CQC: Independent cosmetic surgery services – emerging concerns (29 October 2019)

Summary

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected 65 services that provides solely cosmetic surgery and/or hair transplant surgery. This represents just under two thirds of those currently registered. Professor Ted Baker, CQC’s Chief Inspector of Hospitals has written to all independent cosmetic surgery providers. His letter highlights these emerging concerns and clarifies the standards of patient care that CQC expect and patients deserve. It also reminds providers of their responsibility to deliver safe and effective services.

Content

These inspections have identified some good individual practice. But they have also found some common areas of concerns. These include:

• staff without the appropriate training, qualifications and competencies to carry out their role
• unsafe practice in the use of sedation and anaesthetics
• poor monitoring and management of patients whose condition might deteriorate
• a lack of attention to fundamental safety processes
• variable standards of governance and risk management
• failure to ensure consent is obtained in a two-stage process, with an appropriate cooling off period between initial consultation and surgery
• infection prevention and control standards not always being followed
• concerns about equipment maintenance.