PRESS RELEASE: AUG 2020
Transform Hospital Group CEO calls out ‘irresponsible, unethical and reckless’ operators putting public health at risk by flouting lockdown rules.
When the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in Britain earlier this year, practitioners in elective surgery and medical aesthetics were told by the government to close clinics and put a stop to face-to-face treatment. This move was made to enable social distancing and reduce the risk of additional pressure impacting the NHS.
In accordance with the regulations, for the past few months our team of clinicians and practitioners has been providing remote support to our patients. Regretfully, however, I must report that not all providers have taken the necessary steps to protect public health.
Save Face, a national register of accredited cosmetic practitioners, has reportedly received hundreds of complaints from consumers about social media adverts for procedures since lockdown started.
This irresponsible, unethical and reckless behaviour not only puts patients’ health at risk, it also places potential unnecessary strain on the NHS at a time when we need to protect capacity to continue the fight against COVID.
This is something Transform Hospital Group knows all too well from first-hand experience, as we have been supporting the NHS since March by offering our hospital facilities and staff on a not-for-profit basis to support on a range of urgent surgeries, including cancer operations.
Of course, we appreciate that the lockdown has been a challenging time for businesses and consumers alike, and we are also eager to once again open our doors. But flouting the rules by opening prematurely to the public simply cannot be condoned – the stakes are too high, and lives are at risk.
That’s why I am personally writing to MPs, MSPs, authorities and regulatory bodies with an appeal to crack down hard on companies breaking the rules, many of which continue to claim financial support from the state in the process.
This pandemic has changed how we do business forever, and we’ve seen how technology in particular can play a huge role in providing outstanding care during this unprecedented time. Our teams are doing this every day, whether it’s speaking to new patients or providing essential aftercare and support to existing patients virtually.
We’ll continue to provide remote care until we are informed by the relevant authorities that it is once again safe to open, and this is something we are already preparing for behind the scenes across our network of clinics.
To the public I say, please continue to report rule breakers to the relevant industry watchdogs and your local authorities. To the law-makers, we must have consequences for these dangerous practices and offenders who break the regulations must be penalised.
Tony Veverka
CEO, Transform Hospital Group