Advice From The Care Quality Commission

The Care Quality Commission were quoted in July 2012 as saying:

To help ensure that patients are treated safely, and to reduce the risk of poor practice, anyone who provides any of the following cosmetic procedures must be registered with us by law:

• Any type of cosmetic surgery involving full or local anaesthetic.
• Laser lipolysis such as Vaser liosuction or liposelection.

We only license and regulate cosmetic treatments that involve surgical procedures. CQC does not regulate the following services:

• Muscle relaxing injections, for example Muscle Relaxing Injection®.
• Remodelling techniques using cells, tissue or synthetic products (dermal fillers).
• Chemical peels.
• Non-surgical laser and intense light treatments (such as hair removal).

Therefore things to consider before making a decision on cosmetic surgery such as Vaser or any Muscle Relaxing Injection or Dermal filler is to ensure that the clinic you select is registered by CQC.

• It’s important to remember that all surgery, including non surgical cosmetic procedures, involve risks. To minimise these risks, try to find out as much as you can about the provider clinic and the procedure. Clinic registered with CQC such as Skin Medical in Manchester and Leeds are therefore preferable.

The CQC says to check that the clinic is registered with them. Search for their details on CQC website or ask them to show you their registration certificate. Remember, if the clinic is not registered with CQC, their insurance may not cover them or you if anything goes wrong.

• Make sure that you choose a qualified and reputable surgeon / practitioner that has been properly trained in the type of treatment you want. You should also check whether they are on the General Medical Council’s specialist register or Nursing and Midwifery Council.

The clinic should offer you an initial consultation with the clinical practitioner and not a sales person or patient coordinator. Take a list of the questions you’d like to ask. Don’t be afraid to ask about their qualifications and expertise in the procedure, such as how many times they have performed it, what are the risks, and how often do complications occur.

• Make sure that the clinic will provide the care that you will need after the procedure.

Ask them to give you a copy of their patient’s guide. This is a document that all cosmetic clinics and must provide. It gives details of all of the services they offer and how patients can make comments and complaints.

• Be wary of ‘special offers’ which urge you to sign up to a procedure immediately.

Cosmetic and non-cosmetic surgery is a serious decision which needs proper consideration. A good surgeon will want you to be absolutely sure about going ahead. If you feel that you are being placed under pressure to commit to anything before you are ready, walk away!

• Find out about the procedure.

Read as much as you can about the procedure that you are considering. You need to be sure that it is right for you and that you understand exactly what is involved, including any risks, side-effects and possible complications and make sure that the information is from a reliable source.