Survey highlights issues with reporting of complications
A survey of 461 aesthetic practitioners conducted by insurance provider Hamilton Fraser Cosmetic Insurance has revealed that more than half of aesthetic practitioners did not report their complications in 2019.
A total of 107 practitioners stated that they had experienced a complication following an aesthetic procedure, however most did not report the complication to their insurer, product manufacturer, or the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency via the Yellow Card reporting scheme. Professor David Sines, executive chair of the Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP) commented, “The JCCP and CPSA would remind all healthcare professionals of their professional responsibility to report such incidents in order to develop and produce an evidence-related database to enable effective patient risk management, continuous service improvement and enhanced standard and performance setting within the sector. It is every practitioner’s responsibility to ensure compliance with such reporting procedures.” According to the respondents, the majority of complications were minor (67%), while 24% said they were moderate and 5% found them to be serious or life-threatening.
The most common complications experienced were prolonged swelling, allergic reactions and infections. While 96.91% of respondents were able to manage the complication themselves, some participants had sought guidance elsewhere, from nurse colleagues or aesthetic doctors. In addition to complication statistics, other notable results of the survey indicated that 75% of respondents admitted that aesthetics was not their sole source of income, and 72% of people working in aesthetics spent their time alone.
Aesthetic practitioner, Dr Sophie Shotter, commented, “I think it’s crucial to build a support network of colleagues and other professionals with whom you can discuss problems should they arise. Just because we leave the NHS environment doesn’t mean we should stop working as a team. There are various professional groups which offer this support, and I think that is an invaluable resource.