January 25th 2022

In the News: Are Complaints Changing Post-Pandemic?

Article from Veterinary Practice magazine:

Insights from the Veterinary Client Mediation Service reveal that common issues leading to complaints post-pandemic involve dosage issues, client impatience and discrepancy between expectations and the “new normal”.

The complaint resolution work undertaken by the Veterinary Client Mediation Service (VCMS) provides a helicopter view of trends and shifts in the complaints received by veterinary practices from their clients. This insight is invested in helping to resolve complaints arising in individual practices, to share issues for reflection and to provide mediation-inspired guidance to help minimise and resolve complaints at the front line.

Throughout the pandemic, the VCMS team has continued to provide advice to practices where they needed it most. By analysing client feedback, it has been possible to gain and share a clearer and more nuanced understanding of the most common complaint circumstances which have emerged during the pandemic, lockdowns and other social measures that have deeply affected animal owners and practice teams. Keen to distribute their insights, the VCMS team has shared analysis and articles which outline the latest trends, supporting practices to remain resilient and adaptive in the face of “the new normal”.

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October 15th 2025

CMA Publish the Provisional Findings in their Market Investigation into Veterinary Care for Household Pets 15 October 2025

Following the CMA’s publication of the Provisional Findings of the Market Investigation into veterinary care for household pets, the Veterinary Client Mediation Service (VCMS) is now reviewing the CMA’s proposed remedies and will feed into…
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September 2nd 2025

VCMS Launches Lunchtime Webinar Series on Handling Client Complaints

The VCMS will be running a series of free lunchtime webinars this autumn to help equip veterinary professionals with the skills they need to handle common complaints and client disputes with confidence.
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September 1st 2025

Veterinary Client Mediation Service Releases 2023-24 Insight Report

The Veterinary Client Mediation Service has published the annual report of activity and insight from 2024. Funded by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and free at the point of service for consumers, the VCMS…
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