BVA president criticises Which? magazine survey
“Any conclusion it draws will clearly fail to provide a balanced and accurate picture of veterinary care in the UK"- Anna Judson
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has criticised consumer magazine Which?, saying it asked for its readers to share only their negative experiences of veterinary care.
The magazine’s survey comes as the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) compiles the findings of its review into the veterinary sector.
The CMA’s review was launched in September, and its findings are expected to be released early next year.
The BVA has said that, while they welcomed the CMA’s review of veterinary services, it was important not to pre-empt its findings. BVA president Anna Judson called the Which? survey ‘disappointing’, stating that its intentions of sourcing only negative experiences would result in inaccurate representations of the sector.
Anna Judson said: “Any conclusion it draws will clearly fail to provide a balanced and accurate picture of veterinary care in the UK and has the potential to be highly damaging to the morale and wellbeing of vet teams, many of whom are already under severe pressure going into the busy festive period.”
However Which? magazine says that their research, which surveyed more than 2,000 pet owners, included a range of behavioural and attitudinal questions. This included questions about pet owners’ experiences of veterinary services, their views about pricing, their decision-making, and their perception of and trust in veterinary services.
Since Dr Judson’s statement, the consumer magazine has publicised the findings of its survey on its website. The press release also includes prediction from the consumer group on what the CMA’s findings will include.
A Which? spokesperson said: “We stand by our research. Our findings show that shopping around and getting reliable information about paying for veterinary services is much more difficult than it should be.
“That’s why it’s important that the CMA’s review gets to the bottom of this issue and ensures pet owners are treated fairly when they seek help from a vet.”
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Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
