Latest news with #RocioConcha
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Vet complaint process in UK often ‘stacked against pet owners'
Britain's pet owners often face an uphill struggle when they are unhappy with their vet because the industry's complaints system is not fit for purpose, according to a leading consumer body. The findings from Which? that the complaints process 'is often stacked against pet owners' come as the UK competition watchdog is investigating the veterinary sector amid concerns that above-inflation price hikes and other issues mean consumers are not getting a fair deal. Well more than half of UK households have one or more pets, with numbers increasing dramatically during the pandemic. However, Which? said pet owners were often put off making a complaint when there was a problem, and that those who did often had limited options for taking the matter forward or were left feeling their issue had been unfairly dismissed. Rocio Concha, director of policy and advocacy at the consumer body, said: 'It is completely unjust that many pet owners feel not only unhappy with the service and treatment received by their vet when their pet is taken ill, but also lack the means to make a complaint that will be properly investigated.' In its survey of more than 1,000 pet owners who had experienced some kind of problem with their vet during the past two years, pricing was the most common issue raised. More than half said the price of care or treatment was excessive, while more than a quarter said the cost was higher than they thought it would be. The third most common issue was quality of care, followed by customer service, not being given the relevant information, being charged the wrong price, and the vet or practice making a mistake. The first port of call when making a complaint is usually the practice itself. Many of the pet owners in the survey who had been put off making a claim said they did not think they would be successful, did not want to fall out with their vet, or did not know how to complain in the first place. 'Very few' owners then went on to escalate the complaint, and those who did found that the options available were often inadequate, said Which?. There is the Veterinary Client Mediation Service (VCMS), but this is a voluntary complaints scheme. Meanwhile, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) has the responsibility for investigating all 'concerns' raised with it about vets – but Which? claimed it had 'very high thresholds' for investigating and progressing a complaint, 'leaving pet owners feeling dismissed, or that the process is biased in favour of veterinary professionals'. Steph Drew, from Lincoln, told Which? that the complaints system was 'designed to protect vets'. Her dog Daisy was left injured when her vet operated on the wrong leg. Drew complained to the RCVS, but her case was initially dismissed after a year, said the consumer organisation. After appealing against the decision, the case went on for three years, finally ending in a disciplinary hearing. The vet has now been struck off and found by the RCVS to have failed to provide adequate care to 18 animals in total, said Which?. Earlier this month the UK Competition and Markets Authority – which has been investigating rising costs and other issues in the multibillion-pound sector – said it had 'concerns that … firms' internal complaint handling processes may be inconsistent and operate poorly, and that the external redress mechanism provided by the VCMS is not as effective as it could be'. It also found there were 'shortcomings' with the RCVS code of conduct. Sign up to Headlines UK Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion A VCMS spokesperson told Which? it could not comment on individual cases but added: 'Last year we received more than 3,500 inquiries from pet owners, and the VCMS helped resolve over 80% of complaints … It continues to develop the mediation process to improve outcomes and satisfaction for consumers and practice teams, as well as the delivery of veterinary care.' The RCVS said it had been asking the government to reform the current legislation 'for some years', adding: 'Our current remit is relatively narrow and focuses on regulating the individual professionals and not practices, which have never been regulated. We support proposals to enhance consumer protection, and mandatory practice regulation.' It said that under current legislation it could only investigate allegations of serious professional misconduct. A spokesperson added that 'the facts presented in the [Which?] case studies do not completely align with those reported to us'.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Consumer confidence in economy ‘at lowest level since cost-of-living shock'
Consumer confidence in the future of the UK economy has plummeted to its lowest level since the height of the cost-of-living crisis, according to a survey. Almost two-thirds of consumers (64%) believe the economy will get worse before it gets better, according to the Which? Consumer Insight Tracker. Confidence fell by seven points to minus 53 in April – its lowest level since December 2022 when the cost-of-living crisis was at its height and the inflation rate was above 10%. When Which? asked respondents who reported being pessimistic why they felt so negatively about the future UK economy, 67% said it was because of global events, while 63% cited changes in prices and 60% mentioned government tax changes. Confidence in future household finances also fell significantly, by 10 points to minus 19 – the lowest level reported since July 2023 – while confidence in current household finances dropped six points to minus 21. This comes as the estimated number of households missing essential payments such as rent or mortgage, utility bills, credit card or loans remained at similar levels to March, at 1.9 million households. The proportion of renters missing rent payments increased to 4.7% in the last month, suggesting many are still struggling to make ends meet due to ongoing cost-of-living pressures. An estimated 13 million households (46%) made at least one adjustment to cover essential spending such as utility bills, housing costs, groceries, school supplies and medicines in the last month, although this was slightly lower than the 51% seen in March. Adjustments included cutting back on essentials, dipping into savings, selling possessions or borrowing. Rocio Concha, Which? director of policy and advocacy, said: 'Our research shows consumer confidence in the future of the UK economy has fallen to the lowest levels seen since the height of the cost-of-living crisis. 'Consumer protections give people the confidence to spend, so whether it's rooting out online fraudsters, taking down rogue traders or tackling misleading business practices, the Government must do more to place consumers at the heart of its plans to grow the economy and restore people's confidence.' Sign in to access your portfolio
ITV News
05-05-2025
- Business
- ITV News
Consumer confidence in economy ‘at lowest level since cost-of-living shock'
Consumer confidence in the future of the UK economy has plummeted to its lowest level since the height of the cost-of-living crisis, according to a survey. Almost two-thirds of consumers (64%) believe the economy will get worse before it gets better, according to the Which? Consumer Insight Tracker. Confidence fell by seven points to minus 53 in April – its lowest level since December 2022 when the cost-of-living crisis was at its height and the inflation rate was above 10%. When Which? asked respondents who reported being pessimistic why they felt so negatively about the future UK economy, 67% said it was because of global events, while 63% cited changes in prices and 60% mentioned government tax changes. Confidence in future household finances also fell significantly, by 10 points to minus 19 – the lowest level reported since July 2023 – while confidence in current household finances dropped six points to minus 21. This comes as the estimated number of households missing essential payments such as rent or mortgage, utility bills, credit card or loans remained at similar levels to March, at 1.9 million households. The proportion of renters missing rent payments increased to 4.7% in the last month, suggesting many are still struggling to make ends meet due to ongoing cost-of-living pressures. An estimated 13 million households (46%) made at least one adjustment to cover essential spending such as utility bills, housing costs, groceries, school supplies and medicines in the last month, although this was slightly lower than the 51% seen in March. Adjustments included cutting back on essentials, dipping into savings, selling possessions or borrowing. Rocio Concha, Which? director of policy and advocacy, said: 'Our research shows consumer confidence in the future of the UK economy has fallen to the lowest levels seen since the height of the cost-of-living crisis. 'Consumer protections give people the confidence to spend, so whether it's rooting out online fraudsters, taking down rogue traders or tackling misleading business practices, the Government must do more to place consumers at the heart of its plans to grow the economy and restore people's confidence.'
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Vets could face medicines price cap in competition probe
British vets could face a temporary price cap on the medicines they offer as the regulator investigates concerns that pet owners are being ripped off. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) could also make vets display their prices for prescription and dispensing fees, medicines, surgeries, treatments and out-of-hours help clearly online and in practices, according to a working paper released on Thursday. The competition watchdog is looking into the veterinary industry after 56,000 people raised concerns about the sector, including that they are overpaying for medicines and prescriptions and are not being given basic information such as price lists and prescription costs. In its working paper, the CMA said it was considering a cap on the mark-ups that vet practices can make when selling cremations, which were sold to pet owners 'at a vulnerable moment'. It said it was considering the possible benefits and risks of implementing a short-term, temporary 'stabilising' freeze or cap on medicine prices. The paper reads: 'While our strong preference is to support consumers to get the best prices and drive competition within the existing market structure, we are considering the possible benefits and risks of implementing a short-term, temporary 'stabilising' freeze or cap on medicine prices while the competition benefits of the broader package of measures come into effect.' The regulator has previously said it was concerned over the impact of recent consolidation in the sector as large groups have bought out swathes of independent practices, and has raised the prospect of vets having to provide information as to whether they are part of a larger corporate or business entity. It said it was also looking at the link between treatments offered by vets and bonuses, including the use of 'targets or financial incentives, which limit vets' clinical freedom to provide a choice of treatments suited to the pet owner and animal's requirements'. The paper said: 'If a package containing some or all of these remedies were put into place, we expect that it would empower consumers with greater understanding of the treatment and other options open to them and the different vet practices that could provide these services. 'This would allow pet owners more easily to choose the right option for their preferences, budget and pet's circumstances.' Which? director of policy and advocacy Rocio Concha said: 'Millions of households across the UK consider their pet an important part of the family, however Which? research has shown that pet owners feel exposed to bad practices like unclear pricing and unnecessary treatment if their pet falls ill. 'Shopping around and getting reliable information about paying for vet services is much more difficult than it should be, so it's right that the CMA is proposing changes that would introduce much greater transparency and make it easier for pet owners to find affordable treatment and medication. 'It's also clear that the regulation of this market is outdated, to the detriment of both pet owners and vet practices. The Government needs to act quickly to modernise this once the CMA confirms its recommendations.'
The Independent
01-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Vets could face medicines price cap in competition probe
British vets could face a temporary price cap on the medicines they offer as the regulator investigates concerns that pet owners are being ripped off. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) could also make vets display their prices for prescription and dispensing fees, medicines, surgeries, treatments and out-of-hours help clearly online and in practices, according to a working paper released on Thursday. The competition watchdog is looking into the veterinary industry after 56,000 people raised concerns about the sector, including that they are overpaying for medicines and prescriptions and are not being given basic information such as price lists and prescription costs. In its working paper, the CMA said it was considering a cap on the mark-ups that vet practices can make when selling cremations, which were sold to pet owners 'at a vulnerable moment'. It said it was considering the possible benefits and risks of implementing a short-term, temporary 'stabilising' freeze or cap on medicine prices. The paper reads: 'While our strong preference is to support consumers to get the best prices and drive competition within the existing market structure, we are considering the possible benefits and risks of implementing a short-term, temporary 'stabilising' freeze or cap on medicine prices while the competition benefits of the broader package of measures come into effect.' The regulator has previously said it was concerned over the impact of recent consolidation in the sector as large groups have bought out swathes of independent practices, and has raised the prospect of vets having to provide information as to whether they are part of a larger corporate or business entity. It said it was also looking at the link between treatments offered by vets and bonuses, including the use of 'targets or financial incentives, which limit vets' clinical freedom to provide a choice of treatments suited to the pet owner and animal's requirements'. The paper said: 'If a package containing some or all of these remedies were put into place, we expect that it would empower consumers with greater understanding of the treatment and other options open to them and the different vet practices that could provide these services. 'This would allow pet owners more easily to choose the right option for their preferences, budget and pet's circumstances.' Which? director of policy and advocacy Rocio Concha said: 'Millions of households across the UK consider their pet an important part of the family, however Which? research has shown that pet owners feel exposed to bad practices like unclear pricing and unnecessary treatment if their pet falls ill. 'Shopping around and getting reliable information about paying for vet services is much more difficult than it should be, so it's right that the CMA is proposing changes that would introduce much greater transparency and make it easier for pet owners to find affordable treatment and medication. 'It's also clear that the regulation of this market is outdated, to the detriment of both pet owners and vet practices. The Government needs to act quickly to modernise this once the CMA confirms its recommendations.'
