Consultation and preventative care
Nurse consultation prices at UK vets
A nurse consultation is an appointment with a veterinary nurse rather than a vet.
Lowest published prices
Prices are copied from each practice's own website on the date shown and can change. Check with the practice before you book. How we collect prices
All pets 1 practice
In-hours, standard prices including VAT, from 1 practice that already publishes; not a UK average. We show a range once 3 practices list a price and a median once 5 do. Fewer than 3 practices list a price for all pets so far.
What it is
The CMA's definition is a consultation with a registered veterinary nurse or a supervised student veterinary nurse "for the standard appointment length" (Explanatory Note, Annex 1).
Official price-list name: Nurse consultation
(CMA Order, Schedule 1).
What's included
- Anything that is an essential part of the service, and VAT (Art. 7(2)(d) and (f))
The four consultation items
The price list has four consultations: a first consultation for a new problem or a check-up, a repeat consultation for a follow-up, an out-of-hours consultation and a nurse consultation. For a first and a nurse consultation, Schedule 1 asks for the standard appointment length in minutes next to the price, so compare the minutes as well as the pounds.
Why the price varies
- Appointment length. Schedule 1 asks for the standard appointment length in minutes next to this price, so compare minutes as well as pounds.
- Care plans. The CMA found that the large groups' plans included at least one consultation with a vet or a nurse (final report Appendix G, paragraph 1.5).
- Who owns the practice. The CMA found that between January 2023 and July 2024, average prices at five of the six large vet groups were together 18.3% higher than at independent practices for consultations, treatments and medicines (final report summary, paragraph 25).
Background
Whether a nurse appointment is right for your pet's problem is for the practice to decide; ask when you book.
Questions to ask the practice
- What can a nurse appointment cover for my pet?
- How long is a standard nurse consultation?
- Is it included in your pet care plan?
We explain prices, not treatment. Ask your vet about the clinical choices for your own pet.
The rules
What the practice's price list must show, with the Order's article references
The exact name from Schedule 1, “Nurse consultation”, with no free-text description (Art. 7(2)(a)).
As for every item: each version on its own line with the standard one marked, a cat price and five dog bands where the price depends on the animal, and VAT included, kept up to date and changed before a higher price is charged (Art. 7(2)(b), (c), (f) and (g), and 7(5)).
The standard appointment length in minutes (Schedule 1).
Large vet groups must publish from 23 December 2026 and smaller practices from 23 March 2027 (Art. 3 and 7).
Unhappy with a bill or a price? Our guide explains how to complain, from the practice's own process to free mediation.
Questions
Who counts as a veterinary nurse?
The Order describes a veterinary nurse as a qualified professional who works alongside vets to provide medical care, including one registered as a veterinary nurse with the RCVS (Art. 2).
Why might my bill be higher than the listed price?
Listed prices are for the typical case. Each price list must say so, and must warn that prices may go up in more complex or complicated cases (Art. 7(2)(l)). The price must still include anything that is an essential part of the service (Art. 7(2)(d)).
How up to date are the prices here?
Every price shows the date we last checked it and links to the practice's own page. We re-check weekly, and daily from 23 to 31 December 2026. If a price looks wrong, email [email protected].
Sources
- Competition and Markets Authority, The Veterinary Services Market Investigation Order 2026 (published 22 September 2026): Article 3 (compliance dates), Article 7 (price list) and Schedule 1 (the 36 price-list items).
- CMA, Veterinary services for household pets: summary of the final report (24 March 2026).
- CMA, Annex 1 to the Explanatory Note: indicative price lists (22 September 2026; definitions to support practices, guidance rather than part of the Order).
- CMA, Final report Appendix G: whether LVG pet care plans provide value for money (24 March 2026).
- Practice prices: each practice's own published price list, linked next to every price.