Scottish Cosmetic Interventions Expert Group minutes: March 2024

Attendees and apologies

Andy Malyon (AM) (Scottish Government (SG) and NHS GG&C) – Chair

Lorraine Alcock (LA) (SG)

Lesley Blair MBE (LB) (BABTAC and CIBTAC)

Sara Davies (SD) (SG)

Jenny Hunt (JH) (SG)

Anne Macleod (AMac) (South Lanarkshire Council)

Jackie Partridge (JP) (Dermal Clinic & BACN)

Joanna Swanson (JS) (SG)

Alun Parry (AP) (SG)

Mark Sutherland (MS) (City of Edinburgh Council)

Annalena Winslow (SG)

SG official

Apologies

John Elder (JE) (BCAM)

Kevin Freeman-Ferguson (Healthcare Improvement Scotland)

Martin Gibb (MG) (Glasgow City Council)

Tom Gorman (TG) (Glasgow City Council)

Elaine Hutton (Ayrshire College)

Aberdeenshire Council representative

Items and actions

Welcome and introductions

AM welcomed everyone to the meeting and reminded those attendees, who have yet to do so, to email their completed declaration of interests forms to SCIEG secretariat. The completed forms must contain membership of any other groups linked to the work of this group.  

Action Point
Any attendee who has not yet done so to return their completed declaration of interest form to SCIEG secretariat before the next meeting.

Action Point
Members must include membership of other groups on the declaration of interest form.

Agreement and publication of minutes

JP noted that the spelling of her business was incorrect.

LA advised that for transparency, the minutes of these meetings will now be published on the Scottish Government website.  These will include the minutes from previous meetings on 8.11.23 and 29.1.24.  Anyone who does not wish their details to be published should let SCIEG secretariat know so that their details can be redacted before publication.

Action Point
SG Official requested that any further corrections to the minutes of the meeting on 29 January be emailed to him by the next meeting.

Action Point
Members and attendees should let SCIEG secretariat know by the next meeting if they wish their details to be considered for redaction from the minutes before it is published on the Scottish Government website.

Terms of Reference (TOR)

As the TOR for the Scottish Cosmetics Interventions Expert Group (SCIEG) was last considered 9 years ago, the following aim of the group was proposed and agreed: 

“To ensure that all non-surgical cosmetic procedures carried out in Scotland are delivered safely from hygienic premises by appropriately trained practitioners, applying recognised standards and using regulated products. SCIEG will engage with all stakeholders, assess the available evidence and produce recommendations to the Scottish Government to help achieve this aim.”

Further details will be determined and added to this going forward.

Non-surgical cosmetics provider travelling from England

MS joined this meeting to advise the group that City of Edinburgh and other councils had been alerted to concerns related to an unregulated non-surgical cosmetics provider from England travelling to Scotland and throughout the UK to provide certain procedures.  This provider, the subject of an ITV report, also offers training courses to providers.

Various SCIEG members expressed concern at what MS reported, were grateful for his input and agreed broadly to keep in touch.

Training and Qualifications

There was discussion as to what training and qualifications should be required for the proposed green and red list of procedures discussed at the previous meeting.  The following points were raised:

Proposed Red List Procedures

• there are healthcare professionals with only their basic professional training but no training in aesthetics and this led to discussion and some agreement that consideration should be given to healthcare professionals fulfilling 2 years’ experience in their profession (following their degree) before moving into aesthetics
• there should be a clear academic framework and pathway in place for non-surgical cosmetics so that healthcare professionals are able to undertake training should they wish to practice in aesthetics.  Everyone should be clear on the requirement for practitioners before performing such procedures
• there are many courses, including 1-day courses, that claim to be accredited however ‘accredited’ is not a protected term.  However courses offered by Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) or OfQual accredited bodies are protected and recognised.  Whilst SQA developed some aesthetic courses, uptake had been limited due to a perception that there is no requirement for these currently in an unregulated marketplace

Discussions around the level of qualification that should be required to perform red-list aesthetic procedures included

• following 2 years’ experience in their healthcare profession, there should be a basic requirement, such as a prescriber qualification for injectables, to perform the procedures to allow entry as a trainee for red-list aesthetics
• certificate course – In addition to point 1, supervision by a qualified aesthetics practitioner and completion of 1 year certificate course should be the minimum required to perform these procedures
• diploma course – this additional 1 year diploma, along with a recognised training qualification, should be the minimum required to become a qualified trainer in aesthetics
• masters – this would be for those wanting to be an academic in this field

Proposed Green List Procedures

• LB said that training is already in place in the beauty sector to deliver training for the proposed ‘green’ procedures and everyone should achieve a required level of qualification for these, including practitioners who are able to carry out the proposed red procedures but who also wish to perform green procedures
• there should be consideration of crossover training for healthcare professionals who also wish to carry out procedures from the green list
• infection control training should be a requirement for proposed green procedures
• once qualifications are agreed for proposed green procedures, this should be clearly laid out

Action Point
LB to send forward National Occupational Standards Framework for green-list procedures.

AOB

EHO Leaflet

AMac shared a leaflet, produced by the EHO Short-life Working Group, for comment and asked for the Scottish Government’s and SCIEG’s endorsement.  LA advised that the Scottish Government is unable to endorse the leaflet but happy to provide feedback on the content. LA offered to share the leaflet with Scottish Government medicines policy colleagues to ask if the leaflet is in line with their understanding of the references made to medicines. 

Action point
LA to share EHO leaflet with Scottish Government medicines policy colleagues and feedback to AMac.

Edinburgh Napier University Evidence Course

JP shared details of the above course, which has no entry requirement.  There was no time for further discussion on this.

Close

AM thanked everyone for joining the meeting and advised that the date for the next meeting, which will possibly be in person at the end of May, will be circulated.

Action Point
SCIEG secretariat to issue calendar invitation for next meeting.

List of Action Points

1.    Any attendee who has not yet done so to return their completed declaration of interest form to SCIEG secretariat before the next meeting.
2.    Members must include membership of other groups on the declaration of interest form.
3.    SG Official requested that any further corrections to the minutes of the meeting on 29 January be emailed to him by the next meeting.
4.    Members and attendees should let SCIEG secretariat know by the next meeting if they wish their details to be considered for redaction from the minutes before it is published on the Scottish Government website.
5.    LB to send forward National Occupational Standards Framework for green-list procedures.
6.    LA to share EHO leaflet with Scottish Government medicines policy colleagues and feedback to AMac.
7.    SCIEG secretariat to issue calendar invitation for next meeting.