The impact of body image on mental and physical health report
Health and Social Care Select Committee published a report titled “The impact of body image on mental and physical health.”
ACE Group World: Press Statement 4th August 2022
The impact of body image on mental and physical health report
ACE Group World welcomes the recent report from the Health and Social Care Select Committee chaired by Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt on “The impact of body image on mental and physical health”. The Government has recently announced that a licensing scheme for both practitioners and premises performing non-surgical aesthetic treatments, such as soft tissue fillers, botulinum toxins and deep chemical peels, will come into force as part of the new Health and Care Act 2022. However, the Health and Social Care Select Committee have made further recommendations regarding timeframes for implementation, education and training standards, ethical advertising, the creation of a multi-disciplinary taskforce and to make dermal fillers prescription only medications.
Dr Martyn King, Medical Director of ACE Group World, said “As an organisation that helps to deal with complications caused by non-surgical aesthetic treatments daily, we strongly support greater regulation and that practitioners should be trained to an appropriate level. We believe that anyone performing injectable treatments should be a medical professional with a University Degree and ideally, be able to prescribe in medical aesthetics.”
Prior to the introduction of a new licensing scheme, a consultation process will need to be undertaken with practitioners, public and key stakeholders. Once this has been completed, considerable work will be needed to implement this, involving multiple organisations, agencies and statutory bodies. It is hoped that regulators and those overseeing the licensing scheme will work collaboratively to prevent duplication. It is ambitious, but very encouraging, to hear the recommendation that the Health and Care Select Committee wish the licensing scheme to be in operation in less than 12 months’ time.
The report urges the MHRA to consider the reclassification of dermal fillers to become Prescription Only Medicines. ACE Group World supports this recommendation as a proactive step to further improve patient safety. This would mean that patients would need a face-to-face consultation with a qualified and competent prescriber prior to treatment, affording an extra layer of safety and diligence, for non-prescribers who may perform the treatment, particularly in the diagnosis of Body Dysmorphia Disorder, which is stated to be between 5-15% of those seeking non-surgical treatments in the report. Being prescription only would also hopefully mean that products are responsibly sourced and supplied, not available directly to the public and non-medics, are licensed products, have traceability, reduce the risk of counterfeit products and increases regulation with the MHRA.
Many responsible practitioners will already offer a cooling off period of at least 48 hours to give patients the opportunity to reflect on treatment and to consider further questions or alternative options. This is a recommendation of the report and could be included as a requirement in the licensing scheme. ACE Group World supports this recommendation, allowing patients to be better prepared for their treatment, having pre-treatment advice and not been coerced into treatment.
The report also focuses on training and education and quite rightly states “There is currently a total absence of mandatory education and training standards for those administering non-surgical cosmetic procedures.”. Clearly, this is wholly inappropriate and would not happen in any other speciality. The report recommends that all training providers should meet an Ofqual-regulated standard and the Professional Standards Authority should oversee a register of approved training providers. ACE Group World believes that a professional register is helpful and should be endorsed, however requirements for training, including the management of complications, assessment of medical and mental health conditions and a portfolio and assessment should be included. Dr Martyn King explains “There are several courses that are Ofqual registered, however they are registered and approved on the curriculum submitted, in that the content and length meets this supplied curriculum. However, there is currently no standardised or agreed curriculum that should be a core part of all training course for the various treatments offered, such as botulinum toxins, soft tissue fillers, and at different levels, such as introduction, intermediate and more advanced. It is far too common to hear of practitioners attending a one-day course, then setting up their own practice, working without supervision and even attending an advanced course a couple of weeks later. Personally, I believe these standards need to be produced by stakeholders; including training providers, regulators, professional bodies, manufacturers, the JCCP, and other interested parties, and then adopted by Ofqual as a benchmark of minimum requirements.”
Finally, the report also made recommendations on advertising, photography, and the use of logos on images that have been digitally altered and commercially produced. It also stated that greater emphasis should be placed on the diagnosis and treatment of Body Dysmorphia Disorder.
ACE Group World:
ACE Group World is the largest non-surgical aesthetic membership organisation within the UK with over 3,000 members and attracting more than 50 new members each week. The ethos of ACE Group World is to help improve safety and regulation in medical aesthetics by producing evidence-based, peer reviewed guidelines for the management of a wide variety of common and serious complications. We provide help and advice for practitioners via 24 hours a day Emergency Helpline, a closed forum, the ACE Group World mobile App and e-mail support. We have also produced educational modules, workshops, an ACE Group Emergency Kit protocol, the official ACE Group hardback book, a faculty of experts, journal articles and patient information leaflets which can be read by patients seeking treatments and purchased by practitioners. ACE Group World works with aesthetic organisations, professional bodies, media, pharmaceutical companies, patient groups, insurers, and regulatory bodies to provide professional advice and benefit for its members. Our mission is to improve reporting of complications and regulation within the medical aesthetics sector. We constantly strive to raise standards and improve patient safety.
Contact: Charlotte Body Charlotte@sourcedassociates.co.uk /07903944666