Why Trust Us?

What We Check

Consulting Room (ConsultingRoom.com Ltd) was the first and is still one of only a few online cosmetic clinic search directories, for the UK & Ireland, who check that all clinics listed with us are compliant with relevant regulatory requirements for the provision of cosmetic surgery, medical aesthetic treatments, hair transplant surgery and cosmetic dentistry and that medical practitioners are also registered with their respective medical bodies.

This means that we check that doctors are appropriately registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) or the (Irish) Medical Council, nurses and independent prescribing nurses with the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC), dentists with the General Dental Council (GDC) or the Dental Council of Ireland and independent prescribing pharmacists with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). This registration must be in place, and not suspended, for them to be permitted to list within our directory for the provision of a variety of cosmetic treatments and procedures which are advertised via our website, including the delivery of cosmetic injectables and prescription only medicines.

Depending on the location of a clinic within the UK & Ireland, different regulations and compliance apply according to England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland (Eire).

Here are some more of the things we check:

 

Registration with a National Regulator

Care Quality Commission (CQC) – England
Independent clinics/hospitals in England are required to be registered with the CQC for cosmetic surgery (including hair transplantation), slimming services (including prescription slimming pills), certain minor surgical procedures (including thread lifts), dentistry and treatment for disease, disorder or injury (TDDI), such as treating acne or hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating), where in scope.

Health Inspectorate Wales (HIW) – Wales
Independent clinics/hospitals in Wales are required to be registered with the HIW for cosmetic surgery, laser treatments (including hair removal, tattoo removal and skin rejuvenation), weight loss services and dentistry.

Health Improvement Scotland (HIS) – Scotland
Independent clinics/hospitals (run by medical professionals) in Scotland are required to be registered with HIS.

Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) – Northern Ireland
Independent clinics/hospitals in Northern Ireland are required to be registered with the RQIA for cosmetic surgery, laser treatments (including hair removal, tattoo removal and skin rejuvenation) and dentistry.

Any clinic offering such services which is not registered with the appropriate regulator is operating illegally and will probably also lack insurance (through invalidation), should anything go wrong.

Consulting Room will check for the current and up-to-date registration of clinics with their respective national regulators where services listed fall within the scope of registration.

 

Cosmetic Injectables (Botulinum Toxins and Dermal Fillers)

Botulinum toxins (e.g., Botox®, Azzalure®, Bocouture®) are prescription-only-medicines (POMs) and dermal or lip fillers are medical devices.

POMs, such as botulinum toxins for cosmetic use, require a face-to-face consultation with a prescriber for the prescription to be made lawfully. This cannot be performed remotely, over the telephone or via online voice/video/chat platforms.

For those clinics offering non-surgical cosmetic injectables including botulinum toxins and dermal fillers, Consulting Room will only permit a clinic to join our website directory who can demonstrate operation of a medically-led clinic where an independent prescriber (doctor, dentist, nurse prescriber or pharmacist prescriber) and therefore clinical oversight for treatment delivery is in place in-house. Clinics run by non-prescribing nurses must also provide details of their prescriber oversight, but this does not need to be in-house.

Consulting Room do not currently accept clinic listings for cosmetic injectable provision by non-medics or allied healthcare/dental professionals including, but not limited to, beauty therapists, hairdressers, semi-permanent make-up artists, dental hygienists, dental therapists, paramedics, podiatrists, physiotherapists, operation department practitioners (ODPs), osteopaths or radiographers who are offering cosmetic injectable treatments in their clinic or salon, without the direct clinical oversight of an in-house prescriber.

Despite the lack of statutory regulation governing this which means such individuals are not breaking the law, Consulting Room take the view that non-medical, non-prescribers, without direct clinical oversight and ability to prescribe in an emergency situation, are a risk to patient safety so we choose not to consent to the promotion of such businesses and clinics until there is further regulation change.

In Ireland (Eire), nurses cannot prescribe or administer botulinum toxins.

 

Tooth Whitening

Tooth whitening is the practice of dentistry - only registered dentists, dental therapists, dental hygienists or clinical dental technicians working to the prescription of a dentist can legally provide tooth whitening.

Clinics wishing to list on our website for tooth whitening services must include a dentist who is on the General Dental Council (GDC) or Dental Council of Ireland registers.

Offering tooth whitening treatment when you are not a registered dental professional is a criminal offence. The Dentists Act makes it illegal for anyone who is not a dentist to give 'treatment, advice or attendance' that would usually be given by a dentist. ‘Self-administration’ with the handing of a tooth whitening tray to an individual and advising them on application, amongst other things, could constitute the giving of 'advice or attendance' and would be illegal. The GDC has successfully prosecuted people for using this method.

Consulting Room will not accept entries to our directory from non-GDC registrants for self-administered services.

 

Trust Us

By checking basic regulatory compliance for clinics and/or practitioners who register with us, we hope to provide peace of mind that a level of vetting has been performed on service providers within our clinic directory. In some cases we even take ethical positions on certain clinics, who despite not operating illegally, practice in a way which we believe to not be in the best interests of patient safety, and thus we will refuse them entry to our directory.

The verification made by us is not intended to replace your own research into the credibility, reputation or qualifications of a clinic or practitioner, nor does it constitute a recommendation or endorsement of said clinic or practitioner.

Content relating to adherence to regulatory requirements is provided for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for obtaining proof of certification, registration and any inspection reports from the clinic or practitioner yourself; if required.

Any action on your part in response to the information provided on our website is at your discretion. ConsultingRoom.com Ltd is not liable for any direct or indirect claim, loss or damage resulting from use of this website and any of the services listed within it.

If you have any concerns about a particular clinic or practitioner and the validity of their verification on www.consultingroom.com please contact us.