“Health risk blind spot”: Nearly eight in ten Londoners surveyed wrongly believe counsellors are regulated

New research commissioned by the PSA reveals nearly eight in ten (78%) Londoners surveyed believe counsellors are regulated, even though in the UK, anyone can call themselves a counsellor or psychotherapist regardless of how much training and experience they have.

More than half of those surveyed say they would do more research before booking a health service if they thought there was a risk involved, but new research from the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) reveals a dangerous blind spot – most don’t realise that some roles may not be regulated – meaning anyone can legally offer private baby scans, therapy and cosmetic treatments like fillers and Botox.

This research exposes a summer safety gap at the very moment demand for some of these services peaks, from pre-wedding aesthetics to reassurance ultrasound scans. The findings are released today as the PSA launches its Look Before You Book campaign, encouraging consumers to check their practitioner is on a government-backed register before accessing health and wellbeing services.

The key findings
The regulation myth: Three-quarters of those surveyed (75%) believe therapists and private ultrasound providers are legally regulated, and nearly half (46%) believe the same of aesthetic practitioners offering non-surgical cosmetic treatments like Botox and fillers. In reality, none of these roles are regulated in the UK.
The hotel test: On average, people spend almost as long researching a hotel stay (88 minutes) as they do a private ultrasound practitioner (91 minutes) – someone who could be scanning their unborn baby.
Safety resources go unused: Only one in six people (16.5%) have used a ‘verified’ source, such as a government-backed register, before booking non-surgical aesthetic treatments, therapy or a private ultrasound.
The summer scarcity trap: the findings revealed that research tends to be less thorough when under pressure: 28% said they do less research when appointments are scarce, 25% when under time pressure before an event, and 24% when looking for a last-minute slot – all these are red flags as we head into wedding, holiday and party season.
Sold by social media: More than a third (36%) of people seeking Botox, fillers or other non-surgical cosmetic treatments say they are influenced by five-star reviews, and almost one in three (29%) rely on before-and-after photos or testimonials on social media.
Young people at greater risk: 18-24-year-olds are both the least likely age group to check a practitioner’s qualifications before booking (32%) and among the most likely to assume services are regulated. More than eight in ten (83%) believe counsellors are legally regulated and over half (53%) think the same of aesthetic practitioners, compared with just 64% and 26% of over-55s respectively.

The regulation reality
In the UK, anyone can legally buy an ultrasound machine and call themselves a sonographer without formal qualifications. Anyone can call themselves a counsellor or psychotherapist regardless of how much training and experience they have. Likewise, non-surgical cosmetic procedures such as dermal fillers and Botox are completely unregulated in parts of the UK, meaning unqualified people can legally administer them and perform other aesthetic treatments.

The findings are released at the same time as the PSA is launching its “Look Before You Book” campaign, encouraging consumers to take one simple extra step before booking: look for the PSA Quality Mark.

“I was housebound for two weeks after botched fillers cost me over £700 and my confidence”

Alongside the research, a Cheshire mum whose botched fillers left her housebound and paying over £700 for corrective procedures has given a stark warning: “do your homework and check the PSA register before you book”.

Joanne Bauer, a 48-year-old finance director and mother of two from Cheshire, underwent a non-surgical cosmetic procedure after being attracted by a significantly lower price than competitors.
After finding a clinic through Instagram offering tear trough fillers for £150, compared with quotes of around £495 elsewhere, Joanne booked the treatment based largely on pricing and before-and-after images she had seen on social media. But the experience quickly turned into a nightmare.

“When she finally gave me the mirror, my first thought was, ‘oh my goodness, I’ve just been mutilated. I just need to get out of here’,” Joanne recalls. “I felt pure dread and thought, ‘I’ve been botched. I’ve ruined my face’.

“I wished I’d done some more homework and checked the qualifications of the practitioner and their history. I felt really vulnerable because I was on her territory.“

Joanne says she felt unable to leave the house for two weeks.

“I got my husband to do the school run. I didn’t socialise. It affected my confidence at work, and my girls didn’t understand what had happened. It could have been a lot worse. I’d had something done that could be dissolved, but I spent a fortune getting it corrected. It cost me over £700. I had to go into my savings to pay for it. I want people to ask more questions: when you’re going to a non-surgical aesthetician and they’re putting you straight in the chair and you’re out within 10 minutes - it should be a red flag.”

PSA Chair, Caroline Corby said:
“Protecting our health is really important. Worryingly, this research reveals a clear health risk blind spot. It shows that more than half of consumers would do more research if they believed there was a health risk, yet only a small minority – as low as one in six people – use a verified source, such as a government-backed register, before booking.

“And these findings add to growing evidence that gaps in the regulation of health and wellbeing services can put consumers at risk, particularly those seeking cosmetic procedures.

“We’re saying take one simple extra step before making an appointment: look for the PSA Quality Mark to check whether your practitioner belongs to a government-backed register. The Quality Mark shows you that someone is checking that practitioner, and that someone else is making sure those checks are the right ones. By taking a few moments to look for the Quality Mark, consumers and patients can make more informed choices about their health, wellbeing and safety.”

For more information about the campaign and how to check whether a practitioner belongs to an Accredited Register, visit: www.professionalstandards.org.uk/look-mark-general