Under new government proposals, cosmetic surgery clinics which fail to provide acceptable standards of care will be publically named.
Increasing numbers of people are opting to undergo cosmetic surgery, with over 50,000 people having procedures to alter their appearance in 2015. Despite this, the cosmetic surgery industry has for a long time been under regulated with procedures being carried out by inexperienced or unqualified clinicians.
These recent proposals will see up to 100 cosmetic surgery clinics in the UK rated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The CQC has already reviewed more than 10,000 healthcare providers but thus far these reviews have been focused on NHS trusts, GP practices and social care providers.
This expansion of the role of the CQC will mean that clinics offering cosmetic surgery will need to register their services with the CQC and the commission will then be able to inspect the clinic and subject it to a rating system which will be published online. Clinics will be rated as either outstanding, good, requires improvement or inadequate.
This move should help improve the standards of treatment in cosmetic surgery and enable individuals considering plastic surgery to make more informed decisions about their choice of clinic before proceeding with surgery.
A statement issued by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) welcomes these developments. Consultant plastic surgeon and former President of the BAAPS Douglas McGeorge stated;
“At the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons we welcome – and indeed, have been calling for during the last decade – as much Government scrutiny as is possible of the cosmetic sector. This is an arena where regulation has historically been lax and many practitioners can engage in procedures they are not trained or even qualified to perform.”
Despite these improvements this new regime does have its limitations and individuals who intend to undergo cosmetic surgery must continue to take great care when selecting a surgeon. This is highlighted in the statement from Mr McGeorge who states;
“…it is important to stress that the Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates facilities – that is, clinics rather than clinicians. Their remit entails a facility or practice’s aspects such as equipment, record-keeping and administrative areas, so we still call for the public to remain extremely vigilant of; and query; their surgeon’s experience and accreditations”.
If you think that you or a family member may have suffered an injury as a result of substandard cosmetic surgery then please call one of our solicitors today on 0191 222 1030 for a free consultation in relation to your claim or complete our website enquiry form.
