A new Bill to regulate some of the most commonly performed
non-surgical procedures has been published by the Scottish
Parliament.
If passed by parliament, the Non-surgical Procedures and
Functions of Medical Reviewers (Scotland) Bill will regulate the
provision of certain non-surgical cosmetic and wellbeing
procedures to ensure they are carried out in appropriate settings
which can meet standards of safety and hygiene.
It will create new offences for providing non-surgical procedures
outwith premises where appropriate healthcare professionals are
available or to under 18s. It will also give Healthcare
Improvement Scotland new powers to enter and search premises
where there is a suspicion that these procedures are being
carried out in breach of these offenses.
The Bill covers cosmetic and wellbeing procedures, such as
Botox injections and dermal fillers, and some of
the riskiest including ‘Brazilian Butt Lifts' and thread lifts.
The Bill follows a consultation carried out in 2020, which found
98% of respondents supported the principle of further regulation
of procedures led by those who are not qualified healthcare
professionals.
Businesses seeking guidance on adapting to the requirements of
the Bill will be able to access free support
through Business
Gateway. Additionally, FindBusinessSupport.gov.scot offers
a comprehensive overview of funding opportunities, helping them
navigate to change.
Minister for Public Health and Women's Health, said:
“Our aim is to ensure there is robust and proportionate
regulation in place so that anyone who chooses to have these
procedures can do so safely.
“We have worked with a range of stakeholders including business
owners, healthcare professionals, non-healthcare practitioners,
environmental health officers and professional regulators to
develop our proposals.
“Our priority is to address the public safety concerns that exist
in this sector, whilst ensuring businesses that may be impacted
are able to access support.”
Background
Non-surgical Procedures and
Functions of Medical Reviewers (Scotland) Bill | Scottish
Parliament Website.
The Scottish Government committed to introduce legislation in
this year's Programme for Government following two consultations
on the subject.
In a 2020 public consultation on the Regulation
of Non-Surgical Cosmetic Procedures in Scotland 98% of
respondents supported the principle of further regulation of
procedures led by those who are not qualified healthcare
professionals.
A further consultation on the
details of a proposed licensing and regulation scheme which ran
from December 2024 to February 2025 asked for views on categories
of procedures to be licensed under a local authority scheme or
regulated by Healthcare Improvement Scotland, as well as a
minimum age restriction for individuals to receive procedures.
Responses to that consultation informed the development of the
Bill.
The Bill also makes minor amendments to the Certification of
Death (Scotland) Act 2011. This includes extending the
circumstances in which an interested person can request a review
of a medical certificate of cause of death and ensuring that the
robust procedures following death in other UK countries are
recognised when the deceased is to be cremated in Scotland.
