Education, education, education

In his May 2001 speech, Tony Blair coined the phrase ‘education, education, education’ when laying out his manifesto for a second term in Government. He said, ‘our top priority was, is and always will be education, education, education’ (Blair, 2001). Blair challenged the educational status quo and placed a duty on schools to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

For argument's sake, let's exchange the words ‘children’ for ‘patients’ and ‘schools’ with ‘aesthetic sector’, and then ask the question: so, who exactly is safeguarding and advocating for the welfare of the aesthetic patient consumer?

Well, for those on the Nursing and Midwifery Council Register, the burden of advocacy and safeguarding for patients rests with us. Lay groups, by which I mean those outside the healthcare registers (for example, nail technicians, beauticians, hairdressers and anyone who claims to be an aesthetic practitioner outside of the health sector), are subject to the same EU and UK consumer protection legislation as every other citizen. However, there is no advocacy or safeguarding requirement for these lay groups; they remain wholly unregulated and unaccountable, functioning within the same aesthetic/cosmetic space as health professionals.