Consultation and preventative care
Repeat consultation prices at UK vets
A repeat consultation is a follow-up with a vet about something already seen.
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 £43–£60 · 3 practices
- Barnhouse Veterinary Surgery£43 checked (practice's own price list) from the practice's own price list (published before the CMA standard list)
- Parc Vetcare£45 checked (practice's own price list) from the practice's own price list (published before the CMA standard list)
- King Street Vets£60 checked (practice's own price list) from the practice's own price list (published before the CMA standard list)
In-hours, standard prices including VAT, from 3 practices that already publish; not a UK average. We show a range once 3 practices list a price and a median once 5 do.
What it is
The CMA's definition is "a consultation with a vet surgeon for any follow-up assessment or care following a first consultation, or for prescription reviews" (Explanatory Note, Annex 1).
Official price-list name: Repeat 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
- How the practice links it to a first consultation. The Order does not say how a repeat price must relate to the first consultation price, or how long after a first visit a follow-up still counts as a repeat. Each practice decides.
- No minutes are required. Unlike first and nurse consultations, Schedule 1 does not ask for the appointment length here, so ask.
- 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
The prescription review part matters for pets on regular medicine. Under RCVS guidance, prescription-only veterinary medicines must be prescribed by a vet who has first carried out a clinical assessment (RCVS supporting guidance, chapter 4, paragraph 4.7). How often a review is needed is a clinical decision for your vet.
Questions to ask the practice
- How long after a first consultation does a follow-up count as a repeat consultation?
- Is a medication review charged as a repeat consultation?
- How long is a standard repeat appointment?
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, “Repeat 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)).
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
Is a repeat consultation always cheaper than a first one?
Not necessarily. The Order lets each practice set both prices; the standard list shows them side by side.
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).
- RCVS, Supporting guidance chapter 4: veterinary medicines (last updated 28 October 2025).
- Practice prices: each practice's own published price list, linked next to every price.