CMA Remedies – from outcomes to practical delivery
Thursday 15th October 2026, 7:30pm – 8:45pm
The CMA investigation is moving from consultation and debate towards practical implementation. Veterinary practices now need to understand the final outcomes, the timetable for change and, importantly, what they should be doing to prepare.
This final CMA Business Club session will bring together the key changes and translate them into practical actions for practice owners and leadership teams. We will look at the requirements practices are likely to face, the steps that can be taken now, and how to reduce unnecessary administrative burden while achieving the aims of greater transparency, choice and competition.
A major learning from the SPVS CMA Roadshows has been the importance of making practices more CMA resilient — understanding where income, pricing, medicines, client communication and operational pressures may be vulnerable and identifying opportunities to strengthen the business.
We will also demonstrate the outcomes of using SPVS tools, including financial modelling spreadsheets and the SPVS Practice Strength Tracker, which can help practices understand their exposure, identify priorities and plan confidently for the changes ahead.
By the end of the session, attendees will:
- Understand the CMA timetable and final outcomes – what is changing, when the different requirements are expected to take effect and what practices need to prepare for now.
- Understand the practical and business implications for veterinary practices – including pricing and medicines, client communication, administration, workflow and the potential impact on practice economics and team capacity.
- Identify practical steps to build a more CMA-resilient practice – using financial modelling, practice-strength assessment and other SPVS tools to reduce risk, strengthen the business and turn some of the challenges created by the remedies into opportunities.
The SPVS CMA Working Group
The SPVS CMA Working Group – Pete Orpin, Kate Higgins and Vicki Farbon – has been closely involved in the CMA’s veterinary market investigation from its earliest stages through to the publication of the final remedies.
Working closely with SPVS members, the BVA Joint Working Group and other professional organisations, the group has provided the CMA with detailed evidence and practical insight into the realities of running veterinary practices. This has included contributing to discussions and formal hearings on transparency, pricing, prescription medicines, client choice, practice finances, regulation and the potential impact of proposed remedies on independent and start-up practices.
The group has also undertaken detailed financial modelling and member research to understand the potential impact of changes to medicine supply and pricing, and maintained an ongoing dialogue with the CMA about the need for proportionate implementation, adequate transition periods and solutions that improve transparency and client choice without creating unintended consequences.
Following publication of the final remedies, the group has continued this work through the SPVS CMA Roadshows and member resources, helping practice owners and leaders understand what the remedies mean in practice, explore their financial and operational implications, and identify practical ways to respond.
Speakers:
SPVS CMA working party
Pete Orpin, SPVS President
Kate Higgins, SPVS JVP
Vicki Farbon, SPVS Chair
