Cosmetic surgery nightclub draw "insane and depraved"

Government ‘deluded’ to believe in self-regulation – call for ban on surgery lotteries

07 June 2011 (Last updated: 26 Mar 2019 14:24)

London – 7 June, 2011 – The announcement of a so-called ‘My Big Fat Plastic Surgery Prize Draw’ series of monthly events around the country has drawn strong condemnation from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (www.baaps.org.uk). The contests, held by Sarah Burge (dubbed ‘the human Barbie’) and a clinic in Birmingham, are sponsored by a vodka brand and promise ‘the first ever plastic surgery lottery events with a completely new experience that mixes high class partying with attractive prizes from the world of Plastic Surgery’. For a £25 ticket, attendees at a London nightclub this month will be entered into a draw for £4,000 of cosmetic surgery and runner-up prizes include facial injectables such as Botox and fillers, teeth whitening, semi-permanent makeup, and pole dancing lessons.

According to consultant plastic surgeon and President of the BAAPS Fazel Fatah;

“We are now seeing a new level of insanity and depravity in the way certain cosmetic surgery providers market and promote their services: life-changing, serious surgical procedures being raffled in an alcohol-fuelled evening extravaganza. The Government is deluded if they think that the commercial sector will exercise self regulation and abide by any voluntary code of conduct of advertising and promotion of surgical procedures to trusting patients. Patients who seek cosmetic surgery are among the most vulnerable group of patients in society and they need to be protected from the greed of commercial advocates. I call upon the Government to ban all advertising of cosmetic surgery and prohibit inducements and offers of any kind of surgery as a lottery prize. I also call on the Care Quality Commission to review licensing of such facilities who are clearly abusing the trust of their patients by trivialising serious medical treatments that include life changing, major invasive surgery. The General Medical Council should step in to protect patients and make it clear that they will review the license of any surgeon who becomes party to this abuse of trust by accepting to operate on patients who win such prizes or recruited with the inducement of cut price surgery or limited offers.”

According to Adam Searle, former President of the BAAPS;

“The offer of a cosmetic surgery procedure as a prize is an awful manifestation of the trivialisation of medical care in general, and aesthetic surgery in particular. Any patient making irreversible decisions in circumstances of hype, excitement and emotion, are putting themselves at very great risk.”

ENDS

The BAAPS (www.baaps.org.uk), based at the Royal College of Surgeons, is a not-for-profit organisation, established for the advancement of education and practice of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery for public benefit. Members undergo thorough background screening before they can join. Information about specific procedures and surgeons’ contact details can be found on the website, or by contacting their office at 020 7430 1840. Further materials can be posted to members of the public seeking specialised information. BAAPS is also on Twitter: www.twitter.com/BAAPSMedia   and Facebook: www.facebook.com/BritishAssociationofAestheticPlasticSurgeons

For all media enquiries, please contact pr@baaps.org.uk

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