Health Secretary Wes Streeting has urged Britons to avoid undergoing cosmetic surgery abroad at 'rock-bottom' prices, warning of the risks of substandard care. His comments follow a series of deaths among women who travelled to Turkey for procedures such as Brazilian butt lifts (BBL).
An inquest in Winchester heard that Hayley Dowell, 38, died in October last year after paying £7,000 for a BBL, liposuction and a tummy tuck in Turkey. Streeting said: 'If the offer looks too good to be true, I suspect it is too good to be true.' He advised people to think carefully before flying overseas for treatments marketed at low prices, as they may face life-changing injuries.
Streeting plans to work with international partners to improve safety standards in medical tourism. He also called on the public to manage risks and do their homework before accepting such offers.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS England's national medical director, warned that botched procedures abroad place extra pressure on the NHS. 'It is not fair that the NHS is left to pick up the pieces of botched Brazilian butt lifts,' he said, noting that BBLs have the highest death rate of all cosmetic procedures.
UK officials met Turkish counterparts last year after the death of Melissa Kerr, 31, during a BBL in Istanbul. A coroner ruled she had not received enough information to make a safe decision. Figures from the British Association of Aesthetic and Plastic Surgeons show Turkey is the most popular destination for Britons having cosmetic surgery abroad, with 69% of patients going there.
The Royal College of Surgeons of England has convened a summit to improve patient safety. Professor Vivien Lees, its vice-president, called for the cosmetic surgery board certification scheme to become mandatory rather than voluntary.
