HEE – Health Education England

HEE has published its recommendations for establishing minimum qualifications for healthcare professionals to carry out popular aesthetic skin treatments procedures, following the Keogh review of the cosmetics and beauty industry.

The Keogh report recommended in 2013 that there should be restrictions on who can carry out non-surgical cosmetic procedures and as nothing has yet been implemented, the lack of qualification requirements and accredited training courses still means that anybody could inject substances such as dermal fillers and Botox (botulinum toxin).

HEE Recommendations

Botox and Dermal Fillers

The HEE recommends that those who want to carry out fillers and Botox in the UK will have to complete a postgraduate level qualification in order to introduce quality standards and qualifications.

The non-surgical treatments sector is currently unregulated in terms of practitioner requirements and is said to be worth around £3.6bn in the UK.

Nazia Hussain, an aesthetic practitioner who sat on the HEE  advisory group, said:

In the future, if a case of negligence is brought to court, the document will be used as a reference to check if the practitioner was competent. Failure to comply could result in [health professionals] being reprimanded or even struck off by [their] professional bodies.

HEE sets out the minimum level of qualification and standards for 5 treatment areas:

• Botox (botulinum toxin)
• Dermal fillers (including lip filler)
• Chemical peels and skin rejuvenation
• Laser, IPL (intense pulsed light) and light emitting diode
• Hair restoration surgery

Recommended qualifications start at level 4 (which is equivalent to a first year foundation degree). However, a level 7 postgraduate qualification is recommended for injectable cosmetic treatments.

At this stage, the HEE recommendations are still voluntary, although HEE hopes that the industry may adopt them in order to improve standards and patient safety. The report states

We recognise it will take some time to move to a situation where the new qualifications are available to those wishing to enter or continue to work in this field, and we appreciate that … we must not impose unreasonable or disproportionate burdens on businesses [already delivering treatments].

However, at the heart of our mission has been our quest to improve patient protection. Our recommendation for the standards to be in operation by September 2018 recognises our concerns and public expectations as expressed in the Keogh Review.

Qualified Aesthetic Doctors

While its recommendations are very welcome, at this stage the report serves as a timely reminder for prospective patients to look for suitably qualified practitioners as the minimum requirements for training and qualification are not yet in force.

Cosmedics Skin Clinics only carries out skin treatments by fully qualified and UK accredited doctors or surgeons who are trained and experienced in cosmetic treatments. The company offers a choice of 5 skin clinics based in London and Bristol.

Call 020 7386 0464 or email info@cosmedics.co.uk to book an appointment.