NHS bears brunt of 'bargain' treatment
Thousands of Britons travel abroad every year for cheap cosmetic surgery, yet with the rate of complications on the rise, the NHS is beginning to bear the brunt of our penchant for bargain treatment.
Cosmetic surgery abroad has over the years become popular with patients who combine low cost surgery with a holiday in tourist destinations such as Cyprus, Greece, Spain and South Africa. The British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons said the growing demand is being fuelled by the availability of cheap flights, but warned that this trend is leading to problems. As Vivienne Nathanson of the British Medical Association commented, “what may seem like a bargain could cost them their health."
A poll of 203 NHS surgeons found that more than a third knew of cases where complications followed surgery abroad: these included instances of blood poisoning, wound infections and blood clots, as well as patients who were simply not happy with the results of their treatment.
With an estimated 100,000 people a year heading abroad for cheap cosmetic surgery, such as breast enlargements, tummy tucks and face-lifts, it is unsurprising that concern is mounting over what the NHS can be expected to provide in terms of rectifying treatment - both logistically, and ethically.
The government warned that the NHS will only deal with emergency complications and urged careful consideration before people turn to overseas treatment sources. BAPRAS spokesman Hamish Laing agreed, saying the NHS should not be expected to "pick up the pieces" and that unless the complications were life-threatening or patients were in acute pain, follow-up care should be the responsibility of the private clinic.
"There are patients who are having operations they couldn't normally have had on the NHS and we don't think it's right that we should be having to take up resources that should be used for reconstructive plastic surgery in the NHS to sort out these problems," Laing added, stressing that people should be aware of the potential consequences of undergoing cosmetic surgery abroad and be prepared to foot the bill in the event that the surgery goes wrong.
However, the British Medical Association disagreed, and Katherine Murphy, of the Patients Association, said it would be wrong to withhold treatment, arguing that what the problem calls for is making patients aware of the risks by supplying detailed information about surgery abroad.
A spokesman for the Department of Health supported the suggestion, telling the public that “we strongly advise people to do their research and make sure that they are clear about prices, procedures, recovery times, aftercare and what happens in the event that the treatment goes wrong."
