BAAPS “appalled” at government response on dermal fillers
The organisation criticised UK government inaction on regulating cosmetic procedures such as Botox
The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) has hit out at the UK government response to Sir Bruce Keogh's review of cosmetic procedure regulations, published today. BAAPS President, cosmetic surgeon Rajiv Grover, said the organisation was “appalled” at the lack of action taken by the government.
Keogh's review, which was published in April 2013, was applauded by BAAPS and others who support tighter regulation in the aesthetic procedure sector. Among its recommendations were a call for dermal fillers to be available by prescription only and for there to be a higher level of accredited qualification required for providers of cosmetic injectables such as Botox and other dermal fillers.
In today's report, the government said it intended to improve the standards of training and qualification of cosmetic practices and agreed that there was “a need to look at how products are used in practice and how they can be further controlled, including the need for regulation”.
However, having campaigned for the many years about the dangers of untested procedures and unqualified practitioners – a survey it conducted in 2012 revealed that as many as two out of three surgeons were seeing patients presenting with facial injectable ('dermal filler') complications – BAAPS expressed its disappointment at the delay in putting regulatory controls into place.
“This review, not the first one conducted into the sector, represents yet another thoroughly wasted opportunity to ensure patient safety,” Grover said. “With all the evidence provided by the clinical community, choosing not to reclassify fillers as medicines with immediate effect or setting up any kind of compulsory register beggars belief.... It's business as usual in the Wild West and the message from the government is clear: roll up and feel free to have a stab.”