Select committee: Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 24
Second Report - The impact of body image on mental and physical health
Published 2 Aug 2022
Paragraph 124
Addressed to Department of Health and Social Care
Health and Social Care Committee The impact of body image on mental and physical health All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
We recommend that the Department establish a ‘Non-Surgical Cosmetic Procedures’ safety taskforce that comprises each of the regulatory bodies that have input into the sector, including the MHRA, the nine statutory bodies, the ASA and stakeholders like the JCCP, Save Face and other industry bodies. This taskforce’s remit should be centred on patient safety and should include, but not be limited to, examining the issues of remote prescribing, appropriateness of premises, education and training standards as well as accountability and governance. The existence of a taskforce should provide the opportunity for a more co-ordinated approach. The taskforce should also review the impact and operation of the future licensing regime when it is in place. We also heard evidence about the difficulties in enforcing existing regulations of non-surgical cosmetic procedures, as complaints relating to an aesthetic practice often span a number of different regulators. The new safety taskforce must ensure a coordinated approach to the enforcement of new and existing regulations in the industry, and the Government must ensure sufficient resources are available to the relevant bodies.
From: Health and Social Care Committee, Second Report - The impact of body image on mental and physical health (HC 114), paragraph 124, 2 August 2022
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 7 February 2023 (deadline 2 October 2022).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government "strongly agrees" there is a need for cross-government work on body image, but says there is not an immediate need for a standalone strategy and that it will not meet the committee's timeline for licensing non-surgical cosmetic procedures.
- On eating disorders, it expects them to be considered within the major conditions strategy (interim report due in the summer), so "does not intend to publish a separate national eating disorder strategy". It accepts the research part of the recommendation.
- It agrees that diagnosis and treatment of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a priority, but says this is "best achieved through the current training, referral routes and curriculum".
- On non-surgical cosmetic procedures, it is taking forward a licensing scheme but says it "will not be able to meet the timeline recommended by the committee". DHSC will agree the procedures in scope and communicate a plan for delivery by July 2023.
- On screen time, it says much more research is needed before national guidance. DHSC will work with DCMS and DfE on gathering evidence "before deciding whether to progress with a nationwide public health campaign", which would be contingent on future funding settlements.