Cosmetic surgery must only be performed by surgeons on the GMC Specialist Register in a relevant area e.g., plastic surgery.
This is the call being made by The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons - The BAAPS which is the UK’s only organisation solely dedicated to advancing safety, innovation and excellence in cosmetic surgery, as it launches a petition to raise surgical safety standards in the UK.
Currently, there's a lack of legislation that determines who can and can't perform cosmetic surgery meaning untrained doctors and even some beauticians are performing surgical procedures in the UK.
The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (The BAAPS) feels strongly this should be addressed with the aim of improving safety and outcomes for members of the public.
Nearly a decade post the Keogh review shone a light on substandard practises and highlighted the plight of the 39,000 women who suffered during the PIP crisis, there's still no laws to define who can perform cosmetic surgery in the UK.
A BAAPS survey revealed 80% of members have experienced a rise in requests for ‘revisional’ fixing of botched procedures and an audit revealed a 44% rise in botched surgery from abroad.
Complications can, sadly, also result in deadly consequences; for example the death of Denise Hendry, the wife of former Scotland football captain Colin Hendry was a high-profile case that highlighted the dangers of cosmetic surgery.
Her surgeon wasn't on the GMC Specialist Register, wasn't covered by adequate insurance and wasn't equipped to deal with the complications that necessitated emergency a transfer to the NHS and multiple operations to correct the problems from which she later died.
BAAPS is rallying behind the call that appropriately trained surgeons must appear on the General Medical Council’s (GMC) Specialist Register, giving patients a “triple whammy” of protection. It’s one simple requirement that addresses the top three reasons why patients suffer unnecessarily when undergoing cosmetic surgery:
1. Legislation to check the GMC Specialist Register, in a relevant area e.g., plastic surgery will clarify the distinction between surgeons who are fully trained to a consultant level.
2. It will ensure surgeons performing the operation will have access to adequate medical insurance which is NOT available to practitioners who aren't on the GMC Specialist Register.
3. The GMC Specialist Register, allows surgeons access to work in premises which are equipped to not only perform the procedure, but to treat serious complications should they occur.
BAAPS President Elect Marc Pacifico went on to say: “Legislation to clarify the distinction between providers to safeguard the public from serious complications at the hands of untrained and unregulated practitioners, is long overdue.
"Legislation to ensure surgeons are on the GMC Specialist Register, will transform patient safety in the UK. Currently there's more legislation to protect your dog while having surgery, than to protect a patient undergoing a cosmetic operation.”
BAAPS Vice President Nora Nugent added, “It’s a fact practitioners can bamboozle the public by saying they're either “fully registered” with the GMC or “board certified”, a qualification that doesn't even exist in the UK.
"Neither of those statements is equivalent to the surgeon being on the GMC Specialist Register in a relevant area like plastic surgery. In fact, if a practitioner doesn't explicitly say they are, it probably means they aren't, which is why it’s so important for legislation to make sure that the distinction crystal clear.”
Immediate Past President Mary O’Brien pointed out: “There's a need to stop non-surgeons undertaking cosmetic surgery, which this petition should help to achieve. The general public and Government need a clear distinction between who is allowed to perform this type of surgery and who isn't.
Legislation would mean Surgeons from abroad can't fly in to the UK, perform cosmetic surgery on patients and then fly out. If successful, this will stop beauticians and untrained doctors performing surgical procedures and causing harm to a patient.
This is the start of a long journey, but this initial step would considerably improve the current position in the UK. If we get the signatures and legislation, this could make the biggest difference to patient safety in cosmetic surgery ever seen in the UK.”
To sign the petition and support BAAPS, visit: https://www.change.org/TheBAAPSPetition.
(Image curtesy of Clker-Free-Vector-Images & Pixabay)
