Taneesa Williamson Medical groups provide their take against proposed ‘endorsement’ training model in the cosmetic surgery industry.
The Australian cosmetic surgery industry is currently facing significant regulatory changes, with the proposed introduction of an ‘endorsement’ training model by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and the federal Department of Health. However, multiple medical groups, including the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and several surgical specialty societies, have issued a joint statement warning that the new system may do more harm than good and may continue to put patients’ lives at risk, according to the groups & associations.
Below is a segment of the released joint statement by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) and the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons, the Australasian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, Australian Society of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Society, General Surgeons Australia, Breast Surgeons of Australia and New Zealand, and the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand.
“It is anticipated that a new ‘endorsement’ training model will shortly be introduced into Australia by AHPRA and the federal Department of Health, creating a dangerous system where the benchmark in skills and capabilities required to perform cosmetic surgery will be lower than that required for other forms of surgery.
The organisations said that while reform to the sector’s regulation is much needed, the rushed and ambiguous nature of the endorsement model and consultation process has resulted in an unsatisfactory policy framework that will almost certainly lead to undesirable and negative outcomes for patients and the health system.”
The Medical Board of Australia and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) also shared their statement on the matter.
“There is a lot of money at stake in cosmetic surgery reform. Our reform package prioritises patient safety over vested interest. It reflects what is legally possible and what will help keep patients safe.
We can’t limit surgery to surgeons – that’s not how the law works. Already, every day, hospitals across rural and regional Australia employ doctors who are not specialist surgeons to provide surgery to patients. Changing this would grind surgical services to regional and rural Australians to a halt.
Creating an endorsement is the strongest regulatory tool in our kit. We’re introducing it to make patients safer. An endorsement will tell patients who is trained and qualified. Without it, patients will be no better informed than they are now and the opportunity to clean up the cosmetic industry will be lost.
We absolutely acknowledge the expertise of specialist surgeons and endorse health ministers’ decision to protect the title ‘surgeon’ to stop anyone without specialist registration in surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology or ophthalmology from calling themselves a surgeon. Both will help patients to understand who is qualified.“
Health ministers have already approved a new registration standard for cosmetic surgery endorsement to help patients know who is trained and qualified to perform cosmetic surgery safely.
Medical Board of Australia & the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
The cosmetic surgery training standards are expected to be published shortly. When cosmetic surgery training programs meet the cosmetic surgery training standards, their graduates will be eligible for endorsement. Until then, speculation about which training programs will meet the standard and which qualifications will be approved for endorsement is premature.
Tell us in the comments, what do you think about the proposed endorsement model?
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