New advertising guidelines specific to cosmetic surgery released today by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) are welcome but will only work if they are proactively enforced, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).
“The new guidelines are a very welcome development; they have been significantly updated since the 2022 draft version and address many of the concerns expressed in stakeholder submissions,” said Ngaire Watson, barrister and spokesperson for the ALA. “We are particularly pleased to see that the use of testimonials will continue to be banned.
“However, these guidelines are nothing if they not enforced. We look forward to seeing Ahpra prioritise the resources needed to proactively enforce these guidelines.
“Ahpra ought to have the powers and resources needed to investigate practitioners’ compliance with the advertising guidelines without the need for a complaint to be made first.”
“We continue to be very concerned about the increasing numbers of people who are injured as a result of elective cosmetic procedures. So many times, these individuals have been strongly influenced by advertising, primarily on social media, and have decided to have a procedure without being fully aware of the risks and the complexity of the surgery.
“Practitioner compliance with these new, stricter and clearer guidelines is essential help minimise the risks to public safety. We also call on the Board to commit to reviewing and updating these guidelines on a pre-determined, regular basis to ensure they are working and that advertising compliance is being achieved.”
In addition, the ALA would welcome further consultation on, and an improvement to, the guidelines for non-surgical cosmetic procedures.
