23 Jun Cosmetic Non-Surgical Interventions—Educational Standards
A stakeholder consultation was held between 9th December 2014 and 9th January 2015 to get views from individuals working within the industry on proposed qualification requirements for cosmetic procedures. From documentation circulated to stakeholders by HEE, it is clear that the intention is to introduce standards governing educational requirements for specified cosmetic procedures. The educational requirements will follow the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) which has replaced the National Qualification Framework (NQF).
Although the HEE call for evidence identified a wide range of treatments that needed to be included in the review of qualifications (amongst others: body piercing, branding, derma rolling, electrolysis, RF and ultrasound treatments, tattooing and tattoo removal and various laser treatments) it was decided for the first phase of the programme to include only Botulinum toxin, dermal fillers, chemical peels, laser and IPL treatments and LED treatments.
Guidance on the requirements for the provision of types of treatments will be drawn from a) the draft European standard prEN 16708 Beauty salon services—Requirements and recommendations for the provision of service for training at Levels 4 and 5 and b) the draft European standard EN 16844 Aesthetic medicine services—Non-surgical medical procedures for training at Levels 5 and 6 (currently both standards are under development and therefore not in the public domain for easy reference!). Legal enforcement of the intended educational HEE standards in the United Kingdom is unlikely as the Government rejected proposals in the Keogh review to introduce statutory regulation for those performing non-surgical cosmetic interventions. Several alternatives for recognition of qualifications have been proposed but the strongest contender is creating a new joint industry standards body.