New voluntary register for non-surgical cosmetic procedures

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics welcomes the opening of applications for the Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP) register, noting that when the register is fully operational, it will be a step towards helping individuals to identify qualified practitioners of non-surgical cosmetic procedures.

At the moment, the provision of non-surgical cosmetic procedures, such as those that use Botox and dermal fillers, is not regulated in any statutory way, so there is nothing to prevent unskilled practitioners from carrying out these invasive treatments.

In our Cosmetic procedures: ethical issues report we expressed our concern over the lack of regulation and called for improvements in this area.

The JCCP’s Practitioner Register requires members to demonstrate that they meet certain standards in areas including qualifications, safety, insurance, premises, and complaint handling. However, the register is only voluntary, so in order for it to protect consumers in the absence of statutory regulation, it is crucial that qualified practitioners sign up to it. The Treatments You Can Trust (TYCT) register, which covers 400 practitioners of dermal fillers and Botox, will soon transfer to the JCCP register.As the JCCP register gains momentum, it will be important that the public is aware of its existence, and to ensure that it is simple for consumers to check that the person giving them a cosmetic procedure is registered with the JCCP.