The principle
A directory is only worth using if its listings mean something specific. Ours mean one thing: at the time of checking, the named practitioners held current registration with a UK statutory regulator, the prescribing arrangements were stated, insurance was in place, and a written complications policy existed. That is a narrow claim, and narrow claims are the only kind a directory can make responsibly.
The registers we check
Every one of these is public, free and searchable by anyone. We check them directly rather than accepting scanned certificates, and we encourage every reader to run the same check themselves before booking anywhere, listed here or not.
- Doctors. The GMC medical register shows registration status, licence to practise, specialist or GP register entry, and any restrictions.
- Nurses and midwives. The NMC register shows registration status and whether the registrant holds a prescribing qualification.
- Dentists and dental care professionals. The GDC register shows registration status and category.
- Pharmacists. The GPhC register shows registration and any annotations, including independent prescriber status.
- Sector registers. The Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners maintains a voluntary register of practitioners meeting its standards, and Save Face operates an accreditation scheme, accredited by the Professional Standards Authority, that includes premises assessment. Both are useful. Neither replaces statutory registration.
Clinic-level regulation, and why it differs by nation
The regulator that oversees a clinic depends on where in the United Kingdom it sits, and the systems are not equivalent.
- England. The Care Quality Commission registers providers of regulated activities. Many non-surgical cosmetic treatments fall outside registration, so its absence is not automatically a concern.
- Scotland. Healthcare Improvement Scotland registers and inspects independent clinics where services are provided by doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives and dental care professionals, and publishes inspection reports.
- Wales. Healthcare Inspectorate Wales regulates independent healthcare providers.
- Northern Ireland. The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority registers and inspects independent clinics.
This is why our Glasgow and Edinburgh pages describe a different framework from our London and Leeds pages. Anyone telling you UK clinic regulation is one system is describing something that does not exist.
The process, step by step
Application
The clinic supplies practitioner names and registration numbers, prescriber details, insurance evidence, complications policy, locations and treatment list.
Register checks
We search each practitioner on the relevant statutory register and record status, category, prescribing qualification where relevant, and any restriction.
Clinic and cover checks
We check clinic-level registration with the regulator for that nation where it applies, and confirm current indemnity or malpractice insurance.
Publication
The listing goes live showing which practitioners were verified, in what category, and the date of the check.
Recheck
Registrations are rechecked periodically and on notice of any change. Listings that fail a recheck are suspended until resolved.
What a verified listing does not mean
This matters as much as what it does mean.
- It is not a clinical endorsement. We do not assess technique, and we do not rank practitioners by skill.
- It is not a guarantee of outcome. Every treatment on this site carries risk that depends on individual anatomy and history.
- It is not medical advice. Nothing on National Aesthetics is a substitute for assessment by a registered practitioner who has examined you.
- It is not permanent. A check confirms a position on a date, which is why we recheck and publish the date.
- It is not for sale. Payment buys a listing if you pass, and a refund if you do not.
Telling us about a problem
If you believe a listed clinic no longer meets the standard, write to us via our contact page with the clinic name and what you have observed. We check the registers again and suspend the listing while we do. Concerns about a practitioner's fitness to practise should also go directly to the relevant regulator, which has powers that a directory does not.