It has been the most hotly anticipated thing to happen in the aesthetics industry in years and now today the Keogh review has finally published its findings and outlined its recommendations for the future of the aesthetics market. The 67-page document could potentially have huge implications for the way medical aesthetics is practiced in the UK. The independent review into cosmetic interventions was published today and sets out how it would like to see the sector better regulated, practitioners better trained and people having proper redress if things go wrong.
It has been the most hotly anticipated thing to happen in the aesthetics industry in years and now today the Keogh review has finally published its findings and outlined its recommendations for the future of the aesthetics market.
The 67-page document could potentially have huge implications for the way medical aesthetics is practiced in the UK. The independent review into cosmetic interventions was published today and sets out how it would like to see the sector better regulated, practitioners better trained and people having proper redress if things go wrong.
The industry has been waiting with baited breath to see what the outcome of the report would be, hoping that this may signal a wind of change in our unregulated sector. While many of the report’s suggestions for a way forward will be embraced by the industry there are others, such as a call for dermal fillers to be prescription only medicines, that will divide opinion
The key elements the review group feels would contribute to a successful and safe industry include:
•Making all dermal fillers prescription only
•Ensuring all practitioners are properly qualified for all the procedures they offer. This needs to include all people from cosmetic surgeons offering breast enlargement through to people offering injectables such as dermal fillers or Botox®
•An ombudsman to oversee all private health care including cosmetic procedures to assist those who have been treated poorly.
The review, led by NHS Medical Director, Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, was commissioned by the Government following the PIP breast implant scandal, which exposed significant lapses in product quality, after care and record keeping. It also drew attention to widespread use of misleading advertising, inappropriate marketing and unsafe practices across the sector.
It has been looking at how to protect patients and tackle unsafe practices in an industry believed to be worth £2.3 billion a year. It has also looked at the products used for surgical and non-surgical procedures, the people who administer them, the way they are advertised and the advice and support patients and consumers are given.
The committee was determined that the production of dermal fillers should fall under the same controls as other implants as this will ensure that only those fillers that have passed vigorous appraisals of safety will be available, and only those with appropriate skill will be able to administer them.
The Independent Healthcare Advisory Services (IHAS) has long called for regulation surrounding dermal fillers to be reviewed and tightened in the best interests of patients and will be taking this agenda forward at a seminar in May at the House of Lords hosted by Chairman of www.TreatmentsYouCanTrust.org.uk Baroness Trish Morris of Bolton, OBE DL. Key findings from this seminar will be submitted to the Department of Health for consideration.
Reference to regulating lasers however was notably absent from the review's recommendations, despite the potentially negative permanent effects they can have when administered by unqualified providers.
Other key recommendations are:
•Surgical providers should provide a record of implants and operations to both the person undergoing a procedure and their GP
•A registry should be established for breast implants and other devices. This should alert the authorities to any signs of concerns at an early stage, and will provide critical intelligence in the event of product failure or recall
•Obtaining consent should not be dismissed as a casual irrelevance, so that providers are obliged to ensure that people are aware of the implications and risks of procedure and that they have adequate time to consider this information before proceeding with surgery;
•An advertising code of conduct should be developed and compliance should be mandatory for all practitioners; and
•Insurance products should be developed to protect patients in the event of product failure, or provider insolvency.
Review chairman Professor Sir Bruce Keogh said, “At the heart of this report is the person who chooses to have a cosmetic procedure. We have heard terrible reports about people who have trusted a cosmetic practitioner to help them but, when things have gone wrong, they have been left high and dry with no help. These people have not had the safety net that those using the NHS have. This needs to change.
“We would like to see everyone who chooses to have any cosmetic procedure better protected. We would like to see people who carry out procedures trained to a high standard. We would like the public to feel confident they are going to be well looked after and, if things go wrong, that they will be supported. And ultimately, if someone needs to step in on the side of patients, we think there should be an ombudsman to do that.
“This isn’t just about the past and present, this is about protecting people for years to come. We very much hope that our report will lead to a safer environment for patients and this industry in the future.”
The review has assessed the current rules in England for:
•Products or devices used in cosmetic interventions, e.g. breast implants or dermal fillers
•Practitioners of cosmetic interventions, be they health professionals or non-health professionals
•Providers, be they large providers or small high-street beauty clinics
•Procedure that range from surgical operations to non-surgical treatment
•Insurance and indemnity requirements
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