Launch of The Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners(JCCP)

The Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP) has launched a not-for-profit register for practitioners of non-surgical cosmetic treatments. The procedures covered include the injection of botulinum toxin and dermal fillers, chemical peels/skin rejuvenation, laser treatments and hair restoration surgery.

‘The JCCP Practitioner Register’ requires members to meet standards set by the Cosmetic Practice Standards Authority (CPSA), a body of experts established for this purpose. These standards are set high and cover important checkpoints like qualifications, safety, insurance, premises, complaints handling and much more.

The combined founding members of the JCCP and the CPSA include:

• The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS)
• The British Association of Cosmetic Nurses (BACN)
• The British Association of Dermatologists (BAD)
• The British Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS)
• The British College of Aesthetic Medicine (BCAM)

Cosmetic interventions, including surgical, are already a multi-billion-pound industry. Yet unlike surgical interventions which have faced a tightening of regulations, non-surgical treatments remain largely unregulated.

Although procedures carried out by doctors, nurses and dentists might be covered by their own professional codes of conduct, there are also many treatments carried out by non-regulated practitioners.

Even within these disciplines, levels of training can be variable. This means that finding a suitable practitioner can be very difficult.

The aim of the register is to make finding safe and experienced practitioners easy for members of the public. The register is free to access and will display members’ qualifications, practice competence and experience in delivering procedures. The JCCP also provides a process for dealing with complaints from members of the public regarding the conduct or fitness to practise of registered practitioners.

Members of the register can come from any discipline. However, everyone will be subject to one uniform set of education and practice standards and one set of rules regarding conduct. If a practitioner does not have sufficient training to perform a procedure, then that will be clear on the register.

In addition to the Practitioner Register, the ‘JCCP Register of Approved Education and Training Providers’ will ensure that the training that practitioners receive is fit for purpose.

The development of both registers has been informed by the engagement of more than 200 organisations and stakeholders, including patients, members of the public, professional associations, statutory regulators, government advisors, product manufacturers, pharmacies, education/training providers, and industry experts, individual practitioners and many others.

The register has the backing of major bodies including:

• The General Medical Council (GMC)
• The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA)
• Ofqual – The National Qualifications Regulator

Professor David Sines, Chair of the JCCP, said:

“I regard this to be a major step forward in the quest to deliver a new system of voluntary regulation to assist in the promotion of patient safety and public protection within the rapidly developing area of aesthetic treatments. I am most grateful for the support and time given by so many practitioners and stakeholders who together have worked tirelessly to assist us in our aim of creating a new overarching system of non-statutory regulation for the sector.”

Mr Simon Withey, Chair of the CPSA and President of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, said:

“In 2013 the Keogh Report made it clear that an unregulated non-surgical cosmetic interventions industry was a disaster waiting to happen. That is still undeniably true. In fact, disaster has already struck for many individuals. Despite this, we probably have more untrained rogue traders than ever before, people who are risking the health and welfare of the public for a quick buck.

“Because of this, I am extremely proud that the CPSA has managed to deliver the first-ever framework of standards and competencies in non-surgical treatments and hair restoration surgery in the world. We’ve set the bar high, but we are sure practitioners from all backgrounds will rise to meet it, public protection must come first.”

Patient Representative Dawn Knight, said:

“I have experienced some of the worst that the cosmetic industry has to offer, and there are many more like me. There is so much conflicting information it’s difficult to know where to start to find a safe, qualified practitioner. The register will make this so much easier and safer for patients, reassuring them that the right checks have been done on their behalf. Being able to find the right person first time, and getting redress if the need arises, is such a welcome step forward.”

The register can be accessed at www.jccp.org.uk