#ScratchingTheSurface New guidance launches one year on
The Royal College of Surgeons has launched new cosmetic surgery information one year on from Scratching The Surface launch.
The Royal College of Surgeons has launched new cosmetic surgery information to protect patients from ‘aggressive marketing’ and ‘ruthless’ sales tactics.
It comes one year on from the launch of our campaign, Scratching The Surface, fighting for better regulation in the cosmetic industry.
It’s hoped the new online guidance could better educate people looking into cosmetic surgery, so that they do not fall victim to dodgy surgeons and cut price procedures.
The industry is rapidly increasing, last year, with RCS stats showing over 51,000 cosmetic surgery procedures were performed in the private sector in England. Yet they believe patients often find it difficult to choose a suitable surgeon and to obtain trustworthy information about the risks involved.
The patient resources on the RCS website will offer advice on how to choose the right surgeon and hospital, explain the risks of undergoing surgery, and possible complications to consider. The web pages also include a section on questions to ask a surgeon before you consent to an operation, a downloadable checklist, and three short animation films.
The RCS’s advice also says patients should give themselves time to reflect on their decision – it strongly recommends taking at least two weeks between your initial consultation with the operating surgeon and consenting to surgery. It advises patients not to be afraid to ask questions, or feel pressured into consenting to surgery.
Vice President of the RCS, Mr Stephen Cannon MBE, chaired the Cosmetic Surgery Interspecialty Committee, which was set up to improve standards in cosmetic surgery. He said:
- “The cosmetic surgery industry is booming, but due to the aggressive marketing and ruthless sales tactics of some unscrupulous companies, it can be very difficult for patients to find independent, trustworthy information which gives them a clear idea of what an operation would entail.*
“Undergoing cosmetic surgery is a big decision which should never be taken lightly and we would urge anyone to think carefully about it. The vast majority of cosmetic surgery is carried out in the private sector and many people do not realise that the law currently allows any qualified doctor – surgeon or otherwise – to perform cosmetic surgery, without undertaking additional training or qualifications.
“Our advice **is that if you are thinking of having some kind of work done, make sure you consult a surgeon who is trained and experienced in the procedure you are considering. Look them up on the General Medical Council’s Register; the RCS website tells you everything you need to know about cosmetic surgery.”
In the coming months, the RCS will also publish a register of ‘certified surgeons’ in different cosmetic surgical procedures. This will allow patients to look for a surgeon by procedure, who has provided evidence to the RCS that they have the appropriate training, experience and insurance to practise in the UK.
Dawn Knight, who has fronted Scratching the Surface, has welcomed the news.
The County Durham mam underwent botched eye surgery with a fly in fly out surgeon in 2012 and was left with no aftercare, vision problems and is unable to even close her eyes even to sleep at night. She’s been forced to seek care from the NHS. Dawn said:
“Every two hours its eye drops in my eye, at night I put a thick gel in both eyes and I tape my left eye closed. It is a constant reminder, the alarm going off on my phone every two hours, stop what you’re doing. But my eyesight is deteriorating and if this is what I have to do in the meantime to protect my eyesight then that’s what I have to do.
“Choosing to have a cosmetic procedure shouldn’t be like finding pair of shoes to match an outfit. I’m in touch with three women who are registered disabled as a direct result of cosmetic surgery that went wrong.
“It’s not about scaremongering. It’s about scratching the surface, it’s that simple. It is about peeling back these layers of this candy coated industry with their marble receptions and these surgeons in suits to the actual nitty gritty of what you’re entering into.”
Find out more about the new guidance here: https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/