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Guide · updated

Out-of-hours and emergency vet costs in the UK: why nights cost more and what you can check

Why emergency vet care outside normal hours costs more, who usually provides it, and the new CMA rules that make practices show out-of-hours prices and providers in advance.

What practices that already publish charge

Fewer than 3 practices that publish this price are on our list so far. Vet businesses with 15 or more practices or out-of-hours centres must publish it, if they offer it, on each practice's website from 23 December 2026, and smaller practices from 23 March 2027.

The time to find out what your out-of-hours vet charges is now, on an ordinary afternoon, not at 2am with a dog that has eaten a sock. The CMA's new rules make that possible for the first time, because your own practice's price list will have to tell you.

Emergencies are not rare. In the CMA's survey, 15% of pet owners said they had used emergency out-of-hours services in the previous two years. Of those, about half (48%) went to a different practice from their usual one, and most of them (70%) found it through their usual vet (Final report, Part A, paragraph 2.11).

Every practice has to arrange 24-hour cover

The RCVS, which regulates vets, says that all vets in practice "must take steps to provide 24-hour emergency first aid and pain relief to animals according to their skills and the specific situation" (RCVS supporting guidance, chapter 3, paragraph 3.1). That does not mean your own vet has to be on call. They are not expected to "remain constantly on duty", but when they are off duty clients must be "directed to another appropriate service" (paragraph 3.4).

Most practices do this by handing nights and weekends to someone else. The CMA found that 80% of first-opinion practices outsource out-of-hours provision to another site, including sites in the same group, and about 31% outsource to an external provider (Part A, paragraph 12.1). Around 356 sites in the UK provide outsourced out-of-hours services, compared with around 4,500 first-opinion practices (Part A, paragraph 12.31).

So when you ring your practice at night, you will often reach a different business with its own prices.

Why out-of-hours care costs more

The RCVS's own guidance is blunt about it: "the costs for out-of-hours services are generally more expensive", and "clients may be required to pay an additional premium for emergency veterinary attention outside normal working hours" (chapter 3, paragraph 3.54).

The CMA looked at why. Running a night service means paying for a dedicated night team, and out-of-hours salaries can be higher than daytime ones to compensate for antisocial hours. The CMA concluded that costs to deliver services such as consultations and surgical procedures can be higher outside regular working hours (the figure is redacted in the published report) (Part A, paragraph 12.30). It also noted the lower demand for out-of-hours provision (paragraph 12.8); our reading is that fixed night-time costs are spread over fewer cases. And many practices pay their out-of-hours provider a monthly fee: the CMA saw fees from about £75 to over £1,100 a month, excluding VAT, with some practices paying nothing (paragraph 12.29). That fee is a cost to the practice, not to you, but it is part of how the system is paid for.

What drives the price Why it pushes out-of-hours prices up
Staffing A separate night team, often paid more for antisocial hours (Part A, 12.30)
Volume The CMA noted lower demand out of hours (Part A, 12.8); our reading: fewer patients to spread fixed costs over
Concentration One group serves around 60-70% of the practices that outsource to an external provider (Part A, 12.31)
Your choice in the moment Most owners use the provider their practice points them to (Part A, 12.2)

What practices must now show

The price list rules apply from 23 December 2026 at large vet groups and from 23 March 2027 at smaller businesses (Order, Art. 3 and 7). Three of them matter for emergencies:

  1. "Out-of-hours consultation" is one of the 36 standard items in Schedule 1, so it has its own price on the list of every practice that offers it.
  2. If the practice runs its own night service and charges differently out of hours, it must show those out-of-hours prices alongside the daytime ones (Art. 7(2)(h)).
  3. If it outsources out-of-hours care, its own price list must show the price of a consultation with that provider and link to the provider's price list (Art. 7(2)(i)). The CMA's definition of the item also expects the provider's name (Explanatory Note, Annex 1).

The practice's website must also give the out-of-hours provider's name, phone number, website, address, opening times and the services provided there (Art. 6 and the definition of Practice Information in Art. 2). That information must be kept up to date within a week of any change (Art. 6(1)(c)).

The RCVS guidance already asked vets to tell clients "about the likely initial costs of the service" (chapter 3, paragraph 3.23). The Order turns that into a published price.

Your practice's night provider is part of the price

This is the comparison most people never make. A practice with cheap daytime prices may hand its nights to a provider that is expensive, or a long drive away. It matters because, as the CMA found, the majority of owners use the out-of-hours provider their practice recommends (Part A, paragraph 12.2).

When you compare practices on The Pet Bill, look at the out-of-hours consultation price as well as the daytime ones. Practices also become freer to switch providers: from 23 September 2026, out-of-hours providers can no longer hold a practice to more than 12 months' notice (Art. 3 and 19).

Money during an emergency

Three rules help, from different sources:

  • First aid first. The RCVS says likely costs "should be discussed at an early stage, but immediate first aid and pain relief should not be delayed while financial arrangements are agreed" (chapter 3, paragraph 3.55).
  • Written estimates, after the emergency. From 23 June 2027 at large groups and 23 September 2027 at smaller ones, an estimate is required for treatment likely to cost £500 or more including VAT, and more than £100 of it (a fifth of the £500 threshold) is for costs still to come (Order, Art. 3 and 11). In a genuine emergency, where any delay would seriously harm the pet, the estimate can come as soon as reasonably possible after the emergency has ended (Art. 11(8)).
  • Prescriptions. The written prescription fee caps apply at out-of-hours centres too (Art. 18(1)), from 23 March 2027 at large groups and 23 September 2027 at smaller ones (Art. 3).

The RCVS also notes that vets are not obliged to carry out ongoing treatment for which the owner cannot pay (chapter 3, paragraph 3.56), and that they may charge higher fees to unregistered clients (paragraph 3.54). Being registered with a practice before you need it is worth doing.

Questions to ask your practice, today

  • Who provides your out-of-hours care, and where is it?
  • What does an out-of-hours consultation cost there?
  • Do you charge differently for anything at night or at weekends?
  • If my pet needs to stay overnight, who will look after it and how is that priced?
  • Is there anything I should bring or know if I have to go there?

Frequently asked questions

How much does an emergency vet cost in the UK?

The box at the top of this page shows the range once three practices that publish list it, and the median once five do. It is a sample, not a UK average. The CMA did not publish a national out-of-hours consultation figure. From 23 December 2026, every large group's practice list must show its out-of-hours consultation price if the practice offers out-of-hours care, and smaller practices from 23 March 2027. Prices vary by practice; see the map for published prices from 23 December 2026, and the out-of-hours consultation price page.

Why are emergency vets so expensive?

The CMA concluded that costs of out-of-hours consultations and surgery can be higher (the figure is redacted), with a dedicated night team often paid more for antisocial hours (Part A, paragraph 12.30). The RCVS says out-of-hours services are "generally more expensive" (chapter 3, paragraph 3.54).

Will my vet treat my pet if I can't pay straight away?

The RCVS says first aid and pain relief should not be delayed while payment is agreed (chapter 3, paragraph 3.55). Ongoing treatment is a different matter; vets are not obliged to carry out ongoing treatment the owner cannot pay for (paragraph 3.56). Talk about costs early.

Do I have to use the out-of-hours provider my vet recommends?

No, but most people do, and in an emergency there is rarely time to shop around. That is why it pays to check the provider's price before you need it.

Will out-of-hours prices be on The Pet Bill?

Yes. Out-of-hours consultation prices appear on practice pages alongside daytime prices once practices publish them, with the date we checked and a link to the source.

Related reading

Sources

Prices mentioned in this guide

How to compare vet prices in the UKA practical checklist for comparing vet price lists fairly, from consultation minutes and vaccine bundles to out-of-hours cover and cremation.Pet euthanasia cost in the UK: what the price includes and what is charged separatelyHow vets price euthanasia, why cremation is a separate item, what the CMA rules require practices to tell you, and the questions worth asking before the appointment.Vet consultation fees in the UK: first, repeat, nurse and out-of-hours appointmentsHow much a vet consultation costs, what the CMA found, why first and repeat appointments are priced differently, and why the appointment length now sits next to the price.How to complain about a vet bill or a price in the UKThe steps that work for a disputed vet bill or price: the practice's own complaints process, free mediation through the VCMS, what the RCVS can and cannot do, and what the CMA Order changes from 23 March 2027.What the CMA vet price rules mean for pet ownersFrom 23 December 2026 big vet groups must publish a standard price list. Here is what changes, when, and what you can do with it.Cat vaccination cost in the UK: kitten course, boosters and what the price includesWhat a cat or kitten vaccination price covers under the new CMA price lists, why a primary course costs more than a booster, and what to ask before you book.