Manifesto for Change: Governance and Regulation Within the Aesthetics Industry

The Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP) has presented a manifesto calling for significant changes in the governance and regulation of the aesthetics industry in the UK. The JCCP, established in 2018, has found that voluntary registration is insufficient to ensure that practitioners meet nationally agreed standards of practice, competence, and knowledge. The manifesto, presented in September 2020, advocates for statutory registration for all cosmetic practitioners to ensure public protection and patient safety. The JCCP's recommendations include making dermal fillers prescription-only, mandating education and training requirements, educating the public about aesthetic procedures, defining 'medically related aesthetic services,' identifying risks during consultations, restricting treatments to adults over 18, providing accessible patient information, mandating premises standards, introducing licensing requirements, tightening advertising rules, enforcing remote prescribing guidelines, requiring insurance and membership in redress schemes, establishing a national database on complications, and promoting coordinated data collection and research within the sector. The JCCP emphasizes the need for a unified voice in the sector, independent of commercial interests, to focus on patient safety and public protection.