The General Medical Council (GMC) set out new regulations to protect vulnerable patients undergoing cosmetic surgery. These rules will make cosmetic surgeons personally manage and assist the patient while avoiding false advertising.
Most cosmetic treatment clinics nowadays offer great deals and promotions that will sometimes put the vulnerable patients at risk. Usually, the doctor will just endorse the patient to another practitioner which sometimes lead to poor practice. This new set of rules will have the doctors focus more on the patient's welfare to avoid any unjustiable claims instead of them putting up profits. According to BT, these guidelines show how doctors should "work in line with principles and values" and failure to comply with these rules will put their medical registration at risk and the GMC to launch a fitness-to-practice investigation.
Prof. Terence Stephenson, the chair of GMC, said "Patients considering whether to have such a procedure need honest and straightforward advice which allows them to understand the risks as well as the possible benefits."
"It is a challenging area of medicine which deals with patients who can be extremely vulnerable. Most doctors who practise in this area do so to a high standards but we sometimes come across poor practice, and it is important that patients are protected from this and that doctors understand what is expected from them," he added.
Some provisions included in the new guidelines, as covered in ITV, are doctors should personally and thoroughly discuss to the patient all relevant information about the procedure. The patient must also be given written documents containing all information. Doctors should also consider the patient's psychological needs before performing the procedure. Lastly, patients should be given enough time to decide about the procedure and that should not feel pressured or rushed.
The Patients Association is also good with the new regulations. "We welcome the guidelines. I think it's really important that the professionals, the doctors, think about the patient and that people have cosmetic surgery for many different reasons. Explaining fully to the patient and providing them with the relevant information and support is very important," Katherine Murphy, the chief executive of Patients Association said.
For health minister Ben Gummer, the new set of guidelines is "an important step forward in improving standards and ending the lottery of poor practice in parts of the cosmetic industry."
The Guardian reported that the new guidelines will be implemented by June across the UK and will cover surgical and non-surgical procedures such as botox, breast implants and facelifts.
