasiticides". No source we read reconciles the two, and this post names no product.
A FOP offering pet care plans puts their standard information on its main plan page (Article 9(3)(a)), and Article 9 sets how any savings claim is worked out and shown.
The End-of-Life Care Options, including "a Basic Communal Cremation Service", go on each FOP or OOH Centre's website, each option "set out with equal prominence" (Article 20(3) and 20(4)).
Complaints and the written-prescription literature
The written complaints process (Article 21(2)) goes on the website with the RCVS's Decision Tree (Article 21(3)(b) and (i)), which the RCVS undertook to publish within four months (Undertakings 7.9): by 22 January 2027, on our arithmetic.
The RCVS Written Prescription Literature sits within two clicks of the homepage (Article 14(3) and 14(4)) and changes "within one month of being notified" of an update (Article 14(5)). The RCVS undertook to produce it within eight months (Undertakings 6.5): by 22 May 2027, on our arithmetic.
Ownership, for groups and networks
In a group or network, the Main Entity's name, or the group's trading name, goes on the group's website and each FOP's (Article 5(3)), and Article 5(4) adds each homepage's top banner where available, every page's metadata, paid-for and organic search results, and map results where owners visit. For search and map results it cannot directly control, Article 5(5) excuses the business once it makes "all reasonable representations to, and requests of" the person in control. Our reading is that page metadata takes in the structured data search engines read, so the name belongs in the page templates.
In messages, on invoices and at registration
- Booking confirmation. In "the first of any digital communications to a Pet Owner to confirm a consultation booking", the practice states the consultation price and links to its price list (Article 7(3)(c)).
- Consultation messages. Any email, text or other electronic communication sent "in respect of an upcoming consultation at a FOP" carries the Order's Standard Electronic Message, "Written prescriptions are available. See the RCVS website for further information." (Article 14(10) and 14(11)).
- Registration. The literature (a link or a physical copy) at registration, or within six months for existing clients (Article 14(2)), and where the complaints process is (Article 21(3)(d)).
- Invoices. Where the complaints process is (Article 21(3)(e)) and, on medication sales, the Order's footer notification (Article 14(12) to 14(14)).
- Plan renewals. On an annual plan that renews automatically, "the Veterinary Business must send a reminder to the Pet Owner before the renewal takes effect" (Article 9(12)).
- Ownership. Groups and networks carry it in Pet Owner Communications, "appointment confirmations" included (Articles 5(7) and 4(6)(c)).
For other reminders, our build position: a reminder about an appointment already made is a service message, and we build a message that says a pet is due and invites a booking as marketing (appointment reminder rules).
Returns to the RCVS
By 30 November 2026. Each business operating a FOP, OOH Centre, crematorium or referral centre when the Order came into force sends the RCVS its names, head office, compliance contact and locations, "to the extent that it has not already done so in accordance with Article 5 of the Funding Order" (the CMA's levy Order of 20 August 2026; Article 26(1)).
Find a Vet (Article 10). Each business sends, for each FOP, its basic and practice information, price lists, plan information and "the public URL for each of the webpages" carrying them, by the table's date. After that, price changes go in before they are charged and other changes "as soon as reasonably practicable", a moved page included (Article 10(6)).
Attestations (Article 24). Businesses "with more than one FOP or OOH Centre" confirm to the RCVS whether they comply: an Initial Attestation "within 30 days of the applicable Compliance Date", then Annual Attestations, the first no later than 30 September 2027.
The latest updates, as at 11 October 2026
The CMA. Its case page and guidance were last updated on 22 September 2026, when it published the Order, and we found no later CMA veterinary item on GOV.UK. The case page says: "We will soon be publishing an updated explainer on what veterinary businesses need to do and by when to comply with the Order." The RCVS will share it "once available" (news, 22 September 2026).
The web form. We found no RCVS notice that the Find a Vet web form is in place. The RCVS undertook to set it up within nine months (Undertakings 4.11): by 22 June 2027, on our arithmetic.
A challenge. A person aggrieved by the CMA's decision to make the Order "may apply to the Competition Appeal Tribunal for a review of that decision" (Explanatory Note, paragraph 6), within two months of notification or publication, "whichever is the earlier" (rule 25(2)). We found no application on the Tribunal's case list or by search on 11 October 2026.
Checklist by date: pages, messages, returns
- By 30 November 2026: the RCVS return, to the extent not already supplied under the Funding Order (Article 26(1)).
- By 22 March 2027 (fewer than 15) or 22 December 2026 (15 or more): the price list and the practice information, parasiticide, plan and cremation pages where they apply; the booking-confirmation and plan-renewal templates (Articles 6 to 9 and 20).
- By 22 March 2027, any size: the complaints page, Decision Tree and complaints links; ownership, for groups and networks (Articles 21 and 5).
- By 22 September 2027 (fewer than 15) or 22 June 2027 (15 or more): the literature page, the Standard Electronic Message, the literature at registration and the invoice notification (Article 14).
- The Article 10 return: by 22 September 2027, or 3 months after the RCVS has fully complied with Undertakings 4.1, if that is later.
- Within 30 days of each date, with more than one FOP or OOH Centre: the Initial Attestation (Article 24).
Where a website build fits
Web Development builds the price, practice-information, plan, cremation and complaints pages, with extra pages each quoted on its own before work starts, and a CRM can send the booking-confirmation, consultation and plan-renewal messages; neither makes a practice meet the Order. What we offer practices is on the veterinary practices page.