Cosmetic surgery clinics providing poor services to be named under government plans
Clinics offering cosmetic surgery are to be "named and shamed" for poor practice and "inadequate" services, as part of a Government initiative.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC), which already provides online ratings for NHS services, will now be rating independent healthcare providers, including cosmetic surgery clinics.
Ratings will range from "outstanding" and "good" to "requires improvement" and "inadequate".
The move comes after increasing pressure on the industry to improve safety after the PIP breast implant scandal and the Keogh Review.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt described the move as “an important step forward” adding: "Anyone who chooses to have a cosmetic procedure should have high quality and safe care – and that's why we have a tough regulator in place to help people make an informed decision.”
The news has been welcomed by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons. Former president, Douglas McGeorge, commented, "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.
However, 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. At the BAAPS we have always stressed not to be swayed by flashy adverts or offers and to 'choose a surgeon, not a clinic'. Members of the our organisation must undergo strict criteria to join such as a number of substantive consultant posts and thus represent the vast majority; if not all; NHS-trained plastic surgeons specifically trained in aesthetic or cosmetic practise."
