BCAM Engages With Government On Licensing Scheme For Aesthetic Treatments

The British College of Aesthetic Medicine (BCAM) is engaging with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on a licensing scheme for non-surgical aesthetic treatments such as fillers and botulinum toxin injections that’s set to be published next week as an amendment to the Health and Care Bill.

BCAM has long campaigned for better regulation of the aesthetic medicine sector due to the serious potential risk to the public of treatments being administered by non-healthcare professionals in non-clinical environments, on occasions using medicines obtained on the black market that haven’t undergone checks in the UK.

The issue was exposed in a recent undercover investigation by The Times in which BCAM President Dr Uliana Gout was quoted, calling for “urgent government action” in this “virtually unregulated sector”.

The planned government crackdown on aesthetic procedures will give Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Sajid Javid powers to introduce a licensing scheme, the details of which will be determined by public consultation.

BCAM is the leading membership body in the UK for doctors and dentists practising aesthetic medicine and has been working closely with the DHSC in recent years, supplying data from its Annual Clinical Review to help inform government thinking. The review is an audit of around 400 members’ clinical activity over the past 12 months, highlighting trends and issues.

Dr Bhavjit Kaur, BCAM Trustee for PR & Membership, said: “Our most recent review showed that members had been treating an increasing number of complications from aesthetic procedures by non-healthcare professionals so it’s encouraging that the government plans to introduce a licensing scheme that will bring in better regulation and hold practitioners to account.”

Dr Gout added: “We strongly support this move and are engaging with the DHSC to offer any further information that can help in the consultation process. BCAM is a charity focused on patient safety and education so anything that helps to achieve these aims is most welcome.”

BCAM is also engaging with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) about the potential to make aesthetic devices such as fillers prescription-only to improve public safety.

Dr John Curran, Chair of BCAM’s Regulatory, Ethics and Professional Standards Committee, said: “Regulation of non-surgical aesthetic treatments is essential to protect the public and to ensure high standards are maintained by practitioners.

“Fillers and botulinum toxin injections are medical procedures that should be carried out by appropriately qualified professionals in a clinical setting. We look forward to engaging with the planned consultation process to establish a new regulatory framework for the sector.”

Anyone considering an aesthetic treatment can find a qualified professional using the ‘find a clinician’ search on the BCAM website here.

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