Report suggests future increase in clinical negligence cases after cosmetic surgery

Posted 21/09/2010

More people could be forced to claim clinical negligence compensation following cosmetic surgery after a report highlighted poor working practices across the UK.

A study by the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death found that many cosmetic surgery sites are not maintaining surgeons’ skill levels by only carrying out a handful of procedures each year.

Furthermore, only 32 per cent of providers were offering a two-stage consent process and 56 per cent did not have operating theatres that were fully-equipped for cosmetic surgery.

The report also discovered that 18 per cent of sites offering cosmetic surgery did not have an emergency readmission procedure in case something went wrong.

After carrying out the research, the report’s authors recommended that cosmetic surgery should be governed by the same guidelines and controls as ordinary medical procedures in order to protect patients.

This follows a recent warning from Nigel Mercer, president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, who said the lack of proper regulation in the cosmetic surgery sector could result in more need for clinical negligence solicitors.