For those considering cosmetic surgery and wanting cosmetic surgery on the NHS then be sure to check out all the red tape and criteria to see if you and your treatment are covered. First of all to qualify to have your treatment on the NHS you have to meet specific criteria that they have set out for all applying. However, they are very clear and strict that surgery for cosmetic reasons only will not be covered. Only cosmetic surgery that is to correct or improve abnormalities or injuries or that will improve mental stability will be covered and carried out free of charge.
All surgeons who carry out NHS cosmetic surgery are members of the British Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons and have all undergone extensive training. All surgeons on the NHS are also members of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons.
Firstly, to be able to qualify for any cosmetic surgery on the NHS you will need a referral from your GP. This will be followed by a consultation with a plastic surgeon and a psychiatric assessment by a professional psychologist who will then make the judgement.
Cosmetic surgery on the NHS provides a whole range of surgery with the terms being that it will be carried out as long as it can be proven that the treatment will make a huge difference to the patient’s life.
The correction of protruding ears, nasal deformities and breast hypertrophy are some of the more obvious cases, however there are some more unusual ones that people can have done. For the example, the removal of tattoos can be carried out on the NHS as people can strongly regret having them done which in turn affects their lives greatly.
The following treatments can be carried out on the NHS as long as the reasons for having the surgery are as detailed:
- Breast Reduction - only where there is severe accompanying pain.
- Breast Enlargement - asymmetry following surgery or for congenital reasons, or when severe psychological stress is present.
- Male Breast Reduction - only in cases of severe distress or asymmetry.
- Breast Uplift - in cases of asymmetry or severe stress.
- Facelift - for people with nerve damage.
- Upper Eyelid Lift - when this obscures vision.
- Nose job - only to correct deformity, help better breathing or where there is severe stress.
- Correction of Prominent Ears - only after age 16 where there is severe stress.
- Tummy Tuck - only when there is physical pain or disabling stress.
The NHS keeps up to speed with the new procedures that are on the market and will look into implementing these if and when they are proven to work. For example, penis enlargement operations have not been able to conclusively show that they produce real results. Hence the reason that they are usually not available on the NHS except in cases of micropenis.
Cosmetic surgery on the NHS is much sought after, in particular for those suffering great physical and mental pain through their ailments. However, it is also being much used by those who simply want a procedure purely for cosmetic reasons without having to foot the bill or take loans out to cover the hefty fee. This is why there are a number of strict guidelines and assessments in place to ensure that the right people are getting the right treatment.