Specialist medical negligence lawyer Louise Austin at Davies and Partners Solicitors in Bristol has welcomed a new national report which states that Cosmetic Surgery Providers could do better.

The report published by the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD) is welcomed by Davies and Partners, which has one of the South West’s largest Clinical and Medical Negligence Departments.  Approximately 6% of claims handled by its specialist team of lawyers involve cosmetic surgery.

Clients taking out claims against cosmetic surgery providers account for around 10% of Louise Austin’s case load, covering all areas of cosmetic surgery, but in particular breast surgery, facial fillers and abdominoplasty (tummy tucks).

Louise who is an Associate at Davies and Partners, agrees with many of the concerns raised in the NCEPOD report and she confirms that in her experience people undergoing cosmetic surgery as a “lifestyle” choice aren’t given enough information about the risks of procedures and invariably they are not provided with realistic advice on what their chosen surgery can actually achieve. 

The NCEPOD report highlights the wide variation in the quality and experience of cosmetic surgery providers which many patients are unaware of.  However, Louise is disappointed that despite the recommendations of the report, it seems that the Government does not intend to implement better regulation of this area.

She said, “We are concerned about the increasing number of ‘lifestyle’ cosmetic surgery cases which do not provide the results the patient expects.  Most cosmetic surgery is carried out privately and this means there is a commercial motivation from the provider which can lead to the patients not always receiving enough independent information about the benefits and risks of surgery they are to receive.  The NCEPOD report estimates that 5% - 15% of patients undergoing cosmetic surgery actually have body dysmorphic disorder and for those patients, surgery may not be an appropriate option.  Psychological assessment should be given to patients prior to surgery but this is not carried out as routine.  

“We see Claimants who are left with permanent, visible scarring as a result of negligently performed procedures and others who are hugely disappointed with the cosmetic results they have received which have not met their expectations.  These expectations were not managed properly by the surgery providers prior to the operation.”

She continued, “Our specialist team at Davies and Partners fully back the recommendations in the NCEPOD report and we believe that Cosmetic Surgery industry needs greater government regulation.  In the meantime we recommend that anyone who is considering cosmetic surgery researches thoroughly and seeks out the most experienced providers before going ahead.”

Louise who holds a Masters degree in Legal Aspects of Medical Practice has written a more detailed report on the NCEPOD report which can be found at http://www.daviesandpartners.com/clinical-negligence