APPG UK Aesthetics Inquiry Reviewing Evidence
The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Beauty, Aesthetics and Wellbeing has been holding an aesthetics inquiry since Summer 2020. Its final submissions – delivered via oral sessions – have now concluded and the APPG will report back in Summer 2021.
What is the APPG aesthetics inquiry?
The APPG on Beauty, Aesthetics and Wellbeing was formed in 2019. As its official website states, it is “a politically neutral cross-party group of Parliamentarians concerned about a particular issue – in this case the Beauty and Aesthetics Industry.”
It comprises a number of current MPs: Carolyn Harris, Judith Cummins, Jessica Morden, Jackie Doyle, Peter Dowd, Nick Smith, Caroline Nokes, Sarah Champion and Alex Davies-Jones. Former MP, Jenny Chapman is an honorary member.
The Group’s secretariat is made up of Interel Consulting UK with support from the National Hair and Beauty Federation (NHBF), Urban app and the Cosmetic Toiletry & Perfumery Association (CTPA).
This Parliamentary Group is tasked with exploring the state of non-surgical cosmetic procedures in the UK and determining how to improve patient safety. It will then present a report and recommendations drawn from these submissions. The official title of the project is the Inquiry Into Non-Surgical Cosmetic Procedures.
On the APPG’s website, its remit for this Inquiry is stated as below.
- Review the scope and scale of non-surgical cosmetic treatments in the UK.
- Procedures within scope of this inquiry are botulinum toxins or similar anti-wrinkle injectables, dermal fillers, polydioxanone (PDO) threads and PDO cogs.
- Assess the adequacy of the regulatory and legislative structures and training around non-surgical cosmetic treatments in the UK.
- Review the case for registration of practitioners.
- Consider the media and consumer environment for products.
Information gathering
This review of current standards has involved gathering insights from members of the public, industry bodies, academics and other relevant organisations. The APPG has received thoughts on set topics via both written and oral submissions.
Oral submissions ended this week, on 4 May 2021 and the APPG is now reviewing the evidence it has collected.
Its particular areas of interest are botulinum toxins, dermal fillers, polydioxanone (PDO) threads and cogs – advertised as a “no blade facelift”.
Oral submissions completed
Eight oral sessions were completed as part of the Group’s fact-finding. The topics covered are listed below.
Minutes and recordings for each session are available on the APPG Inquiry’s Oral Sessions web page.
1. What is the concern? 23 June 2020.
2. Standards and qualifications. 7 July 2020.
3. Regulation and enforcement: Part 1 – Registration of practitioners. 16 September 2020.
4. Regulation and enforcement: Part 2 – Licensing. 21 October 2020.
5. Ethics and mental health. 24 November 2020.
6. Aesthetics insurance. 22 February 2021.
7. Advertising and social media. 20 April 2021.
8. Concluding session with Nadine Dorries, Minister for Patient Safety, Suicide Prevention and Mental Health. 4 May 2021.
Many of these aims – particularly when it comes to education and competent aesthetics training plus the registration of injectors – are shared with the Joint Council of Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP).
The JCCP is constantly pushing for improvements in these areas, working with bodies such as the government’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). As such, it would be great to see these organisations working together to overhaul the regulation of medical aesthetics in the UK to increase patient safety.
We look forward to hearing the outcome of this research and the proposals made to Parliament by the APPG. Updates will be published here, on our site, as they become available.
