Is your surgeon Cutting edge? Check the new guidelines for cosmetic surgery patients
The Royal College of Surgeons has today published a variety of online resources and advice for patients considering cosmetic surgery.
The new webpage includes a handy printable checklist of questions that patients should ask their surgeon before consenting to a procedure. Patients are encouraged to take the checklist to the first consultation and discuss each topic with the treating surgeon. Such questions include the surgeon’s specialism, their insurance position and the potential costs of any future treatment. Crucially, patients are also being encouraged to consider all of the treatment options available to them as well as the potential risks and benefits of each procedure. Patients are cautioned against feeling rushed or pressured into giving their consent and are warned to be wary of surgeons and staff trying to convince them to go ahead.
The Department of Health asked the Royal College of Surgeons to produce the patient focused resources and the website follows hot on the heels of the April 2016 guidelines published by the General Medical Counsel for doctors offering cosmetic interventions.
In the coming months, the website should be supplemented by a new register of certified surgeons who have provided evidence of their training, experience and insurance.
It is hoped that the new online resources will help to provide independent, trustworthy information to patients and better protect them from unscrupulous companies and untrained surgeons.