The UK Government has partnered with social media platform TikTok in a bid to tackle the risks of overseas cosmetic procedures.
The campaign is centred around medical influencers, such as midwife Marley Henry and Dr Talvinder Bhogal, making trustworthy online content which raises awareness of potential risks, supports thorough research and provides practical advice on how to make travel as safe as possible.
Potential patients are being encouraged through the content on TikTok to speak to a UK doctor before going abroad for a procedure, take out travel insurance and avoid package holidays that bundle in procedures.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development office has also updated its online travel guidance, advising people on how to stay safe when traveling abroad for medical or cosmetic reasons.
Nora Nugent, president of The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), said, “This is an issue that the BAAPS has raised for a long time, and we have data showing some very significant complications and in some instances death after cosmetic surgery overseas. Many people research cosmetic surgery via social media particularly Instagram and TikTok nowadays. But it can be difficult to distinguish between glossy marketing and quality educational information. Working with medical influencers may help in this regard provided of course that the influencers are qualified to give advice on this area and give balanced clear information. Accurate medical education on the risks and education about what to consider when/if traveling abroad for medical treatment reaching those who research via social media can only be a positive step forward.”
Karin Smyth, the UK’s health minister, said, “Too many people are being left with life-altering injuries after going abroad for medical procedures, without access to proper advice or safeguards. By partnering with TikTok, we’re helping people make safer, more informed choices before they go under the knife – wherever that may be. Through our Plan for Change, we’re determined to protect patients, ease pressure on the NHS and make sure taxpayers are not left paying the price when things go wrong.”
