Cautious welcome to movement on cosmetic surgery

The AMA has cautiously welcomed a commitment by health ministers to curb unscrupulous cosmetic surgery procedures, but says the plan is open to interpretation and needs more clarity on who may call themselves a surgeon.  

Health ministers agreed on the following reforms announced by Federal Health Minister, Mark Butler:

• Preventing medical practitioners who are not qualified describing themselves as cosmetic “surgeons”.
• Ensuring anyone conducting a cosmetic procedure has appropriate qualifications.
• Limiting surgery to properly accredited facilities with minimum hygiene and safety standards.
• Banning doctors using patient testimonials for cosmetic surgery including on social media.
• Better information for patients on the risks and their rights so they can make an informed decision about any treatment.

While welcoming the commitment, the AMA said health ministers needed to quickly and clearly articulate who may call themselves a surgeon and what the appropriate qualifications are to ensure consumers have a clear understanding of the training and experience of the provider of surgical procedures.

AMA President, Professor Steve Robson said the AMA is ready to work collaboratively with health regulators to realise the commitments as soon as possible to protect the public.

“The AMA has been fighting to preserve the use of the title ‘surgeon’ only for practitioners who have undertaken significant, accredited surgical training, such as plastic surgeons.”

One of the key recommendations is banning doctors using patient testimonials for cosmetic surgery including on social media. The AMA supports this, however all health professionals are currently banned from using testimonials under the Health Practitioner National Law. It brings into question the proposed amendments to the National Law currently before the Queensland Parliament which will allow testimonials.

“The Queensland parliament must now back in yesterday’s agreement by ministers and withdraw the National Law amendment bill,” Professor Robson said.

“We have some concerns about the potential impact of introducing an ‘area of practice’ to general registration and will be discussing this with the Medical Board in the near future.”

Cosmetic surgery has been under the spotlight in the past fortnight following media investigations illuminating more botched procedures with stomach-churning outcomes for patients who fell victim to unscrupulous unqualified practitioners. Sky News reported the AMA’s long-running advocacy on the issue. 

Professor Robson was on various media outlets and told ABC Radio people are shocked to discover that anybody can use the term surgeon to describe themselves at the moment.

The story was picked up by AAP Newswire, and syndicated across print and online outlets in the following days including the Canberra Times.