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Law firm see 10% rise in botched surgery treatments

A Liverpool law firm has seen a 10% rise in claims resulted from botched cosmetic surgery treatments in the past year.

Cosmetic surgery treatments are now a boom industry and according to law firm Maxwell Hodge Solicitors this has led to a rise in claims resulting from treatments that have gone wrong.

The law firm predicts that claims will continue to rise as the popularity for non-surgical procedures in particular, increases and remains largely un-regulated in the UK.

Tim Moulton, a clinical negligence lawyer at Maxwell Hodge said: “Our department has seen a general increase in all types of clinical negligence work over the last five years, but clients pursuing claims for cosmetic treatments going wrong have been particularly high in the last few years.

“This rise is largely due to the increase in popularity of cosmetic surgery in recent years. Cosmetic procedures are no longer the preserve of the wealthy they are much more widely available and this in turn has led to a dramatic increase in cosmetic providers and consequently, claims by dissatisfied customers.”

Another issue with this area is that an estimated 100,000 people now go abroad every year to get their cosmetic surgery, where they can get treatment at a fraction of the cost compared to the UK. However according to recent survey of NHS surgeons, a third have dealt with cases following botched jobs abroad.

Tim said: “Estimates show around one in four cases of plastic surgery go wrong, whether it be people dissatisfied with their treatment or whether they have an infection, blood poisoning or a blood clot from the surgery. Mistakes are far more common than people think and the requirement for repeat procedures is often not made clear at the outset.”

He added: “Travelling abroad for treatment can often be an even riskier business than undergoing treatment in the UK because when things go wrong there are the added problems of language barriers and different legal jurisdictions.

The bottom line is that if you are looking for a cosmetic procedure ensure you do your research and visit a licensed practitioner with a good reputation. You should also clarify with the surgeon/provider whether the procedure is permanent or if repeat treatments will be necessary in the future. Your future health isn’t worth gambling with and you also need to consider that the NHS might not treat mistakes which have been made unless it is a medical emergency.“

The top five surgeries include liposuction, nose jobs, boob jobs and facelifts and the most popular ‘non-surgical’ procedures are Botox injections and laser hair removal.

Maxwell Hodge is one of the region’s leading law firms with more than 80 staff and operates from eight offices stretching from Formby to Wirral with a city centre office in the heart of Liverpool’s business district. For more information on 0800 6946 660 or e-mail info@maxweb.co.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Dan Minchin .