Experts call for tighter plastic surgery controls

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) is calling for a “six-point plan” to tighten up regulation of the “cowboy” market in the UK.

Government advisers are considering a range of measures for the sector following the PIP breast implant scandal, which has affected around 40,000 British women.

Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, who is leading a Government review, said last week that an insurance scheme for cosmetic surgery patients – similar to that in the travel industry – could be introduced.

Companies pay a subscription to become members of the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta), which provides a fund for people if something goes wrong.

A breast implant registry is also under consideration by the Government to record details of all operations.

BAAPS is calling on Ministers to go further, saying cosmetic surgery as a medical procedure should not be advertised, similar to the ban that exists on promoting prescription medicines.

The association has long campaigned against “marketing gimmicks” by cosmetic surgery firms, such as competitions to win breast implants and reality makeover shows. It also wants there to be a register of all types of silicone implants including those for the breast, buttock, pectoral muscle and calf; tighter regulation of treatments such as Botox; and a compulsory register of all practitioners rather than the present voluntary one, and all should undergo an annual audit.

The implants at the centre of the recent scandal had a CE mark but were filled with non-medical grade silicone for mattresses.