The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) welcomes the release of new guidelines from Ahpra and National Boards that extend key safety and ethical standards to all registered health practitioners who perform non-surgical cosmetic procedures.
Until now, these responsibilities—such as ensuring appropriate levels of training and competence, providing safe practice settings and gaining informed consent – have only applied to medical practitioners. The new guidelines bring other registered health professionals in line with these expectations, creating greater consistency and stronger protections for the public.
Professor Owen Ung, RACS President, says these guidelines extend the important ongoing work to better regulate the cosmetic procedures industry.
“This is a positive step toward closing regulatory gaps in cosmetic care. As the professional standard setting body for surgery in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, RACS has long called for stronger safeguards in the cosmetic sector. In 2023, we were instrumental - along with the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) – in securing legal protection of the title ‘surgeon’ for specialists with accredited surgical training.
“We support all efforts that help patients make informed choices and ensure they receive care from appropriately trained, qualified, and professionally accountable practitioners.”
Cosmetic procedures, even when non-surgical, can carry real clinical risk. As demand continues to grow, so too does the need for regulation that puts patient safety first, says Professor Ung.
“These new guidelines are a critical step in lifting standards, improving accountability and providing greater transparency and consistency across the industry.”
RACS also welcomes new guidelines that tighten up advertising guidelines around higher risk non-surgical cosmetic procedures.
Professor Ung says these measures aim to provide clear, transparent information to patients and are another important step towards improving patient safety.
Professor Ung says: “RACS supports these important reforms and urges all patients considering surgical or non-surgical cosmetic procedures to seek care from registered practitioners with the appropriate training, qualifications, and oversight.”