The UK government has partnered with TikTok to raise awareness of the risks around travelling abroad for cosmetic procedures.
A new online campaign on the social media platform taps influencers such as Midwife Marley and Doc Tally, as more people look online for information about surgery abroad.
Content will show the risks and include advice on how to carry out thorough research, as well as how to make trips as safe as possible.
Treatment abroad can be far cheaper than in the UK, but can be subject to fewer regulations, depending on the country, putting travellers at risk.
Procedures like dental implants and veneers, hair implants, BBLs and liposuction are popular among cosmetic tourists, and can even include flights and hotels.
The campaign is aiming to warn potential patients to “think beyond the slick brochures and marketing” and to look at clinical standards, complication risks and language barriers.
It will also urge people to steer clear of package holiday deals that bundle in procedures, and urge them to consult a UK-based doctor, as well as take out travel insurance.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is also providing more detailed travel advice online for those travelling abroad for ‘tweakments’ and medical or cosmetic procedures.
“Too many people are being left with life-altering injuries after going abroad for medical procedures, without access to proper advice or safeguards, often drawn in by deals too good to be true and promoted by influencers – some of whom have never been to the practice in question,” said Health Minister Karin Smyth.
“By partnering with TikTok, we’re helping people make safer, more informed choices before they go under the knife – wherever that may be.
“Through our Plan for Change, we’re determined to protect patients, ease pressure on the NHS and make sure taxpayers are not left paying the price when things go wrong.”
Professor Vivien Lees, Senior Vice President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England welcomed the move, and called for the NHS to collect data to better understand the scale and impact of the issue.
“It isgood news that the government will work with TikTok to raise awareness of the serious risks associated with travelling abroad for cosmetic procedures and stop events in the UK that promote procedures abroad,” she said.
“Too often, patients are lured by cut-price deals and glossy social media posts, only to return home with life-altering complications.
“The NHS is then left to pick up the pieces - sometimes in emergency situations, and often without full knowledge of what procedure was performed or by whom.
“RCS England has long called for better public education on the dangers of medical tourism.
“While many overseas providers offer high-quality care, the lack of regulation, aftercare, and accountability in some settings puts patients at real risk.
“As a next step, we’d also like to see the NHS collect robust data on patients presenting with complications after overseas treatment.
“This is essential to understanding the true scale of the problem and ensuring that UK health services are not left to shoulder the burden without evidence or recourse.”
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