How to Change Vets

Can I Change Vets?

Yes. Choosing a practice is your decision. GOV.UK treats the choice of practice, and of treatments, as something you decide with advice from your vet. RCVS supporting guidance tells veterinary surgeons not to obstruct a change of practice, and not to discourage a second opinion.

In practice, changing vet is not handled like an NHS GP list transfer. Individual practices have their own registration processes, but you do not need your old practice's permission before choosing another one.

Do I Need Permission?

No. You do not need your current practice's permission to leave. The move starts when you begin using another practice. RCVS guidance is about how veterinary surgeons should behave when that happens, not about granting you leave to go.

Do I Need to Tell My Current Practice?

You do not need their permission, but telling them is often useful so prescriptions, pending tests, and follow-up are not left hanging. RCVS guidance puts the professional duty on the veterinary surgeons. A veterinary surgeon should not knowingly take over a colleague's case without informing that colleague and obtaining a clinical history. When an animal is first presented, the new vet should ask whether the animal is already receiving veterinary attention and, if so, contact the original practice. If a client refuses to provide that information, the new vet should decline the case, except that in an emergency it is acceptable to assess and give essential treatment first.

So the clean sequence is: choose the new practice, allow them to request the history, and ask your current practice for copies of the relevant records. You are not asking permission to leave.

What Happens to My Pet's Clinical Records?

Clinical records are the running account of your pet's care. RCVS guidance says veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses must provide copies of any relevant clinical records at the request of a client. Relevant clinical information should also be provided promptly to any veterinary surgeon taking over responsibility for a case.

Before a practice shares a clinical history that includes personal data with another practice, it should obtain your consent, unless the information is fully anonymised. If older records name a previous owner, that personal information should be anonymised before the file is sent.

Information about you, rather than about the animal, is personal data under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. You can ask for that through a subject access request. That route is about your information. It is separate from the clinical-history copy a new vet needs so they can treat your pet.

What If Treatment Is Already Underway?

If your pet is midway through treatment, or you want another veterinary surgeon's view, the same guidance applies. RCVS supporting guidance says veterinary surgeons should not discourage a second opinion. The new veterinary surgeon should contact the existing practice and obtain the clinical history before taking over, except where emergency assessment and essential treatment must come first.

What If I Still Owe Money?

An unpaid bill remains a separate matter between you and your old practice. RCVS guidance allows practices to pursue unpaid fees through normal debt recovery routes, including a debt collection agency or civil proceedings, and it has no specific jurisdiction over the level of fees charged. That sits alongside the separate instruction that clients should not be obstructed from changing practice. Separately, RCVS records guidance says relevant clinical records must be provided at the client's request.

If the reason you want to move is price, GOV.UK notes that different practices can charge different prices for the same treatment and that it is worth comparing common items such as consultations, vaccinations, and prescriptions.

Steps for Changing Vets

1. Decide which new practice you want to use.
2. Contact or register with that practice.
3. Tell them which practice currently holds your pet's history.
4. Give any required consent for the records to be shared.
5. Make sure ongoing medicines, tests, and treatment are understood.
6. Deal with any separate outstanding account with the old practice.
7. If you have not chosen yet, compare quotes from nearby practices before you register.