Top cosmetic surgeon welcomes strict new guidelines to protect patients

A message from Mr Amir Nakhdjevani MBBS, MRCS, FRCS (Plast.) Consultant Plastic Surgeon at the Bella Vou Clinic in Royal Tunbridge Wells:

The General Medical Council’s (GMC) new guidelines for cosmetic procedures are exactly what the industry needs. They will ensure that cosmetic clinics have a duty to put the welfare of patients first, by banning promotional offers, reducing the pressure to rush or cajole customers into surgery, and ensuring that both surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures are performed by accredited practitioners who are fully trained and regulated.

The regulations mean doctors must avoid irresponsible advertising and personally manage the process of patient consent, by fully explaining the procedure and potential risks to the client and providing all the necessary aftercare to the patient following the procedure. Time should also be given between the first consultation and any procedure being carried out to allow the client to reflect and make the right choice for them.

Bella Vou is a new generation of clinics that never incentivise clients to undergo a procedure. We believe that sometimes the best course of treatment is no treatment at all and always act in the best interest of our patients. All of our cosmetic procedures are carried out by experienced medical professionals who are registered with the GMC, Royal College of Surgeons, BAPRAS and UKAAPS. Every patient is treated according to their individual requirements and each patient will see the same consultant throughout their consultation, surgery and aftercare, to ensure continuity of care and support.

We appreciate that undergoing a cosmetic procedure is an important decision for any patient. We insist on a cooling off period to ensure each patient has sufficient time to consider their procedure, and we share information with patients at numerous points beforehand, including details about potential complications, recovery times and the impact of the procedure itself. We also provide the ability to speak with other clients that have recently undergone the same procedure themselves.

The guidelines will set a new benchmark for quality across the industry and bring the delivery of cosmetic procedures back under the control of trained aesthetics specialists. We hope that this move will significantly reduce the number of low quality procedures, which can harm patient welfare and the reputation of the cosmetic industry as a whole.