As a firm of injury lawyers who have advised and assisted thousands of people for cosmetic surgery claims, we are very much aware of the risks of procedures and the problems with poor regulation in the industry itself. The PIP scandal, of which we are representing a lot of people for here in the UK and in France, is a real testament to this.
The General Medical Council have published proposals for better guidelines and increased honesty for patients in efforts to make the industry safer.
The key points raised in the recent publication from the GMC include the following:
- Be open and honest with patients and not trivialise the risks involved.
- Give patients enough time and information before they decide whether to have a cosmetic procedure and allow them time to ‘cool off’.
- Ask patients to tell them how they have been affected by a cosmetic procedure, both physically and psychologically, and check whether they are satisfied with the outcome.
- Take particular care when working with children and young people – they should not target people under 18 through their marketing and they should seek additional advice from professionals whose expertise is in treating young people.
- Seek their patient’s consent themselves rather than delegate it.
- Market their services responsibly; they should not make unjustifiable claims about the results they can achieve and they should not use promotional tactics that encourage people to make ill-considered decisions. For example, procedures given away as a prize.
The GMC go on to address concerns where potentially aggressive marketing may lead patients to have multiple procedures, some of which are unnecessary. Those most at risk are said to be patients who already suffer with mental health conditions that affect the way they see themselves, such as dysmorphia or anxiety illnesses.
Many people will trust the clinics they attend and assume that they will receive a professional service from a qualified expert. Yet time and time again people are being subjected to poor cosmetic procedures by inexperienced clinicians, and people are getting hurt. We have successfully recovered millions of pounds in compensation for the negligence victims we work for, and it’s important to know your rights if you are the victim of cosmetic surgery negligence.
You need an expert
A lot of the general law firms out there who only deal with more straightforward personal injury cases may not have the expertise needed to successfully and properly pursue a claim for cosmetic negligence. We receive calls from people who have been turned down by other firms because they lack the experience and knowledge in how to fight these sorts of cases.
We are cosmetic negligence experts – so when you contact our professional team you will receive advice directly from us as a real law firm, and you can get access to our expert lawyers who have helped many people in your situation in the past.
Whilst we hope the new guidelines will help to improve the quality of cosmetic procedures on offer and enhance the industry as a whole, we are here for you if you have been the victim of cosmetic negligence whether here in the UK or abroad.
Call our team now on 0800 634 7575 for advice today.
