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This report is the outcome of an inquiry by the Women and Equalities Committee which considered the safety of surgical cosmetic procedures, such as breast implants, and non-surgical cosmetic procedures such as fillers and liquid Brazilian butt lifts (BBLs). Non-surgical cosmetic procedures The report notes that: Demand for cosmetic procedures has grown significantly in recent decades. However, regulation has not kept pace, allowing inadequately trained individuals to carry out high-risk procedures, too often with devastating consequences. For the majority of women, breast implants are a safe procedure with significant positive impacts. However, there is emerging concern that a minority may experience debilitating symptoms following implantation and, in still rare cases, develop a cancer of the immune system. The Poly Implant Prothèse (PIP) breast implant scandal, in which 47,000 women in the UK received substandard implants, demonstrates the importance of rigorous testing and surveillance. Currently, there is no regulation as to who can perform non-surgical cosmetic procedures. These are defined as procedures that do not require incisions and are commonly used to refer to injectables, such a Botox or dermal fillers, laser therapy or chemical peels The Committee states that the Government needs to commission clinical and longitudinal research, mandate use of the Breast and Cosmetic Implant Registry and regularly publish data from it. It also calls for high-harm procedures such as the liquid Brazilian butt lift (BBL), which has resulted in fatalities, should be banned immediately without further consultation. They suggest a licensing system for lower-risk procedures, in which only those suitably qualified can perform them, should be introduced within this Parliament. Cosmetic tourism The report notes that: Travelling abroad to undergo cosmetic procedures or treatments, known as ‘cosmetic tourism’, has surged in popularity in recent years as a low cost way for people to access cosmetic procedures. Despite some countries having stronger regulations than the UK, there have been growing numbers of people needing corrective treatment by the NHS following complications from procedures undertaken overseas. This is placing additional burden on the NHS. The Committee states that more needs to be done to educate the public on the potential risks of cosmetic tourism and how they can do so safely. Body Image The report notes that recent studies have shown that body image, particularly amongst young women and girls, has worsened over recent years. This is causing more young women and girls to be drawn to cosmetic procedures, with a 2024 survey finding that just over a quarter of girls aged 11–16 would consider altering their appearance through cosmetic procedures within the next 20 years and almost half of 17–21-year-olds. Research has found that increased use of social media, face editing apps and filters is contributing to both worsening body image and driving the demand for cosmetic surgery. They report that there is also evidence of the widespread advertising of cosmetic procedures on social media, both by practitioners and influencers. Many of these advertisements utilise digitally altered photographs and minimise the risks involved with cosmetic procedures. The Committee recommends that evidence-based body image and social media literacy programmes need to be adopted into school curricula to tackle the growing pressures on children to change their bodies once they reach adulthood.

All types of medical treatment involve some element of risk. It's important to get as much information as possible about your treatment options so that you can make informed choices. Read the guidance provided by the NHS about going abroad for medical treatment and go through the checklist before making a decision. Make sure your decision is based on the quality of the medical care you would like to receive and not on how appealing the destination seems for a holiday.

Outward medical tourism is when people seek medical treatment in a different country to the one they live in. Outward medical tourism potentially creates a problem for health services in the home country, because patients may need post-surgery follow-up at home, and because of the risk of post-surgical complications. Treatment of complications due to outward medical tourism can be costly and made more complicated because full information about the initial surgery may be unavailable. The authors of this research aimed to identify all studies that describe the impact on the UK NHS of patients who require treatment due to outward medical tourism for elective surgery and report on complications, costs and benefits. Evidence from case series, case reports and surveys shows that outward medical tourism for metabolic/bariatric surgery, cosmetic surgery and ophthalmic surgery can result in serious complications that are treated at NHS specialist units in the UK. The studies identified in this review suggest women may be more likely to seek elective surgery abroad, especially cosmetic surgery. Costs to the NHS ranged from £1058 to £19 549 per patient in 2024 prices, but the certainty of evidence for costs was very low. The highest costs were due to long stays in hospital and to surgical treatment, but it was unclear if all the relevant costs were identified in the majority of studies. Cost and resource use associated with outward medical tourism for elective surgery to GPs and other primary care services were not reported. We still do not know how many people resident in the UK go abroad for elective surgery or how many people subsequently experience complications. Without these data, we cannot fully understand the levels of risk that people seeking surgery abroad are taking. Awareness-raising campaigns and interventions are warranted to inform members of the public in the UK considering going abroad for surgery about the potential for complications. Those seeking medical treatment abroad should be made aware of which complications the NHS is responsible for treating, and costs for which the patient may be potentially personally liable, including non-emergency treatment.

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. 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.