Under the proposed changes, cosmetic surgeons could be banned from using patient testimonials, face minimum hygiene standards and be barred from calling themselves surgeons if they are not.
Health ministers across Australia met on Friday, with federal minister Mark Butler announcing options for reform to ensure Australians “have confidence in the safety and quality of the cosmetic surgery industry”. Source: AAP / KIKE CALVO/AP
Australian doctors have called on health ministers across the country to quickly detail and act on proposed changes to the cosmetic surgery sector.
The AMA wants more detail around the proposals quickly, saying the devil is in the detail.
Prof Robson said Friday’s agreement meant Queensland should rethink plans to allow patient testimonials in medical advertising.
Some cosmetic procedure practitioners are using social media to dodge a national ban on testimonials in medical advertising.
Other reforms proposed on Friday include ensuring those practising cosmetic procedures are qualified and patients are better informed of their rights and the risks.
“These cosmetic cowboys have been riding unchecked for years,” Mr Butler said.
“(It is) an industry that has come to resemble the Wild West.”
It follows a series of damning revelations into the industry in an independent report released on Thursday.
The inquiry from former Queensland Health Ombudsman Andrew Brown found unsafe practices, misleading advertising and a need for minimum standards on qualifications.
The Australasian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons welcomed the proposed reforms and took a shot at the regulator for failing to act sooner.
“It’s a sad day for healthcare in Australia when the elected representatives of the people have been forced to step in and do the job that the regulator has consistently failed to do,” president Robert Sheen said.
The regulator, Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Authority, has been dogged by criticism that it has failed to act as it attempted to limit actions.
“The regulator has shown that this (proposed reform) is beyond the current leadership’s ability and interest,” Dr Sheen said.
In October, a joint investigation by Nine newspapers and the ABC into controversial cosmetic surgeons uncovered serious hygiene and safety breaches across various clinics.
