Britons should resist the temptation to have cosmetic surgery abroad at “rock-bottom” prices in case they are harmed by substandard care, the health secretary has said.
Wes Streeting spoke out after a spate of deaths among women who had travelled to Turkey for aesthetic treatment such as a Brazilian butt lift (BBL).
An inquest this week in Winchester, Hampshire, heard that Hayley Dowell, 38, died in October last year after paying £7,000 to have the procedure, as well as liposuction and a tummy tuck.
“My strong advice to British travellers is, if the offer looks too good to be true, I suspect it is too good to be true,” Streeting said. “[People should] think very carefully before flying overseas, paying what looks like a kind of rock-bottom attractive price, because you may end up paying the consequences for years to come as a result of injuries, which in the worst cases can be life-changing.
“So I would urge before travelling abroad, think very carefully before accessing those cosmetic treatments that are currently being marketed at rock-bottom prices, but also, in too many cases, offer substandard care.”
Streeting plans to work with organisations overseas to try to improve the safety and quality of care at hospitals and clinics that provide medical tourism. “But we also need to send a strong message to the British public to manage the risks, to do their homework and think very carefully before taking up offers that are too good to be true.”
Prof Sir Stephen Powis, NHS England’s national medical director, also urged caution, and cited the extra pressure that treating victims of botched cosmetic treatment abroad puts on the NHS.
“It is not fair that the NHS is left to pick up the pieces of botched Brazilian butt lifts. Not only are they potentially fatal, having the highest death rate of all cosmetic procedures, but dodgy procedures mean the NHS then has to repair the damage, landing taxpayers with a hefty bill too,” he said.
“NHS resources are precious, and I’d urge anyone considering a BBL to think twice before taking up an offer that seems too good to be true.”
UK government officials met counterparts in Turkey last year after concerns were raised by the death of Melissa Kerr, 31, during a BBL procedure, which is intended to enlarge the size of someone’s bottom.
The coroner who presided at the inquest into her death ruled that she had not received enough information to enable her to make a safe decision about the procedure before going to Istanbul.
Figures from the British Association of Aesthetic and Plastic Surgeons show that Turkey is by far the most popular destination for Britons having cosmetic surgery abroad, with 69% of patients going there. Other countries include the Dominican Republic (7%), Brazil (6%) and Tunisia (4%).
The spate of deaths has prompted the Royal College of Surgeons of England to convene a summit to improve patient safety.
“After years of inaction from officials, we are now convening an urgent meeting with experts across health, advertising and trade authorities, together with foreign governments, to address this growing crisis”, said Prof Vivien Lees, a consultant plastic surgeon and the college’s vice-president.
Lees said ministers could help by ensuring that the existing cosmetic surgery board certification scheme, which helps patients choose approved cosmetic surgeons for their treatment, becomes mandatory, rather than voluntary as it is now.