Compensation when cosmetic surgery goes wrong

Cosmetic surgery has become more common in recent years.  Unfortunately, not all doctors who carry out cosmetic surgery procedures take enough care when advising potential patients to make sure they are fully informed about the risks/benefits of such surgery before it takes place.  They have not fully considered the psychological reasons for the patient requesting surgery and necessarily ensured that the patient is in the right frame of mind.  It is important that the doctor ensures that the patient does not have unreasonable expectations of the eventual outcome.

The GMC (General Medical Council) has issued new guidance which sets out the standards that will be expected from doctors who provide cosmetic interventions. The guidance will come into force from 1 June 2016 and applies to all doctors who carry out both surgical (such as breast augmentation, nose re-shaping, face-lifts etc) and non-surgical procedures (such as dermal fillers).

The guidance makes clear the ethical obligations doctors have towards patients and the standards of care they need to provide. It says that doctors must:

• market their services responsibly
• seek a patient’s consent themselves rather than delegate this to somebody else
• give patients all the time and information they need so that they can make a voluntary and informed decision about whether to go ahead
• take particular care when considering requests for interventions on children and young people
• consider patients’ vulnerabilities and psychological needs when making decisions with them about treatment options

If you feel you may have cause for a claim following recent cosmetic surgery you have undergone, please contact one of the clinical negligence team here at Harding Evans.

For further information, please visit https://www.hardingevans.com/for-individuals/medical-negligence/cosmetic-surgery-mistakes