Non-prescribing medical practitioners in Scotland face new regulation
The announcement by the regulator for independent healthcare services in Scotland stated that the decision was made following increased applications for new aesthetics clinics by people with limited healthcare experience, as well as increasing numbers of training providers accepting non-medic applicants and remote prescribing of prescription-only medications. Beauty therapists and other non-medics are not required to register with HIS, so will not be affected.
HIS released a statement that said: “It is vital that the people of Scotland who opt to use private healthcare services receive the best quality and standard of care, and that they can be assured that procedures are carried out in safe and regulated environments. For these reasons, registered clinics are required to demonstrate that they take the safety of their clients seriously, that they operate to the highest standards and are committed to continually improving the service they provide for clients.
“Recently we decided it was necessary to clarify the definition of ‘suitably qualified’ and ‘competent’ healthcare professionals. This was due to an increase in applications for registration from newly-qualified healthcare professionals, where healthcare experience is very limited, and a recent increase in service providers offering training to healthcare and non-healthcare professionals in non-surgical aesthetic treatments and procedures. We engaged with a number of stakeholders while we were writing the guidance including the British College of Aesthetic Medicine and the British Association of Aesthetic Nurses, as well as the Scottish Independent Healthcare Providers Network.
“We understand that in some situations services may require time to implement the updated guidance on meeting requirements in relation to ‘suitably qualified’ and ‘competent’ healthcare professionals. Therefore, for existing services regulated by us, we would expect to see plans in place for how they will implement this guidance in a timely way that mitigates potential risks to service users. Any providers that lodge a new application to register will be asked to show that they have adequate numbers of skilled and competent staff as a part of the registration process.”
Dr Usman Qureshi, aesthetic doctor and founder of the Luxe Clinic in Glasgow, said: "The products used for cosmetic treatments are medical devices or prescription products. Also to deal with the complications of these treatments, you often need prescription products such as hyaluronidase, steroids and antibiotics. I believe prescriber status is important, but we also need regulation to stop non-medics performing these treatments, as they do not have profound medical training to safely perform these procedures or deal with complications. They also cannot access prescription products or use them safely hence increasing the risk further."
