New guidelines for cosmetic procedures

The Medical Board of Australia has published Guidelines for registered medical practitioners who perform cosmetic medical and surgical procedures. The guidelines come into effect on 31 October 2016 and emphasise a patient-centred approach.

An opinion piece by Merrilyn Walton, Professor of Medical Education (Patient Safety) at the University of Sydney, argues that while these guidelines are welcome, they only address half the problem.  There are still question marks over the use of the title "Cosmetic Surgeon" and the facilities where the surgery is performed.