People wanting cosmetic surgery are being told lies by clinics which press them to opt for expensive and risky operations and then use unqualified practitioners for the procedures, undercover investigators have found.
Researchers working for Which? found that in some UK clinics, ill-trained sales assistants made false claims about operations, insisting that breast implants could last for ever and that there was proof that those who had plastic surgery enjoyed a "much higher quality of life".
The consumer group unearthed widespread evidence of pressure selling in the £906m industry, with one sales adviser even flashing her altered breasts to clinch a sale. At other clinics, some practitioners doing cosmetic treatments did not have relevant specialist qualifications.
In another breach of industry rules, surgeries tried to rush customers into having an operation, offering time-sensitive discounts and encouraging booking early to get a discount. Industry guidelines ban time-limited financial inducements. Which? was also perturbed by "buy one, get one free" offers.
The researchers visited 19 clinics in England and Wales, posing as prospective candidates for breast surgery, liposuction and Botox, to test clinics' advice. Transcripts of the consultations were analysed by independent experts and the surgeries rated. None of them was classed as "excellent"; just five were thought "good". The estimated number of procedures undertaken in 2007 was nearly 1,500 times the 2002 level. But widespread rule-breaking went unchecked.
Jenny Driscoll, a health campaigner for Which?, described the results as "shocking" given that a recent survey showed that nearly one in five Britons would consider having cosmetic surgery.
She said: "When people go for a consultation they should get accurate and in-depth advice from a medical professional, not a pitch from an unqualified salesperson. People would see two people - they'd spend a lot of time with a marketing person ... and then [go] to the surgeon afterwards. We believe the initial consultation should be with a surgeon."
At one clinic in Leeds a nurse told the undercover researcher she had simply called a doctor in Harley Street and paid him £40 for a prescription for Botox. Botox should only be prescribed by a doctor or someone with prescribing rights.
Which? called on the government to ditch self-regulation of Botox and dermal fillers, and require any practitioners providing invasive treatments to be registered with the Care Quality Commission, the government healthcare regulator.
The British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons welcomed the Which? report. A member of the association, Hamish Laing, a consultant plastic surgeon, said: "We join Which? in urging the government to reconsider its decision to scrap introduction of a regulatory framework for cosmetic treatments."
