How to Switch Vets in the UK: A Practical Guide

When switching is the right call

Most UK pet owners stay with the practice they first registered with. Often that's the right decision — a good relationship with a vet who knows your pet is genuinely valuable. But there are situations where switching is the better move.

Reasons that often justify a switch:

• A practice that's repeatedly evasive about costs, even when you ask plainly. Once the CMA's transparency reforms are in force this becomes obvious; until then, evasiveness is a useful signal.
• Repeated communication breakdowns — test results that never arrived, medication changes you weren't told about, recall reminders that stopped coming.
• A vet who consistently rushes you, dismisses concerns, or won't talk you through alternatives.
• A practice that has visibly grown faster than its staffing — long waits, harried consultations, dropped attention to detail.
• A change in ownership that has materially changed the experience (a busy independent that's joined a large group and now feels different is a common one).
• A move — most owners reasonably want a practice within 15–20 minutes of home for emergencies.

Reasons that usually don't, on their own:

• A single billing dispute — raise it directly with the practice manager first.
• One bad consultation — ask to see a different vet at the practice next time.
• A high bill — ask for an itemised breakdown; most are explainable.

If you're moving for one of the harder reasons (poor communication, declining standards), it's also worth leaving a constructive, specific public review. It helps other owners and gives the practice direct feedback.

How the records transfer actually works

UK veterinary practices share medical records via a request from the new practice to the old one. You don't request records yourself; the new practice does it on your behalf as part of registering you and your pet.

The relevant rule is in the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct, which sets out the expectation that records are made available to a successor practice when requested. In practice, the transfer is by email or via a clinical record-sharing system, and typically completes within a few working days.

What gets transferred:

• Vaccination history
• Notes on prior consultations and procedures
• Test results and imaging where stored digitally
• Current medications and recent prescriptions
• Microchip and insurance details if held

There is no fee from the old practice for transferring records under the RCVS Code. If a practice tries to charge for the transfer itself, that's worth raising as a query.

Registering with a new practice — step by step

1. Make the appointment first

Most UK practices will register you on the phone or via their website. Some require a first consultation before formal registration; others register you on the spot. Either is fine — both involve the new practice taking your details, your pet's basic information, and your authority to request records.

2. Provide the old practice's name and location

The new practice needs to know who to contact. Bring or provide:

• The previous practice name and city
• Your pet's name as registered there
• Microchip number if known (helps the old practice identify your pet's record)

3. Sign a records-release authority

The new practice will either ask you to sign a short authority form or include the consent in their registration form. This is what allows them to lawfully request your pet's records.

4. Don't cancel the old registration manually

The new practice's records request notifies the old practice that you've moved. You don't need to call them, write to them, or explain. If you'd prefer to give them notice as a courtesy that's entirely fine, but it's not required.

5. Book the first appointment

Unless the appointment is urgent, the first visit is a chance for the new vet to do a fresh examination and meet your pet without the pressure of an active problem. Many practices waive or reduce the cost of a first wellness check for new registrations.

Our 10 questions to ask before registering with a vet covers what to ask at the first visit.

Multiple registration — a useful option

The RCVS Code permits a pet to be registered with more than one practice, provided each practice can access the full medical history. This is increasingly common for owners who use:

• A local practice for routine care plus a specialist hospital for a chronic or complex condition
• One practice near home and one near work
• A general practice plus a separate exotic-species practice for a non-traditional pet

If you go this route, both practices need to know about each other so they can share records and avoid prescribing conflicts. There's no formal process — just tell each practice during registration that your pet is also seen elsewhere.

What to do if records don't transfer cleanly

In rare cases the old practice is slow to respond, claims records are unavailable, or attempts to charge a transfer fee. Steps to take:

1. Ask the new practice to send a follow-up request in writing.
2. If still unresolved after two weeks, contact the old practice directly and ask in writing.
3. If the old practice continues to obstruct the transfer, you can raise a concern with the RCVS, which oversees professional conduct. Records obstruction is taken seriously.

Most owners never need step 3 — the vast majority of UK practices transfer records routinely and without friction.