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Jeremy Hunt's committee has recommended a licensing regime for non-surgical cosmetic procedures in the light of an unacceptably high rate of complications following treatments by non-medical practitioners (This week, 6th-13th August). Calls for tight legislation to prevent unskilled practitioners from carrying out these potentially dangerous procedures, and limiting this area of practice to medics alone, are not at all new! (1)
Nothing has changed in this area of bad practice and Hunt is not optimistic that legislation will become a government priority. Various hypotheses have been advanced to explain this longstanding government inaction. In my opinion, one important reason has been overlooked: government finance. Most non-surgical procedures carried out by doctors and nurses do not attract VAT when a medical diagnosis has been reached prior to treatment - this does not apply to non-medical practitioners who cannot claim to be offering medical treatments. In this respect, governmental inaction mirrors the public disgrace of failure to implement recommendations in the battle against the obesity pandemic. (2,3) . Standing up to the food and drinks industry would also have seriously dented government revenue.
So long as the government prioritise profit and personal gain over public health issues the health and well-being of the nation will always be compromised.
1. S Robson. Scottish perspective on regulation of cosmetic treatments. BMJ 2017;358:j3424
2. M Hanson .Time for the UK to commit to tackling child obesity. BMJ 2017;356:j762
3. K Buse. The UK's U-turn on obesity is a failure of leadership. BMJ 2022;377:o1285
I have read this article relating to Government Regulation of non surgical procedures such as Dermal fillers and Botox.
Many individuals are carrying out these procedures without any medical knowledge and a few days' training. Why is this allowed? Individuals are completing these training courses with like stated a "Conveyor Belt Approach". I hope this changes as soon as possible. It is just a money making machine that more and more people are taking advantage of. Not just carrying out these procedures but also buying and selling the Dermal fillers products to make a fast buck. Please act soon before it's too late.
Why licence non-medics to perform non-surgical cosmetic treatments at all?
Dear Editor
Jeremy Hunt's committee has recommended a licensing regime for non-surgical cosmetic procedures in the light of an unacceptably high rate of complications following treatments by non-medical practitioners (This week, 6th-13th August). Calls for tight legislation to prevent unskilled practitioners from carrying out these potentially dangerous procedures, and limiting this area of practice to medics alone, are not at all new! (1)
Nothing has changed in this area of bad practice and Hunt is not optimistic that legislation will become a government priority. Various hypotheses have been advanced to explain this longstanding government inaction. In my opinion, one important reason has been overlooked: government finance. Most non-surgical procedures carried out by doctors and nurses do not attract VAT when a medical diagnosis has been reached prior to treatment - this does not apply to non-medical practitioners who cannot claim to be offering medical treatments. In this respect, governmental inaction mirrors the public disgrace of failure to implement recommendations in the battle against the obesity pandemic. (2,3) . Standing up to the food and drinks industry would also have seriously dented government revenue.
So long as the government prioritise profit and personal gain over public health issues the health and well-being of the nation will always be compromised.
1. S Robson. Scottish perspective on regulation of cosmetic treatments. BMJ 2017;358:j3424
2. M Hanson .Time for the UK to commit to tackling child obesity. BMJ 2017;356:j762
3. K Buse. The UK's U-turn on obesity is a failure of leadership. BMJ 2022;377:o1285
Competing interests: No competing interests