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Above standard

Amy Bird says its time to come together to create better standards for our patients, especially when it comes to education...

Let’s talk about the lack of structure in education within aesthetic medicine. Coming from the NHS where everything is protocol-driven, peer-reviewed, audited and regulated, stepping into the world of medical aesthetics felt like walking into the Wild West. One minute you’re working in a system built on structure and safety, and the next, you’re in a space where training varies wildly, accountability is optional for some, and you’ve got practitioners bending the rules (or fully ignoring them) with no one batting an eyelid. On the other end of the spectrum, some practitioners strive for professionalism and hold themselves to impeccable standards. There’s just too much inconsistency. We’ve created a huge gap, and in that space, patient safety is falling through the cracks.

I’ve been in aesthetics for nearly 13 years, and I’m still shocked by what I see; nurses, doctors and dentists operating on completely different wavelengths. We can’t ignore it anymore. It’s time we took a deep dive into the educational standards in our sector and started building something that reflects the work we should be doing as healthcare professionals.

The word “industry” gets thrown around a lot in aesthetics, but what does that actually mean? By definition, an industry is “the production of goods or services within an economy.” It encompasses all the businesses and organisations involved in manufacturing, processing, or providing services within a particular sector. So yes, as independent practitioners running clinics, we do operate within that space to an extent. But that isn’t what defines us as healthcare professionals.

As a nurse, I don’t work in an industry; I work in healthcare. My role is rooted in ethics, regulation, public service and care. I’m incredibly proud to be a nurse, and the responsibility that comes with. My clinic is CQC-registered because I believe our setting should reflect the same standards you’d expect in any other healthcare environment in the UK, and that is how I serve my patients. It is about the standard we should be holding ourselves to, but we’ve blurred the language so much that nobody knows where the line is anymore.

I always say we’re dealing with two competing standards: one clinical, one commercial. Both have shaped where we are today, positively and negatively. The lack of regulation, the absence of standardised training, and the influence of business-led behaviours have muddied the waters. We’ve allowed a specialty that should sit comfortably alongside any other medical subspecialty to become something the rest of healthcare barely recognises, and that is down to us.

COMING TOGETHER

We must work together to create an acceptable standard for patient safety and accountability. Whether you call what we do ‘cosmetic,’ ‘medical’ or something in between, the bottom line is we are still practising under the codes and standards of our professional bodies, which seems to be forgotten, as rule-bending continues. Sometimes subtly, sometimes brazenly. I see this as an insult to the privilege of calling yourself a nurse, a doctor, or a dentist. Whether you are treating fine lines or facial trauma, you are still treating a human being and the duty of care applies.

In private practice, there is no clear structure, and that is scary. I see so many people waiting for someone to tell them what to do, what the standard is, and how they should practice. One nurse’s idea of “keeping up to date” might be watching Instagram reels or attending a conference. Another might be completing a postgraduate diploma in clinical dermatology. That’s a big difference, and this is because we have left our education open for interpretation. We need a formal, qualification-led education that stands up to revalidation. Something that reflects a specialist pathway, like we’d expect in any other medical field. Because yes, aesthetics is a specialty. It just hasn’t been officially recognised as one yet.

If you choose to go into independent practice, you are accepting the accountability and responsibility of all of your practice. That is why I want to see a clear pathway that includes mapped-out qualifications, accountability, and an emphasis on patient safety. Something that categorises medical aesthetics where it belongs - on the specialist register. For nurses, that might mean being recognised at an advanced practice level, and I’m here for that.

We should be aiming higher, not cutting corners, and if you’ve ever felt frustrated or even embarrassed by what you see happening around you, you’re not alone. There is a growing community of practitioners who are ready to build something better. Find them and learn with them. Set your own standard way above the bare minimum. This isn’t about being the best in the business; it’s about being the best for your patients. So let’s stop waiting for someone else to raise the bar. Let’s set our own bar and strive for excellence.

AMY BIRD

Amy Bird RGN NMP is an award winning nurse prescriber, speaker, trainer and KOLwith more than a decade of full time experience in medical aesthetics. She is lead nurse at her practice, KAST Medical Aesthetics in Cheshire and recently became chair at BAMAN. She is a passionate advocate for best practice, standards and patient safety.