New guidance for all doctors working in
cosmetic surgery telling them what is acceptable practice is "long
overdue", according to an Addenbrooke's consultant.
Cosmetic
surgeons could be struck off the medical register if they fail to follow strict
new rules on consent and promotional deals published by the General Medical
Council (GMC) last week.
It says
doctors must show they "work in line with the principles and values"
set out in the guidance and that "serious or persistent failure" to
follow it will put their registration at risk.
The
guidance covers surgical and non-surgical procedures, such as facelifts, breast
implants and Botox, and is backed by the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS).
"Due
to a lack of regulation the cosmetic sector is inconsistent in the quality of
care delivered to patients and lacking in robust measures to ensure quality and
safety," he said. "Most people seeking cosmetic treatments make the
assumption that regulation is already in place and that their safety is a
given, unfortunately that's simply not the case."
Mr Abood
said the lack of regulation and accreditation of people carrying out cosmetic
procedures is "a significant public health issue".
"Unfortunately,
it's an issue that only seems to be presented to the general public when
something disastrous happens, such as the woeful lapse in product quality that
occurred with the PIP breast implant scandal, or when a celebrity has a
procedure that goes badly wrong," he said.
"In
reality, these sorts of things happen relatively frequently and ultimately are
inevitable when such poor regulation and controls exists across a multi-billion
pound industry with numerous interested parties."
The
guidelines say doctors must make sure patients are given enough time and
information before they decide whether to have a procedure and patients should
not feel rushed or pressured - something which Mr Abood agrees with.
"When
someone feels pressurized to make a decision they can make the wrong one,"
he said. "With something as important as choosing to have surgery, or any
other treatment, a patient needs time to gather information which includes
checking the credentials of the practitioner.
"They
need time to reflect upon whether or not the decision to have a treatment is
right for them and to ensure they understand what's involved, the risks and
limitations. It's also important that a patient feels comfortable with the
person delivering the treatment and with the environment in which they're being
treated."
The RCS
is also calling on the Government to introduce new legal powers to "give
teeth" to new plans to tell patients which doctors are certified to carry
out cosmetic surgery.
Under the
new GMC guidance, doctors must not offer patients "two-for-one" deals
or other promotions and prizes, nor make "unjustifiable claims about
interventions". They must also seek their patients' consent to a procedure
rather than delegating this to somebody else.
But
Richard Price consultant plastic surgeon at Addenbrooke's and Nuffield
Hospitals, said while these regulations were welcome, they did not cover
dentists, beauty practioners or companies.
"It
only covers the doctors," he said. "And in terms of all the adverts
for two for one offers that are around, the guidance is not for companies. The
doctors are not generally speaking the ones offering the two for ones.I would
like to see the whole industry regulated.
"But
for beauticians, it does say in the guidance doctors should examine patients
they are prescribing for. Hopefully that will slow that down a bit now and
doctors have to see the patients to be able to prescribe."
By Freya
Leng
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