Cosmetic surgeon in blast at ‘failing’ laws for industry
A LEADING cosmetic doctor has branded moves to regulate the industry in Scotland a failure, saying patients are being ‘let down by current laws.
Dr Nestor Demosthenous said, ‘a plumber could inject a woman with lip fillers in the back of a van’ under the current system of voluntary regulation.
Dr Nestor said he was ‘not surprised in the slightest’ by our front page story, yesterday, where we told how a woman responsible for a series of ‘botched’ treatments in Glasgow was now linked to faulty treatments in Newcastle.
Alison McQuade – who lied about being a nurse in Glasgow to attend a training course in administering Botox– was working under the new name of Megan Wright. She is now under investigation by Trading Standards.
Dr Nestor performed corrective work on clients after they had been treated by Ms McQuade at the Dash salon in Partick.
While clinics which carry out injectable treatments are now required to register with Heathcare Improvement Scotland (HES), individual therapists are not required to do so.
The Joint Council of Cosmetic Practitioners) Trustee Board (JCCP) was formed by the government to create some form of voluntary regulation for the industry and in August it placed a hold on beauticians training to the level required to perform injectable treatments.
However, there is nothing to stop individuals setting up and taking clients.
He said: “As it stands, anyone can inject filler. The law is failing the public and sadly these stories will continue to make headlines on Mondays only to be forgotten by the weekend.
“However there has been further advisory board meetings in Scotland where we are formulating expert opinions to present to parliament to try and safeguard patients.
“We need to educate the public. They have to make more sensible decisions than to opt for cheap treatments by non medical professionals.
“The vast majority of patients I see who have had complications from treatments almost always say ‘something didn’t feel right, but I went ahead anyway.’
A spokeswoman for Healthcare Improvement Scotland said: “Non-healthcare professionals, such as beauticians, are not required to register with us.
“The Scottish Government is currently looking at ways to extend regulation which will bring non-surgical cosmetic treatments provided by other professionals, such as beauticians, into an appropriate regulatory framework.
“We would strongly urge anyone choosing to have a non-surgical intervention to consult the list of registered independent clinics available on our website.”