Keep pushing cosmetic surgery standards upwards

As with any regulated profession, the cosmetic surgery industry in the UK is monitored and governed by strict rules and regulations, which all professional surgeons adhere to. This ensures that patients receive the best possible care and treatment for their needs.

Ensuring that high cosmetic surgery standards are set and maintained is one of the key reasons that the cosmetic surgery industry in the UK is well respected and trusted, but there is no room for complacency.

So, where have these proposed changes come from?

The report has been put together by former Conservative health secretary Lord Andrew Lansley, who was a member of parliament for almost twenty years. One of the key recommendations is for greater transparency regarding the awards and certification held by different surgeons, as it can vary quite a lot.

If passed by parliament, this new bill would allow patients to look up cosmetic surgeons on a register, checking what qualifications are held and ensuring that they have undergone necessary training and hold appropriate qualifications.

In an article published recently by the National Health Executive, experts outline how important it is to keep pushing cosmetic surgery standards even higher, which is something cosmetic surgeons like Mr Alan Park are very much in favour of. It suggests that there is too much reliance upon word-of mouth at the moment, and that changes would hand more power into the hands of the consumer.

The suggested changes are welcomed by many professional organisations such as the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) and the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS), both of which Mr Alan Park is professionally affiliated with.

Following in the footsteps of previous bills – onwards and upwards

This is not the first time that high profile bills have been suggested in order to keep the industry operating to the highest possible cosmetic surgery standards. Following the issues surrounding PIP breast implants in recent years, many changes were recommended to ensure that patients were not put at risk by non-regulated (or less regulated) practitioners.

It’s refreshing to see that changes such as this are being suggested and welcomed as part of an on-going strive for best practice, rather than the industry having to respond to the fallout of a problem such as the PIP revelations.