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BAAPS statement on Cosmetic Surgery Petition

According to Consultant Plastic Surgeon and former BAAPS President, Douglas McGeorge;

“The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons supports this petition, to make it illegal for practitioners to offer cosmetic surgery without appropriate insurance; one of many regulatory loopholes that allow unscrupulous providers to cut corners and commodify medical procedures. The Association has been urging the Government to address this for well over a decade.

BAAPS also cautions that whilst the GMC requires surgeons to have indemnity insurance (also known as negligence or malpractice insurance) by law, the amount of cover insurance policies provide is not specified, and so it is currently possible for surgeons to take out inadequate levels of insurance. Such policies may only pay out in extreme cases (to be determined by the insurance providers), or may only pay a limited, often insignificant amount. Simply demanding insurance may well be inadequate, if those who are currently uninsured respond by take out policies that are not equivalent to the ones required by U.K. cosmetic surgeons, operating in the largest hospitals. Since the Keogh review, the word ‘equivalent’ has been used to refer to policies that offer a similar level of cover (both in amount and claim terms) to those demanded by the principle hospital groups for surgeons applying for independent admitting privileges to undertake cosmetic surgery. The key addition of ‘equivalent’ to any wording is crucial to any proposed changes in legislation.

It is important for patients to note, that those performing cosmetic surgery may not be properly qualified plastic surgeons - or even surgeons at all. By searching the practitioner’s name on the GMC website, patients can confirm that those performing surgery are on the specialist register for Plastic Surgery. This provides a “triple lock” reassurance: that surgeons then have completed their training; have access to admitting rights in registered hospitals; and have the requirements to get adequate insurance. Over and above the triple lock of the specialist register, membership with a professional association like BAAPS can serve to reassure potential patients that a surgeon has the relevant experience in cosmetic surgery."

 

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