The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has confirmed plans to introduce a national licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England.
The aim is to establish consistent standards across the aesthetics sector and improve public protection. The Government notes that the new regulations will be subject to public consultation and parliamentary scrutiny before being introduced.
Currently, there are no mandatory licensing requirements for individuals offering procedures such as botulinum toxin, dermal fillers or other aesthetic treatments, unless the treatment involves a surgical procedure or is carried out by a healthcare professional (HCP) in a regulated setting. This has led to variation in practitioner qualifications and oversight, particularly for higher-risk procedures.
The proposed framework would mandate that practitioners offering high-risk procedures such as the non- surgical Brazilian butt lift, will need to be qualified HCPs operating from Care Quality Commission (CQC)-registered premises. Lower-risk treatments, including botulinum toxin, lip filler and facial dermal fillers, will come under stricter oversight through a new local authority licensing scheme and will require practitioners to be licensed by local authorities and meet strict hygiene, training and insurance standards. Once regulations are introduced, practitioners who break the rules on the highest risk procedures will be subject to CQC enforcement and financial penalties.
Priority will be given to introducing regulations to restrict the highest-risk procedures first – such as the injection of fillers into the breasts and genitals. A public consultation will be published early next year to gather views on the range of procedures that should be included in these restrictions.
The legislation will also introduce age restrictions for certain procedures for individuals under the age of 18, unless authorised by a HCP, and grant enforcement powers to local authorities and the CQC. Providers who fail to comply may face penalties or be banned from practising.
This follows a 2023 public consultation that attracted nearly 12,000 responses, with strong public backing for increased regulation of the sector. The Government has announced plans to work closely with stakeholders to develop detailed proposals for further consultation on the licensing regime for lower-risk procedures. This will seek views on key areas including education and training standards, qualifications, infection control and insurance.
Karin Smyth, minister of State at the Department of Health and Social Care, commented, “The cosmetics field has been plagued by a Wild West of dodgy practitioners and procedures. There are countless horror stories of cosmetic cowboys causing serious, catastrophic damage. This Government is taking action to protect those seeking treatments, support honest and competent practitioners and root out the cowboys as part of our Plan for Change. This isn’t about stopping anyone from getting treatments – it’s about preventing rogue operators from exploiting people at the expense of their safety and keeping people safe. We’re giving them peace of mind and reducing the cost to the NHS of fixing botched procedures.”
Professor David Sines, executive chair of the Joint Council of Cosmetic Procedures (JCCP), commented, “The introduction of standards to ensure that patients are safeguarded and protected from harm, ensuring that all cosmetic practitioners are regulated and licensed to a new national education and training standard, that they are appropriately insured and that they work from safe premises at all times has become imperative. These proposals have our full support, and we welcome the opportunity to engage in further consultation.”
Ashton Collins, director at Save Face, shared, “We have been campaigning tirelessly for nearly two years for this critical change and have supported over 750 women who have ensured traumatic experiences. I have seen firsthand the devasting impact these procedures can have on the lives of victims and their families – none more so than the family of Alice Webb.”
President of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health also added, “We welcome the introduction of improved regulation and a new scheme of licensing. We look forward to continuing to work with the Government in order to achieve a licensing scheme that includes the full range of procedures that were to be covered by the scheme in the original consultation.”
Aesthetics will continue to provide updates on the Plan for Change as the measures are further developed.