Tech Smart
Kyle Lunn, managing director, e-clinic on why now is the time for aesthetics clinics to get smart with tech to stay ahead
Consumer confidence in non-surgical cosmetic treatments is at a tipping point. This summer, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) confirmed 41 cases of botulism across England between June and August. The cases were traced to unlicensed Botox products administered in informal settings such as private homes and pop-up clinics.
When MHRA’s Criminal Enforcement Unit launched a series of criminal investigations, it discovered a surge in unqualified practitioners operating outside the law. Research from the British College of Aesthetic Medicine also confirmed that for every registered clinic, there are three unregulated providers performing low and high-risk procedures.
While the aesthetic industry is booming – with the sector expected to reach £6.1 billion by 2030 – regulation isn’t keeping pace. Rising cases of malpractice have triggered the government to launch new crackdowns, with planned measures banning practitioners from performing high-risk procedures, like non-surgical Brazilian butt lifts, unless they are qualified and registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). For less risky procedures, clinics will come under stricter oversight with a new local authority licensing system.
Growing visibility of unlicensed clinics, while alarming for patients, represents a golden window of opportunity for legitimate practises. As regulation tightens and public scrutiny increases, clinics that can demonstrate professionalism and transparency stand to gain business and capture market share in a sector forecast to be worth more than £3.6 billion by the end of the year.
The challenge is that trust-building requires more than goodwill. In this new digital age, compliance starts with smart technology. By using digital tools, forward-thinking clinics can build trust and stay ahead of the competition.
The compliance advantage
The UK aesthetics market is expanding rapidly, driven by Gen Z’s embrace of “prejuvenation” treatments alongside a rise in medical professionals entering the field in search of a better work-life balance.
For clinics that rely on basic or free systems, like WhatsApp or Google Diaries for managing treatment bookings and patient information, the growth in the market is a recipe for compliance challenges, bottlenecks and risk.
Modern clinic-management software helps clinics remove that burden and keeps information secure in one single platform. Cloud-based solutions can securely store patient records and treatment notes, and provide real-time access to up-to-date practitioner details, such as qualifications and active licenses, to ensure only regulated professionals perform particular procedures.
This automation not only reduces human error but also strengthens legal protection. With the rollout of new regulations, being able to produce complete, encrypted records on demand to regulatory bodies is critical for business success. And with data-protection regulations like GDPR to consider, certified solutions such as e-clinic, offer peace of mind that patients’ sensitive health data stays secure.
Trust: the new currency
While consumers are more interested in aesthetics than ever, they are also more cautious. The lack of red tape surrounding setting up an aesthetic clinic, combined with negative news cycles of botched treatment from unlicensed practitioners, has created a lack of trust among some customers seeking non-surgical cosmetic treatments.
In an environment where certain “cowboy” operators still hide behind social media handles and disposable phone numbers, the greater trust delivered by software can become even more powerful. When patients can see a clinic’s credentials and their own records at any time, they’re far less likely to be tempted by cheaper but potentially riskier alternatives.
The clinics that can show they are fully compliant with new regulation have the market advantage. Management software can support with this by helping maintain public profiles, display credentials, generate certificates and publish compliance status to help build customer trust. Those who make their compliance visible can stand out from competition and win customer loyalty for the long term.
Building a future-proof clinic
While clinics sticking with basic – or even paper-based – management systems may struggle to prove compliance when regulators check which firms are following the rules, businesses that digitise early will be better equipped to scale smoothly.
Purpose-built management systems for aesthetic clinics take away the administrative and compliance burdens by automating record keeping and providing expert guidance. Solutions like e-clinic, for example, offer accessible templates for clinical and consent forms to support with new compliance requirements.
It’s also important for clinics to think about security when choosing a platform. Practitioners should look for systems and suppliers that are ISO27001 accredited and offer robust security measures – like multi-factor authentication and encrypted backups to keep patient data safe.
Adopting these integrated solutions doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice personal touch. In fact, being able to easily manage patient data and appointments on a secure platform will free up repetitive admin tasks and enable clinicians to invest time into building relationships and trust with their patients.
A wake-up call for aesthetics
The MHRA’s crackdown is a wake-up call for the aesthetics industry. Unlicensed injectors operating out of salons will rightly face increasing scrutiny. But for professional clinics, this is the moment to differentiate and expand.
By investing now in secure, integrated software platforms, aesthetic businesses can reassure patients, meet new regulatory requirements, and seize the market share from “cowboy” competitors. Because in an industry where reputation is everything, digital transformation can be the ultimate competitive advantage.