New qualifications unveiled to improve the safety of non-surgical cosmetic procedures

Health Education England has today published two reports aimed at improving and standardising the training available to practitioners who carry out hair restoration surgery and non-surgical cosmetic procedures, such as botox, chemical peels and laser hair removal.

Commissioned by the Department of Health the reports set out ‘qualification requirements’ for practitioners who perform these types of treatments – regardless of any previous training they might have had or their professional background. These requirements are aimed at ensuring that people are properly trained in the use and application of any products that they use – thereby making sure that patients’ safety comes first. This work follows an intensive engagement process with key figures from the cosmetics industry, regulators and professional bodies.

Part One sets out the qualification requirements, which include guidance on the application of the requirements for different groups of practitioners working in the cosmetics or aesthetic field.  Part Two describes the second and final phase of the project to produce the detailed qualification requirements for delivery of non-surgical cosmetic interventions and hair restoration surgery.

This work will now be taken forward by the Department of Health who are leading on the overall programme. More information is available from their website.

The Department of Health and Health Education England (HEE) are encouraged by the recent announcement that the British Association of Cosmetic Nurses (BACN) and The British College of Aesthetic Medicine (BCAM) have agreed to work together on the establishment of a Joint Council for the non-surgical aesthetics sector. The stakeholder consultation facilitated by HEE, following the publication of the Keogh Report, raised the possibility of such a body being established, and both the   Department of Health and HEE would like to support this idea in principle, recognising that for it to be credible it would need to have widespread support from stakeholders, including the wide range of practitioners involved in delivering non-surgical treatments’.

To view the reports please see related documents section.