Yesterday the JCCP reiterated its massive push for legislation in the aesthetics industry – and believes D-Day is getting closer.

At an online stakeholder meeting yesterday (November 09) Professor David Sines, Chairman of the JCCP, said he believes they are getting “more traction with ministers and parliament” to bring in laws to create a national licensing scheme.

He also said we are at a crucial stage in the debate as to whether dermal fillers should be made Prescription only Medicines.

This despite the MHRA, the medicines governing body in the UK saying just last month that it has no plans for such a regulation.

Professor Sines gave an upbeat message about the possible introduction of legislation to the 40 or so attendees (including a representative of Cosmetic Couture and the ACPB). 

He said he is “Waiting with bated breath” to see how it goes with an amendment they have put forward to the Health and Social Care Bill currently making its way through Parliament.

It is a massive piece of legislation and despite the amendment, which call for a national licence scheme being withdrawn from the bill at a committee stage last week, he believes it will be added to the bill again at a later stage.

The Health & Social Care Bill is due to become law in April 2022.

Professor Sines said the JCCP hopes the amendment can be added to the patient safety chapter of the Bill, calling on parliament to introduce licensing for the aesthetic industry.

He said that was moved 10 days ago but was withdrawn in a blow to their hopes. However, he said he is… “Given to understand it will be introduced at report stage next month and has tremendous MP support.”

If that is the case the amendment would be debated in advance of a vote.

He added that if that this strategy doesn’t work, the JCCP is planning to add the amendment to a Local Govt Act due in January.

He said: “I am waiting with bated breath to see how it proceeds. It depends on how Government wants to move this forward. But there is definitely an appetite for mandated education and training standards which is included in the amendment.”

At the meeting yesterday the stakeholders were urged to engage with the MHRA which is conducting a fact-finding exercise with practitioners to understand what the important issues are in the industry.

Cosmetic Couture and the ACPB has been included in the request to contribute and are determined their voices will be heard. And they are galvanising all practitioners to contribute so the arguments aren’t only put forward by medics.

Many medics are likely to say the top five issues include, that dermal fillers should become a prescription only medicine.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has asked the JCCP to co-ordinate the responses – indeed they asked the JCCCP: “Would you be able to use your peers, contacts and networks to gather issues that concern aesthetic practitioners in the UK today, and then review these to compile a list of the (say top five) most pressing issues to share with us? We can then see how to address them in a meaningful way’.”

The issues that the MHRA can deal with only fit into three distinct categories:

Medicines including borderline substances

Medical devices including fillers and energy-based devices

Adverse incident reporting

For help and or advice please contact ACPB who will be co-ordinating the response from its membership and the wider aesthetic community.

Please submit your five concerns (Or more if you have them) to support@acpb.co.uk and please make sure they are only in connection with

1. Medicines including borderline substances

2. Medical devices including fillers and energy-based devices

3. Adverse incident reporting

This is despite the MHRA saying last month it: “Has no plans to make dermal fillers prescription only.

“Dermal fillers currently placed on the UK market with a medical purpose are classed as medical devices and are required to carry a UKCA marking or a CE marking.

“There are, however, dermal fillers that are marketed for aesthetic use only that are not currently regulated as medical devices as the manufacturer is not making a medical claim.

“There are also dermal fillers without a medical purpose that contain a medicinal substance, these would then fall under the medicines regulations.

“The MHRA is currently consulting on the future medical devices regulations, including on whether the medical devices regulations should be broadened to bring products like dermal fillers without a medical purpose into scope.

“This is not the same as making dermal fillers prescription only and we are not aware of any plans to make such a change.”