This useful and challenging article on cosmetic surgery industry regulation has made big news from the BBC recently – and it got us thinking, too.

The original BBC story here raised a number of points in relation to regulation.

This useful and challenging article on cosmetic surgery industry regulation has made big news from the BBC recently – and it got us thinking, too.

The NCEPOD found that nearly three quarters (70%) of clinics in the private sector operate effectively unregulated, that 8 out of 10 (79%) of providers offering complex surgeries such as breast reduction do not perform these anywhere near enough to maintain an appropriate skill set, and that a third (32%) do not even allow patients a ‘cooling off’ period when they book procedures.

Concerning statistics, indeed.

Furthermore, more than half (66%) of operating theatres were not properly equipped to perform surgery, whilst one in ten of the clinics actually ceased to exist between being identified and being approached.

These figures merely confirmed what we have always known – and the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), one of our favourite industry ogranisations, has long been calling for an enforceable regulation of this sector.

BAAPs members have recently been invited to take part in forming a new committee in Brussels, so that Europe-wide standards can be introduced.

Hopefully, this will help to put in place adequate regulations or standards to protect the public from unscrupulous providers who are mainly preoccupied with profit – and ensure that patients can rely on safe treatment and facilities wherever they might be.

My advice to patients seeking cosmetic treatments, either surgical or non-surgical, is to do their research, and be aware that there are unfortunately alot of insufficiently trained people out there ‘having a go’ at treatments because it is a lucrative trade.

A good objective place to start with your research is the BAAPS website.