Following England's ban on cosmetic procedures on under-18s, powers to introduce a licensing regime for non-surgical cosmetic procedures have been added to the UK Government's Health and Care Bill.
Following the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) into Beauty, Aesthetics and Wellbeing's final report into non-surgical cosmetic procedures, the Westminster Government has been moving forward with a number of the recommendations.
The amendment to the Health and Care Bill gives the Health Secretary powers to introduce a licence for non-surgical cosmetic procedures such as Botox and fillers. The particulars of the licensing regime have yet to be set down. A press release from the Department of Health and Social Care on the amendment states that the scope and details of the regulations will be determined by a public consultation. This means we may still be waiting some time for the licensing scheme to come into effect. However, it is positive that the UK Government will take into account the views and experience of those working in the industry, who are well placed to comment on what a proportionate licensing regime should look like.
As health is a devolved matter, any licensing regime coming from the Health and Care bill will be restricted to England and Wales unless specifically adopted by the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government held its own consultation on licensing non-surgical cosmetic procedures in 2020 but proposals following the consultation are still awaited.
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