The Women and Equalities Committee will examine the health impacts of breast implants and other cosmetic procedures. This inquiry will explore the safety and regulation of both surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures, including how risks are communicated and managed.
| Title | HC No. | Published | Items | Response |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11th Report – Cosmetic procedures | HC 869 | 18 Feb 2026 | 30 | Overdue |
The PIP implant scandal exposed failures that continue to affect women more than a decade later. Official assurances that PIP implants pose no health risks appear to be based on limited long-term research and underplay the mental health impacts on women of having a substandard product inside them. Many women … Read more
While there is a judgement to be made over whether the NHS should offer replacement implants to women affected by the PIP implants scandal, women with PIP implants who wish to have them removed should be able to have that request met by the NHS as stated by its own … Read more
Without mandatory participation in the Breast Implant Registry and the regular publication of outcome data, surgeons cannot provide patients with comprehensive risk information. This undermines the principle of informed consent. Many individuals feel inadequately informed before surgery and the absence of a cooling-off period further increases the risk of rushed … Read more
The Government should introduce mandatory recording of breast implant and explant procedures and instances of adverse outcomes in the Breast and Cosmetic Implant Registry by the end of 2026. We welcome the Government’s acknowledgement that the registry requires improvement. The Government should work with practitioners to ensure 44 the registry … Read more
We note that the registry is currently overseen by the soon-to-be abolished NHS England. The Government should take steps to ensure that the improvements we call for are not delayed by internal reorganisation. (Recommendation, Paragraph 26)
A mandatory cooling-off period of at least two weeks should be introduced between the initial consultation and surgery for breast implants, ensuring patients have sufficient time to consider risks and alternatives before making a commitment. (Recommendation, Paragraph 27) Read more
The PIP implant scandal involved substandard implants being given to women for many years without detection. The new post-surveillance regime for breast implants must include regular testing of approved implants to ensure continued compliance with safety standards. (Recommendation, Paragraph 35) Read more
The Government should increase the information available on the approval of medical devices to allow interested parties to see not only what devices are approved but the evidence base underpinning the decisions to approve them. (Recommendation, Paragraph 36) Read more
There is growing concern that a number of women are experiencing serious health impacts after receiving breast implants, with many reporting symptom improvements following explantation. While evidence of a definitive link between these symptoms and breast implants has not been established, this does not mean there is not a connection. … Read more
Evidence of concentrations of siloxanes in women’s bodies outside of their implants is particularly concerning. The mental health impacts of knowing that chemicals, which are being banned in other uses due to their toxicity, are circulating in your body should not be underestimated or dismissed. This is particularly true for … Read more
The Government should commission research to better understand the health impacts of breast implants, including their potential impacts on women with pre-existing auto-immune conditions. The research needs to be a mix of clinical research, including on the health impacts of siloxanes, and longitudinal, following a cohort of women over a … Read more
The Department of Health and Social Care should make primary care workers aware of the potential for a link between autoimmune conditions and breast implants to ensure that women presenting with symptoms following implantation are not dismissed. (Recommendation, Paragraph 47) Read more
Currently, any doctor on the medical register can legally perform highly invasive cosmetic surgery in the private sector, regardless of specialist training or competence. This is a risk to patient safety. Despite the introduction of the Intercollegiate Cosmetic Surgery Certification Scheme in 2017, participation remains voluntary. (Conclusion, Paragraph 51) Read more
The Government should require all practitioners performing invasive surgical cosmetic procedures to have specialist training and hold appropriate board certification in the procedures they undertake. (Recommendation, Paragraph 52) Non-surgical cosmetic procedures Read more
We welcome the proposals for a licensing scheme put forward in the Government’s consultation, including the proposed categories and the need for a practitioner to acquire appropriate indemnity cover and premises which meet the necessary standards of hygiene, infection control and cleanliness to obtain a licence. (Conclusion, Paragraph 68) Read more
However, the Government is not moving quickly enough in introducing such a system. At present, individuals without any formal training can carry out potentially harmful interventions, placing the public at risk. Successive Governments have failed to act swiftly enough to legislate in this area allowing further harms to occur. The … Read more
The Government should accelerate regulatory action. Procedures that are deemed high risk such as liquid BBLs and liquid breast augmentations, which have already been shown to pose a serious threat to patient safety, should be restricted to appropriately qualified medical professionals immediately. Given the lack of appetite among medical professionals … Read more
The absence of a legislative framework for training and qualifications in the non-surgical cosmetic sector has resulted in significant variability in standards, with justified concerns about short courses, online training, and the ease of entry into practice. (Conclusion, Paragraph 77) Read more
The Government should bring forward consistent, enforceable standards for the non-surgical cosmetic sector that prioritise patient safety and competency, while ensuring training routes remain accessible and affordable for a predominantly female-led workforce. Training routes should include Ofqual-approved qualifications and apprenticeship models, including funded apprenticeship places in SMEs in the beauty … Read more
While Scotland has taken steps to introduce a licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures, Wales and Northern Ireland have yet to announce similar plans. This lack of regulatory alignment across the UK creates significant risks, including inconsistent safety standards and the potential for ‘cosmetic tourism’ within the UK, where individuals … Read more
The Government should work with the devolved administrations to ensure regulatory alignment across all UK nations on legislation governing non- surgical cosmetic procedures. (Recommendation, Paragraph 82) Cosmetic tourism
The increasing number of cases requiring medical treatment after cosmetic surgery abroad raises serious concerns for patient safety and places additional financial strain on the NHS. However, the true extent will remain unknown until comprehensive data is collected. (Conclusion, Paragraph 94) Read more
The Government should review the need for the NHS to systematically record data on complications arising from cosmetic procedures performed abroad. Publishing such data in an annual release would enable a comprehensive assessment of the financial impact on the NHS and provide robust evidence to better inform and educate the … Read more
We welcome Government action on educating the public on the risks of travelling abroad for cosmetic procedures and providing guidance on how to do so as safely as possible and its use of social media channels to do so. With the number of people engaging in cosmetic tourism growing rapidly, … Read more
The Government should assess whether outlets in the UK that are recruiting patients for medical treatment overseas should be brought into a regulatory regime and be subject to investigation and, where necessary, sanction. (Recommendation, Paragraph 97) Body image Read more
There appears to be a gap in safeguarding mental health in the cosmetic procedures sector. The absence of mandatory psychological screening prior to procedures, combined with evidence of inadequate consultations, increases the risk of harm, particularly for vulnerable individuals such as those with Body Dysmorphic Disorder, who are more likely … Read more
Training curricula required to obtain a licence to perform non- surgical cosmetic procedures should include mandatory modules on informed consent and psychological screening, with a specific focus on identifying Body Dysmorphic Disorder and other vulnerabilities. (Recommendation, Paragraph 105) Read more
Social media platforms and face-editing technologies are contributing to worsening body image and increasing demand for cosmetic procedures, particularly among young women and girls. The normalisation of high-risk procedures by online influencers and the shaping of beauty standards by algorithms which bombard users which posts on body image are particular … Read more
One way of addressing the risks posed by social media around cosmetic surgery and body image is through education. Proactive interventions in an educational setting can equip young people with the skills to critically engage with social media content and challenge unrealistic beauty standards. (Conclusion, Paragraph 118) 48 Read more
In response to the alarming increase in desire for cosmetic surgery among teenagers, the Department of Health and Social Care should work with the Department for Education to integrate evidence-based body image and social media literacy programmes into school curricula. This should include content on risks of cosmetic procedures. (Recommendation, … Read more
| Date | Witnesses | |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Oct 2025 | Gavin Larner · Department of Health and Social Care, Karin Smyth · Department of Health and Social Care, Lesley Blair MBE · British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology, Professor Aidan Fowler · Department of Health and Social Care, Victoria Brownlie MBE · British Beauty Council (BBCo) | View ↗ |
| 16 Jul 2025 | Andy Morling · Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), Dr Alison Cave · Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), Elaine Sassoon · British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, Nora Nugent · British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, Professor Aidan Fowler · NHS England, Professor David Sines · Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners, Rieka Taghizadeh | View ↗ |
| 25 Jun 2025 | Dr Beth Daniels · University of the West of England (Bristol), Dr Christopher Roland Payne, Dr Ruth Holliday · University of Leeds | View ↗ |
| 14 May 2025 | Ashton Collins · Save Face, Professor Carl Heneghan · University of Oxford, Professor Michael Coleman · Aston University, Professor Prabath Nanayakkara · Amsterdam University Medical Center, Professor Vivien Lees · Royal College of Surgeons of England, Sasha Dean | View ↗ |
| Witness | Organisation | Sessions |
|---|---|---|
| Andy Morling · Deputy Director of Criminal Enforcement & Head of… | Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) | 1 |
| Ashton Collins · Director | Save Face | 1 |
| Dr Alison Cave · Chief Safety Officer | Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) | 1 |
| Dr Beth Daniels · Professor and Director at Centre for Appearance R… | University of the West of England (Bristol) | 1 |
| Dr Christopher Roland Payne | — | 1 |
| Dr Ruth Holliday · Professor of Gender and Culture | University of Leeds | 1 |
| Elaine Sassoon · Plastic Surgeon and Board Member | British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons | 1 |
| Gavin Larner · Director for Workforce | Department of Health and Social Care | 1 |
| Karin Smyth · Minister of State for Health (secondary care) | Department of Health and Social Care | 1 |
| Lesley Blair MBE · CEO and Chair | British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology | 1 |
| Nora Nugent · Cosmetic Surgeon and President | British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons | 1 |
| Professor Aidan Fowler · National Director of Patient Safety at NHS Englan… | Department of Health and Social Care | 1 |
| Professor Aidan Fowler · National Director of Patient Safety | NHS England | 1 |
| Professor Carl Heneghan · Professor of Evidence-Based Medicine & Director, … | University of Oxford | 1 |
| Professor David Sines · Executive Chair and Registrar | Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners | 1 |
| Professor Michael Coleman · Professor of Toxicology | Aston University | 1 |
| Professor Prabath Nanayakkara · Professor in Acute Internal Medicine | Amsterdam University Medical Center | 1 |
| Professor Vivien Lees · Consultant Plastic Surgeon and Vice President | Royal College of Surgeons of England | 1 |
| Rieka Taghizadeh | — | 1 |
| Sasha Dean | — | 1 |
| Victoria Brownlie MBE · Chief Policy and Sustainability Officer | British Beauty Council (BBCo) | 1 |
| Date | Direction | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Jun 2026 | — | Correspondence from Minister of State for Health and Social Care re Regulatory … |
| 18 Mar 2026 | — | Correspondence from ASA re Irresponsible ads for non-surgical liquid Brazilian … |
| 3 Sep 2025 | — | Correspondence from the MHRA, dated 26.08.2025 |