Recommendations for cosmetic surgery industry reform published

A series of recommendations for better regulation of the cosmetic surgery sector have been published, following an independent review into industry practices.

NHS medical director Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, who chaired the review, has outlined new measures that aim to ensure patients undergoing this type of procedure will receive the same safeguards and protection they would expect under the NHS.

Recommendations include making dermal fillers prescription only, ensuring practitioners are properly qualified for all the procedures they offer and introducing an ombudsman to oversee all private healthcare, including cosmetic surgery.

It also suggested that surgical providers should offer a record of implants and operations to patients and their GPs, and that a new advertising code of conduct should be created for the sector.

Health minister Dr Dan Poulter said: "The independent panel has made some far-reaching recommendations, the principles of which I agree with entirely. We will consider the report carefully and respond in detail in the summer."

This review was launched in August 2012 and comes in response to the national PiP breast implant safety scandal, which uncovered a wide range of systemic failures in the industry.