Cowboys of cosmetic surgery to be reined in

Australia’s health watchdog cracks down on rogue doctors, beefing up regulation and processes to protect patient safety.

Tara Burney had breast implants and is one of Les Blackstock's 120 victims. Picture: Jane Dempster/The Australian.

Australia’s health watchdog is cracking down on rogue cosmetic surgeons, beefing up regulation and complaints processes to protect patient safety.

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency is ­conducting a review of patient safety that will examine how to strengthen rules for an industry that has been plagued by scandal.

There have been numerous ­examples of rogue cosmetic surgeons botching operations and leaving women with disfigurement and ongoing pain and suffering, most recently the surgeon Daniel Lanzer who surrendered his registration amid an AHPRA investigation into his conduct and performance.

One of the major issues with the industry is that cosmetic surgeons can use the title of surgeon despite having no training in surgery. State government reviews of licensing of cosmetic surgeons are under way, as well as a federal Health Department investigation into the sector.

The AHPRA review is being led by former Queensland health ­ombudsman Andrew Brown. It will examine the advertising of cosmetic surgery, the current codes of conduct, and protocols around how complaints are ­handled.

“The review is specifically looking at the practice of medical practitioners in the cosmetic surgery space,” Dr Brown said. “We’ll be examining whether there are ­barriers to practitioners and other people raising concerns and making complaints.

“The broad goal would be to ­ensure that AHPRA and the Medical Board of Australia and the way they regulate practitioners is keeping pace with industry changes.”

AHPRA has published a consultation paper and is calling for submissions from doctors and members of the public.

AHPRA CEO Martin Fletcher said the review had been triggered by recent exposes of surgeons who had left women with pain and disfigurement.

“Some worrying features of the cosmetic industry set it apart from conventional medical practice, ­including corporate business models which are alleged to place profit over patient safety, no medical need for cosmetic procedures, limited factual information for consumers and exponential growth in social media that emphasises benefits and downplays risks,” Mr Fletcher said. “This review will ­ensure that the specific regulatory responsibilities of AHPRA and ­national boards are effectively protecting the public in our part of the regulatory system for cosmetic surgery.”

Tara Burney, a patient who was injured by rogue cosmetic surgeon Les Blackstock, said she had little faith that the AHPRA review would result in substantial changes to protect patient safety.

Ms Burney had a breast ­enlargement but was left disfigured after surgery by Dr Blackstock, who was sued by 120 women and eventually struck off the medical register for seven years.

Like many cosmetic surgeons, Dr Blackstock called himself a surgeon but had no specialist training or registration.

While registered plastic surgeons require eight to 12 years of medical training, currently ordinary doctors can moonlight as “cosmetic surgeons”, enabling them to tap into the booming and lucrative cosmetic surgery market.

Ms Burney said not enough had been done to protect patient safety and she believed the AHPRA review was unlikely to change that.

“They’re useless,” she said. “With the amount of the complaints, the severity of the complaints, the severity of trauma women have suffered, and nothing has been done.”

The AHPRA review will hand down its report in the mid-year.