Government’s cosmetic surgery proposals do not go far enough to protect patients, warn surgeons

Responding to the launch of a government consultation on new restrictions on high-risk cosmetic procedures, Keith Allison, cosmetic surgery co-lead at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said: 

“This consultation is long overdue. For too long, patients have been exposed to unnecessary risk in a fast-growing cosmetic procedures market where too many unscrupulous practitioners have been free to practise with little oversight.  

“The proposed licensing of high-risk non-surgical cosmetic procedures would introduce important new safeguards for patients and help ensure that people carrying out these treatments meet appropriate standards of training and competence. 

“However, the proposals do not go far enough to protect patients undergoing cosmetic surgery. If the Government strengthens regulations for non-surgical procedures while leaving cosmetic surgery largely unchanged, it will create an unacceptable gap in patient protection. 
 
“A doctor should not be able to carry out cosmetic surgery simply because they hold a medical license.  

“We want the Government to ensure that anyone performing cosmetic surgery has the appropriate surgical training and expertise for the procedures they undertake. Patients deserve to know that their surgeon has the qualifications, skills, and experience relevant to the specific operation they are having. As these proposals are developed, ministers must ensure they do not create a new loophole in patient protection by regulating non-surgical cosmetic procedures more robustly than cosmetic surgery itself." 

ENDS
 
Notes to editors
 
1. ‘Trust Your Treatment’ - Safer standards in cosmetic surgery and non-surgical procedures - Royal College of Surgeons   
2. Professor Sir Bruce Keogh KBE chaired the independent Review of the Regulation of Cosmetic Interventions, commissioned by the Department of Health and published in 2013 following the PIP breast implant scandal. The review called for comprehensive reform of both cosmetic surgery and non-surgical cosmetic procedures, including stronger regulation to improve patient safety. Read more: The Keogh Review: Review of the Regulation of Cosmetic Interventions  
3. In August 2026, one year after the Government announced it would introduce new legislation for high-risk cosmetic procedures, leading surgical and medical organisations have warned that patients continue to face unnecessary risk because cosmetic surgery in England can still legally be performed by doctors without specialist surgical qualifications -  read the letter: https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/-/media/Files/RCS/News-and-events/Media-centre/Cosmetic-surgery-joint-open-letter-to-Secretary-of-State.pdf  
4. The Royal College of Surgeons of England provides world-class education, assessment, and development to 30,000 surgeons, dental professionals, and members of the wider surgical and dental care teams at all stages of their careers. Our vision is to see excellent surgical care for everyone. We do this by setting professional standards, facilitating research, and championing the best outcomes for patients.    
5. For further information, please contact the Royal College of Surgeons of England press office on 020 7869 6053/6054/6016 or pressoffice@rcseng.ac.uk.