From September 2, the Department for Health and Social Care is launching an eight week consultation on the scope of the proposed licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England
Following on from a renewed commitment from Maria Caulfield to regulate the non-surgical cosmetics sector, the Government has launched a consultation to ‘seek views on how to make non-surgical cosmetic procedures safer for consumers’. Evidence and information collected throughout the consultation will go on to shape future regulation of treatments including injectables, chemical peels, lasers and more.
In a statement, Minister for the Women’s Health Strategy, Maria Caulfield said: ‘We have heard too many stories of people who’ve had bad experiences from getting a cosmetic procedure from someone who is inexperienced or under qualified… It’s our role to ensure consistent standards for consumers and a level playing field for businesses and practitioners. We want to make sure we get this right for everyone, which is why we want to hear your opinions and experiences through our new consultation.’
The public consultation, which can be completed by clients and practitioners, will seek views on:
- the types of treatments that we propose are included within the licensing scheme
- whether any procedures should be carried out only either by qualified and regulated healthcare professionals or under their clinical oversight
- whether procedures restricted to qualified and regulated healthcare professionals should only be carried out by CQC registered providers
- whether potential age restrictions should be imposed on those receiving specified procedures, in line with age restrictions on botulinum toxin injections, cosmetic fillers, tattoos, teeth whitening and sunbed use
The British Beauty Council has been influential in the formation of the consultation and has worked closely with the Department for Health and Social Care in the lead up to this announcement.
‘Since its inception, the British Beauty Council has been working to raise the reputation of the beauty industry and we see greater checks and balances around aesthetic procedures as a key part of this,’ starts Victoria Brownlie, Chief Policy Officer, British Beauty Council. She continues: ‘Having worked with the government to achieve the ban on injectables for under 18s in 2021, we are delighted that they have continued this momentum with the commitment to introduce a licensing scheme covering a raft of higher-risk aesthetic treatments, many of which are largely unregulated.
‘Those seeking treatments deserve to do so with confidence that their practitioner is properly qualified in the service they’re offering, to the appropriate level of government approved educational standards. The Council has worked closely with the Department of Health and Social Care to get to this point, so we look forward to seeing the outcome of the consultation and helping to shape the regulatory framework as it progresses.’
