Just 23% of UK first-opinion vet practices are independently owned. The four largest groups own 45.5% between them. Here is how to find out who owns yours.
As of June 2026, 3,731 of the 4,825 UK first-opinion practices mapped by Rightvet are part of a larger group. The remaining 1,094 are independent. The four largest groups account for 2,194 of them, 45.5% of the total.
Rightvet maps active RCVS-registered first-opinion practices. The count excludes OOH-only and specialist sites.
77% of UK first-opinion practices are part of a larger group: 3,731 practices in total. The remaining 23% (1,094 practices) are independent.
The four largest groups own 45.5% of all UK first-opinion practices between them, 2,194 of 4,825. Ownership is concentrated at the top.
The five largest groups by practice count are: IVC Evidensia (911), Pets at Home (473), VetPartners (413), CVS Group (397), Medivet (360).
Ownership changed rapidly after 2015. Private equity-backed groups acquired hundreds of independent practices across a decade, and the Competition and Markets Authority launched a market study in 2024 to examine the impact on pet owners.
Knowing who owns your practice gives context on pricing consistency, referral routes, and what happens if the practice changes hands. Ownership does not determine care quality, but it shapes how a practice operates.
You can check who owns any RCVS-registered first-opinion practice at rightvet.uk/who-owns.
Live count of active first-opinion practices by ownership status.
Across 4,825 active first-opinion practices mapped by Rightvet, 3,731 belong to a larger veterinary group. The remaining 1,094 are independent single-site or small-group practices.
3,731 practices are owned by a larger veterinary group.
1,094 practices are independent.
Source: Rightvet mapping of active RCVS-registered first-opinion practices, June 2026.
The four largest own 45.5% of all first-opinion practices between them. Ranked by number of active practices; groups with fewer than 10 are not named.
Practice counts from live Rightvet data.
The 2015 to 2025 consolidation wave and the CMA investigation.
UK veterinary practice ownership shifted significantly between 2015 and 2025. Understanding why helps owners make sense of the landscape today.
Before 2015, most UK vet practices were independently owned by practising vets. From around 2015, private equity-backed groups began acquiring practices at scale. Established chains such as CVS Group, IVC Evidensia, VetPartners and Linnaeus expanded rapidly, often acquiring multiple practices within the same region.
By the mid-2020s, the five largest groups together accounted for a substantial share of all UK first-opinion practices. Individual groups grew not just by acquisition but by opening new sites under their brand. The pace of acquisition slowed after 2022 as interest rates rose, but the structural shift in ownership remained.
In 2024, the Competition and Markets Authority opened a market study into the veterinary sector, examining whether consolidation had reduced competition or raised prices for pet owners. The CMA published its final report in March 2026, making a series of recommendations on pricing transparency, referral practices, and consumer information. The study noted that the UK veterinary sector had become significantly more concentrated over the preceding decade.
Five things to understand about group-owned and independent practices.
Group ownership does not determine clinical quality. It does affect some practical aspects of the practice that owners are right to understand.
Group-owned practices within the same chain may use shared fee structures, but this is not guaranteed. Published prices can differ between branches of the same group within the same town. Always compare the specific practice, not just the brand.
Some groups own their own specialist and out-of-hours facilities. A referral from a group-owned first-opinion practice may stay within the same corporate structure. That is not necessarily a problem, but it is worth knowing.
When a practice is acquired, staff and clinical standards typically continue unchanged in the short term. Fee structures, brand names, and back-office systems may change over time. If your practice has recently been acquired, check whether its published prices have changed.
Your veterinary records belong to you. If your practice is acquired or you move to a different branch of the same group, you are entitled to your records. Ask the practice directly if you are unsure.
Search for your practice at rightvet.uk/who-owns. Every practice Rightvet maps shows its ownership group.
One data point, carefully hedged: group-owned vs independent consultation fee.
The median published first consultation fee at group-owned practices is £58 vs £54 at independent ones. This is a median across practices that publish a consultation fee. Many individual practices fall on either side of these figures.
Median published first consultation fee across 2,871 practices.
Median published first consultation fee across 430 practices.
Source: Rightvet pricing data, CMA service 1 (first consultation), fixed prices only. Medians from practices that publish a consultation fee. Compare local prices at /prices.
How ownership is classified and counted.
Rightvet maps RCVS-registered UK veterinary practices. Ownership group names are drawn from the RCVS register, company records, and Rightvet's own research into practice ownership.
Group-owned: the practice carries a named ownership group other than 'Independent'. Independent: the practice has no ownership group recorded, or is marked 'Independent'. These definitions follow the practices.ownership_group column in the Rightvet database.
Rightvet maps 4,825 active first-opinion practices. This count uses FOP_SEARCH_CATEGORIES and excludes OOH-only sites, specialist referral centres, and inactive practices.
Groups with fewer than 10 active first-opinion practices are not named individually. This avoids citing micro-groups whose ownership structure may have changed since data was last confirmed.
If ownership data is wrong for your practice, email hello@rightvet.uk and we will review it.
Common questions about who owns UK vet practices.
As of June 2026, 3,731 of the 4,825 active UK first-opinion practices mapped by Rightvet are part of a larger group. That is 77% of the total. The remaining 1,094 are independent.
Highly. The four largest groups own 45.5% of all 4,825 active UK first-opinion practices between them, 2,194 practices. Fewer than one in four practices is independently owned. The Competition and Markets Authority examined this concentration in its market study, with a final report in March 2026.
Ownership affects the structure of the practice, not always the quality of care. Group-owned practices may share pricing policies, referral pathways and protocols across branches. Knowing who owns your practice helps you understand why it behaves the way it does, and gives you context when comparing fees.
Search for your practice at rightvet.uk/who-owns. Every active RCVS-registered first-opinion practice mapped by Rightvet shows its ownership group. You can also ask your practice directly — they are required to disclose ownership information.
Since around 2015, private equity-backed groups have acquired hundreds of independent practices across the UK. The Competition and Markets Authority launched a market study in 2024 to examine whether consolidation has reduced competition or raised fees for pet owners. Its final report was published in March 2026.
An independent practice is one that is not part of a larger veterinary group. In the Rightvet database, independent practices have no ownership group recorded, or carry the label 'Independent'. You can check any practice at rightvet.uk/who-owns.
Topic hub
Vet ownership: the full guide
Group ownership explained, the largest groups, and how to check your practice.
Tool
Check who owns your vet
Look up any UK practice name to see its ownership status.
Topic hub
How ownership affects fees
What group vs independent practices typically charge for the same service.
Topic hub
Choosing a vet
What to look for when comparing practices, including ownership.