New Members of Governance Group for Treatments You Can Trust

On 2nd March 2011 IHAS announced the newly formed Governance Group for Treatments You Can Trust (www.treatmentsyoucantrust.co.uk).

This Group aims to guarantee the independence of the Register and ensure that consumer safety remains the number one propriety. They are delighted to confirm that Baroness Ritchie of Bolton will Chair the Group, and that the Group is made up of 16 commercial and independent voices from professional, consumer and patient bodies, the government and industry. The Governance Group members will oversee the management and development of the Group and will also be responsible for overseeing the management of any complaints against its registered providers.

Baroness Ritchie said;

“Patient safety has to be our number one priority. We are confident of the strength of the scheme as we continue to see a steady growth in registered members who reach the high standards and training principles required to drive forward our patient priority. “ 

Governance Group Priorities:

1. To use information-sharing protocols with the professional regulators to report bad practice
2. To address issues of remote prescribing with the Nursing Midwifery Council and General Medical Council
3. To review the cosmetic injectable sector’s advertising protocols and to tackle the problems of unethical advertising
4. To start the process of awarding the Quality Assurance Mark for Treatments You Can Trust to training providers

Baroness Ritchie has also committed to submitting a question to the Health Minister:

“The last government made the decision that self-regulation was the only way forward for the tightening up of the provision of cosmetic injectables, providing seed funding to launch Treatments You Can Trust – a  register of approved cosmetic injectable providers which launched in 2010. Does the current government concur that this is the best way to ensure patient safety in this fast-growing sector and what is the Government now planning to do in 2011 to urge consumers to use the register.”

Sally Taber, responsible for the management of the Standards and Training Principles, said;

“Treatments You Can Trust is a long term project and needs the commitment of the whole sector to protect patients and drive improvement in standards.  The time committed by the Governance Group is greatly appreciated to ensure that this Register succeeds in its goal.

There is no doubt that the industry has responded very positively to taking responsibility and action. However, since launching the scheme we have confirmed our initial fears that some very poor levels of standards are currently in operation. Forged prescriptions, remote prescribing and treatments being administered in an unsafe environment such as a garden shed are issues we aim to address with the regulators.”

The Governance Group Members:

• Dawn Attewell, Royal College of Nursing and British Association of Cosmetic Nurses
• Dr Stephen Bassett, Medical Director, Aesthetic Training Academy
• Christine Braithwaite, Director of Standards, Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence
• Jacqueline Cuming, The Harley Medical Group
• Vicky Eldridge, Cosmetic News, (media representative)
• Dr Brian Franks, Dental representative and Clinical Director, Cosmetics for Bupa Health and Wellbeing UK
• Jeni Hough, Ramsay Health Care
• Chris Horsey, Department of Health
• Dr Hilary Jones, (consumer representative)
• Janet Kettles, Allergan
• Dr Rab Mittal, Spire Healthcare
• Mr Nigel Mercer, Consultant Plastic Surgeon
• Dr Toni Phillips, Renew Medica
• Andy Randall, sk:n
• Edwina Rawson, AvMA
• Dr Andrew Vallance Owen, Chairman of the IHAS Cosmetic Surgery Agenda and Group Medical Director, Bupa