Health Education England Guidelines 2016 for cosmetic procedures delivery

Dr. A. Farhan Haq March 30, 2016

News

Following the presentation of Keogh Review Report in 2013, Health Education England (HEE) published two reports with the aim of standardising and regulating the aesthetic training for the practitioners who perform non-surgical cosmetic treatments and hair restoration surgery.

The report was commissioned by Department of Health which set out the requirements of qualifications for the practitioners who perform non-surgical cosmetic treatments. These requirements ensure that these practitioners should be properly trained in the administration, use and application of the procedures and products that are used in these cosmetic procedures thereby ensuring the safety of the patients.

The part one of the report present the qualification requirements while the second part of the report present the comprehensive qualification requirements that are required for performing the non-surgical cosmetic treatments as well as hair restoration surgery.

For your guidance, here is a brief summary of the HEE’s guidelines for the delivery of non-surgical cosmetic treatments such as botulinum toxins and dermal fillers. Currently, the requirements of HEE are the best known practice guidelines but yet they do not present any statute regulations.

Background of HEE guidelines

The HEE guidelines are developed in response to the current landscape of cosmetic treatments industry:

There are no restrictions by law on who can perform the cosmetic treatments.
There are no specific qualification requirements.
There is an absence of accredited cosmetic training courses in such a lucrative industry (of worth above £3.6 billion).

The major modalities encompassed by HEE requirements

The HEE requirements cover up five major modalities which include;

Botulinum Toxin
Dermal fillers
Lasers, IPL and LED treatments
Hair Restoration treatments
Chemical Peel/ Skin Rejuvenation Treatment

Key Points of HEE requirements (Part 1 and 2)

These requirements are applicable on all practitioners regardless of their previous training and professional qualifications.

It is required that all groups should:

Undertake additional qualification and training in order to deliver cosmetic treatments

Formally show that they already fulfil the requirements of qualification.

Recognition of prior education and learning: Practitioners who have already undergone or completed the requirements of training should apply to an accredited cosmetic training institute to acquire formal recognition of their training. However, very short duration courses such as 1-2 days training will NOT fit the criteria of Recognition of prior learning and education.

General Key Points of Part 2

There will be a formation of Joint Council who will be responsible for maintaining the standards of education and training of the cosmetic industry.
While the new framework of qualifications is under the process of development, HEE does not expect practitioners to stop their practice.
The practitioners are required to take caution while selecting the cosmetic training courses that promote safe cosmetic practice.

Guidelines for the cosmetic training courses

General Key Points of Part 1 & 2

- The institutions offering cosmetic training courses should have the power of awarding their own degree or should be Ofqual-regulated or working in partnership with degree awarding institution.
- At least 50% of the course curriculum should be focused on the development of practical skills.
- For Botulinum Toxin: the trainees should observe 10 treatments which should be followed by administration of 10 supervised treatments.
- For Dermal fillers: the trainees should observe 10 treatments which should be followed by administration of 10 supervised treatments.
- The course delegates should pass rigorous and standardised assessment, subsequently following the treatment.
- The supervisor of the cosmetic training course should be able to give clinical insight and should be proficient with the administration of injectables with minimum 3 years of experience.

These requirements for the cosmetic courses have been a step forward towards the regulation of the cosmetic industry and will help to develop a regulations framework.

Sources Used:

https://hee.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/documents/HEE%20Cosmetic%20publication%20part%20one%20update%20v1%20final%20version.pdf

https://hee.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/documents/HEE%20Cosmetic%20publication%20part%20two%20update%20v1%20final%20version.pdf

Dr. A. Farhan Haq

I graduated from the Royal College of Surgeons Medical School in Ireland, am a full member of the British Association of Cosmetic Doctors and lead the in-house training at CosmeDocs clinics. I specialise in a variety of minimally invasive cosmetic treatments, like Botox for cosmetic / medical use, dermal fillers & PDO Threads for anti-ageing & facial contouring. I enjoy reading extensively on cosmetic skin treatments related to photo-ageing, as well as formulations of ingredients useful in these treatments. I also provide training to aspiring cosmetic physicians in advanced cosmetic treatments at the Harley Street Institute.