British cosmetic surgery under scrutiny

The British cosmetic surgery industry is under stress lately. It has been accused of using illegal advertisements and hard sell tactics, all showing that it is pursuing profit over patient safety.

A leading consumer organization has conducted an investigation on plastic surgery clinics. They found out that some of those clinics are violating the law by allowing unqualified staff to prescribe Botox injections to patients. Other clinics officiate plastic surgery procedures without giving their patients enough time to make a decision.

The investigation was conducted by Which?, a leading consumer organization that aims to helps consumers get the best value for their money’s worth. Which? collated 20 examples of alleged wrongdoing by cosmetic surgery films that exhibited at the recent Body Beautiful trade fair in London.

The investigation has found that staff at some clinics are often uncertain about what to do if a patient suffers an allergic reaction to a dermal filler such as Botox or collagen injections. Some clinics also offer two-in-one packages in order to entice women to go through procedures.

Experts of the Independent Healthcare Advisory Services said they were shocked by the evidence presented by the investigation. They stress that Which? has given them a lot of examples. But they added that they were not surprised at all since they knew that there was bad practice going on.

Even the president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons couldn’t help but criticize the cowboy clinicians. He is calling for the whole plastic surgery industry in aesthetic treatments to be guarded by an NHS regulator so that sub-standard premises could be closed down.