The Profession I’ve Loved for 36 Years Is Under Pressure Like Never Before
Ross Kelly on independent veterinary practice, buying power, and what it really takes to survive and thrive, in a changing landscape.
Veterinary practice has never been static. But for many independent clinics, the pace and direction of change now feel different, and far more consequential.
We caught up with Dr Ross M. Kelly BVMS, MRCVS, a veterinarian of over 36 years, former practice owner, and founder of the VIP buying group, to talk candidly about what’s happening beneath the surface of the profession: buying power, resilience, leadership, and the very real implications of current CMA proposals. This is not a theory. This is lived experience.
A Career Shaped by Change and Hard Lessons
Ross’s path through the veterinary world has been anything but linear. After qualifying, he entered a partnership, later left it, spent time in the pharmaceutical industry, and returned to open his own independent practice in 2008, just as the financial crisis hit.
The practice started with a small team but grew to 17 staff, earned Investors in People Silver status, and became “a genuinely good place to work.” Running a practice through economic shocks left a lasting mark. Ross reflects on it as a PhD in resilience, though he stresses that no amount of toughness replaces proper support systems.
The Moment That Changed Everything
The idea behind VIP didn’t begin with a strategy; it began with a shock. One of Ross’s own vets bought prescription medication online, cheaper than the practice could source from wholesalers. Investigating further revealed the online pharmacy was owned by the same parent company as the buying group his practice belonged to.
That moment raised a clear, uncomfortable question: if independents are meant to compete, why are they structurally disadvantaged at the point of purchase? VIP was created to reclaim margin, sustainability, and autonomy for independent practices.
Buying Groups, Corporations, and the Uneven Playing Field
The difference between corporate and independent buying power is simple: it’s Tesco versus the local shop. Corporations operate across multiple layers, including ownership, wholesalers, and online pharmacies. Independents rely on fair access to pricing and transparency to survive.
Buying groups, when functioning as intended, narrow the gap. They don’t eliminate competition; they prevent it from becoming structurally impossible.
Why Resilience Alone Isn’t Enough
Veterinary work is often described as requiring resilience, but the profession is testing that concept to its limits. Emotional strain, long hours, client conflict, and enormous responsibility hit teams hard, often without sufficient staffing or structural support.
Ross argues that better systems, not tougher people, are the key to sustainable work. Resilience should never be a substitute for proper support.
Leadership, Culture, and Protecting Your Team
Culture isn’t accidental. In Ross’s experience, leadership meant setting clear boundaries, including removing abusive clients, and making staff protection a non-negotiable priority.
Practices where leaders visibly prioritise safety, respect, and involvement retain staff. Those who fail to do so struggle, whether corporate or independent.
The CMA Proposals: Why Concern Runs Deep
One proposed CMA remedy, requiring practices to proactively offer prescriptions for online purchase, illustrates the risks of regulatory overreach. Independent practices could lose a significant proportion of medicine-derived revenue, historically up to 40% of turnover in some models, while online pharmacy profits flow disproportionately to corporate-owned platforms.
The concern isn’t transparency; many practices already support clear pricing and good governance. The risk lies in unintended consequences that accelerate consolidation instead of competition.
The Reality of Running a Veterinary Business
Independent veterinary practice is cost-heavy by design. Skilled staff account for 45–50% of turnover. Equipment, training, compliance, and facilities add to that burden.
Charging appropriately remains a challenge, shaped by years of public expectation and professional discomfort. Ross reframes it bluntly: charging isn’t selling, it’s valuing professional expertise, just like any other profession.
Community, Trust, and Why Independents Still Matter
Despite economic pressure, there’s optimism for practices that embrace what makes them different. Independent clinics win on trust, continuity, and genuine relationships. Community engagement, from school talks to local sponsorship, isn’t marketing in the conventional sense. It’s visibility, credibility, and human connection.
Every interaction, every conversation with clients is an opportunity to reinforce that trust. Independents just need to recognise it.
A Profession at a Crossroads
Change is inevitable, whether through regulation, economics, or workforce expectations. Practices that survive will be those that become more business-aware without losing their values.
Good leadership, fair pricing, transparent systems, and a commitment to people, staff and clients alike aren’t optional extras. They are the foundations of sustainability. Independent practices must engage, adapt, and assert their voice before decisions are made on their behalf.
About VIP
Founded by Dr Ross M. Kelly, VIP supports independent veterinary practices by improving buying power, protecting margins, and helping practices remain competitive in a changing market.
👉 Learn more about VIP and how it supports independent practices via the link below.
Watch Ross’s session at Day 2: Seismic Shifts Ahead - COMING SOON