Written question asked by Gordon Prentice (Labour) on Monday, 16 February 1998, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 26 February 1998. It was answered by Alun Michael (Labour) on Thursday, 26 February 1998 on behalf of the Home Office.

Home Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many doctors have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted since 1984 for assault arising from carrying out a cosmetic surgical procedure for which they were unqualified or were incompetent. - Inc figure and ref to Offences Against the Person Act 1861 and Medical Act 1983, section 49.

Answer: Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many doctors have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted since 1984 for assault arising from carrying out a cosmetic surgical procedure for which they were unqualified or were incompetent. [30387] Mr. Michael: Court proceedings information held centrally cannot identify such cases from other offences of assault. However, anyone who attempts to perform a cosmetic procedure, but who is not competent to do so, would expose himself to the risk of civil, and possibly criminal, liability, and to the possibility of professional proceedings for misconduct. If criminal proceedings are brought for such an offence of assault then they may be instigated under either the more general legislative powers of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 (OAPA61) or the Medical Act 1983, section 49--pretending to be registered by taking name or title of a medical practitioner. We are aware of one prosecution in 1996 under the latter provision.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 30387; 307 c309W
Session: 1997-98
Subjects: Criminal proceedings Doctors Liability Qualifications Professions Plastic surgery
Contains statistics: Yes