The Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons is the largest peak body for plastic surgeons in Australia, and protects the integrity of plastic surgery as a speciality.

THE PROJECT

The Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (Surgeons) Amendment Bill 2023 was introduced to Queensland Parliament on 20 April 2023 with a reporting date of 2 June 2023. The ASPS wished to have an amendment made to the Bill which had to be done in the short window of time available before the reporting date in June, whilst still ensuring the overall legislation would pass.

The amendment the ASPS was seeking was to strengthen protections in the legislation and safeguard patient outcomes by ensuring that only suitably qualified and trained medical practitioners performed plastic surgery. The amendment was presented to the Parliamentary Committee during their consideration of the merits of the legislation.

SAS GROUP RESPONSE

Enhanced drafting of the written submission to the Parliamentary Committee

The SAS Group guided the ASPS team through an expediated process to prepare a well-crafted written submission for the Health and Environment Committee by setting out the ASPS’ credibility as an expert in this area, outlining the standing regulatory architecture and setting out concerns and solutions with patient outcomes at the front and centre.

Securing 1:1 meetings

Our team connected the ASPS team with the Chair and Deputy Chair of the Health and Environment Committee in 1:1 meetings ahead of the public hearing commencement.

Coaching the ASPS representatives

We worked with the ASPS representatives appearing before the committee to coach and prepare them for their appearance to ensure they were well versed in the details of their submission, able to stick to key messages and clearly ask for the outcomes they were seeking.

Advice to ASPS on stakeholder engagement

Beyond the submission and appearance before the committee, the SAS team worked with the wider ASPS team to guide and advise then on building coalitions of support with other stakeholders in the space, with a  view to working on other reforms to cosmetic surgery regulation that sat outside of the legislation specific to this project.

CLIENT OUTCOMES

Amendments to the legislation were not secured and the bill was passed by the Parliament on 12 September 2023.

Concerns about clauses intended to future-proof the legislation but might also be used in a way that diminishes patient outcomes was put on the public record. The committee process was also useful in understanding the positions and objectives of other key stakeholders and regulators as the rest of the cosmetic surgery reforms are implemented and anticipating impacts on patients and ASPS members. The exercise was also helpful for the ASPS to understand parliamentary process in more detail, how the ASPS are perceived by elected representatives and to build a greater awareness of what political engagement can look like.

“Many thanks for your support and good advice regarding the Queensland Parliament passing an amendment to the National Law, legally restricting the use of the title ‘surgeon’. The Assistance of the SAS Group was very valuable.”

Nicola Dean, ASPS President