CMA review, veterinary medicine on a budget and One Health in the spotlight for day two of BSAVA Congress and Expo 2025

21 March 2025

Day two of BSAVA Congress and Expo 2025 started with an interactive workshop on ‘Veterinary Medicine on a Budget’.

Led by Caroline Allen, Roland Sabin and Rob Campbell (representing the RSPCA, IVC Evidensia and University of Liverpool respectively), attendees engaged in a productive discussion around theoretically treatable presentations commonly seen in practice, but with mitigating circumstances that meant textbook care would not be possible.

Understanding owner expectations and clear communication came up as recurring themes, with 83% of the room stating they were very or moderately comfortable talking with clients about budget, but only 35% would talk about this with the client on a regular basis. The room split as to how treatment options would be discussed, with 33% preferring to offer a single firm option, and 66% preferring a full list of possibilities.

Discussions on budgets and client communications continued as the theme of the day, with a session on the CMA review of veterinary services with speaker Martin Coleman giving delegates the latest updates on the review and what we can all expect over the coming months.

Mr Coleman’s engaging summary of the CMA’s work so far and intentions moving forward focused on the fact that the professionalism of individual vets was not in doubt. He praised the caring and highly skilled nature of vets and was pleased to say that all of his work with the CMA enquiry has only confirmed this.

It is important to note that the CMA is responding to owner’s existing concerns rather than actively creating discontent, and the hope is that they can be part of the solution to improving confidence in veterinary practices. 78% of owners in the CMA’s own research considered their animal’s health to be as important as that of a family member and so any changes must reflect this.

He was keen to point out that there are not even provisional conclusions yet as to what recommendations may be made, and that the CMA must proceed with caution given the complexity of the veterinary industry, especially as a public service responsible for animal welfare.

Questions from a diverse audience followed, addressed to a panel involving representatives from BSAVA, the RCVS, CVS, SPVS and Moore Scarrott Veterinary Accountants. Paul Higgs, Chief Veterinary Officer of CVS encouraged delegates to see this as an opportunity for learning and development across the sector, especially as an industry where clinically we are accustomed to continuous improvement. BSAVA President Julian Hoad summarised it succinctly as “Good is where clients and vets both feel happy talking about prices”.

In a symposium on One Health, the key message was that vets are the “eyes and ears” of new and emerging diseases, with small animal vets asked to “put on the veterinary public health hat” to support disease surveillance. With 75% of emerging infectious human diseases originating from animals, and the potential impact of zoonotic diseases on public and animal health, economy and trade, speakers emphasised the role that vets can play in supporting surveillance programmes, for example, by submitting parasites to the free exotic worm identification programme run by the APHA.

On zoonotic exotic worms and worm-like parasites, Ian Wright, specialist in veterinary parasitology and Chair of ESCCAP highlighted Echnicococcus multilocularis – which has high zoonotic risk and likelihood of establishment – and tick-borne encephalitis virus which is already confirmed endemic in two locations in the UK.

In another session, the dog tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus, long believed to have only been present in hotspots in mid-south Wales and western Scotland, is now being found in other areas of the UK for the first time, according to new data.

Research by Marisol Collins from Liverpool Vet School found cases of the tapeworm in northern England and Northern Ireland and also confirms a re-emergence in south Wales. The severity of Hydatid disease in humans was highlighted by Laura Nabarro, a doctor from the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, who explained that five UK-acquired human cases were treated in 2024, an increase from just two cases between 2006-2016.

Speaking about the importance of controlling Echinococcus granulosus in dogs, Ian Wright emphasised the role of regular de-worming of high-risk dogs – those that have access to fallen livestock, are off lead in pasture or eat offal or raw food.

BSAVA Congress and Expo 2025 concludes tomorrow, with sessions on neurology on a smartphone, the latest on Schedule 3 and future trends in small animal nutrition.