18/10/2025
To all of our lovely clients and their pets.
There has been a lot of chatter this week in the news about veterinary care and costs in the light of the Competition and Marketing authority's (CMA) provisional recommendations for the veterinary industry.
At City Road Veterinary Centre we believe in care, clarity and choice. Our commitment is to provide exceptional veterinary care for your pets in Truro — but equally we believe in transparency and in giving you the information you need so you can make confident decisions.
Here’s how our values align with the CMA’s recent findings & recommendations for the veterinary‑services sector:
🔍 Transparency & Fair Pricing-The CMA found that many practices do not give pet‑owners enough information about prices before treatment, and that some owners may be overpaying for medicines or not aware they can request a prescription to purchase elsewhere. At City Road we make it our policy to:– Provide clear estimates and explain treatment‑options and likely costs upfront.– Display our standard fee list for frequently offered services (and make it available on our website/in‑practice).– Discuss with you your options for prescriptions and medicine supply, including the possibility of obtaining a prescription to fill elsewhere if applicable.
💬 Ownership & Choice-The CMA’s review highlights concerns that consumers may be unsure who owns their veterinary practice, how much choice they really have, and whether consolidation is reducing competition in some areas.You maybe interested to know that the corporates ( known as the Big 6) now own 60% of veterinary practices in the UK, and that on average those practices fees are 16.6% higher than independent practices, and that most online pharmacies are also owned by the Big 6. We ensure you know who we are — the longest established independent practice in Truro committed to the welfare of your pets and transparency with you. We aim to offer you genuine choice in your pet’s care, discussing tailored options rather than a “one‐size‐fits‐all”‑approach.
🐾 Animal Welfare & Professional Integrity.The CMA stresses that any changes in regulation or market structure must continue to protect clinical judgment, animal welfare and the trust between pet‑owner and veterinary team..We uphold these principles by ensuring that every recommendation we make is based on your pet’s individual needs, not simply commercial drivers. Our focus remains firmly on your pet’s health and wellbeing — and on you as an informed partner in that care.
📣 Empowering You as the Pet‑Owner-Because we believe the best outcomes come from shared understanding, we are dedicated to:– Inviting open, honest discussions about treatments and costs at an early stage (in line with British Veterinary Association guidance). – Offering clear breakdowns of likely services and costs.– Being open about medicine supply options and being clear if, clinically, a prescription could be written for you to fill elsewhere.– Providing you with information in a format that helps you compare and choose what’s best for your pet.
We’re proud to serve the Truro community, and we’re committed to doing so with integrity, compassion and clarity. Thank you for trusting us with your pets — we’ll always aim to earn that trust by being transparent, fair and truly focused on what matters: your pet’s health and your peace of mind.
Sophie and Simon
