Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of guidance on the risks of cosmetic and elective surgery overseas in reducing the number of UK residents who experience complications following such procedures.

The Department has not formally assessed the effectiveness of this guidance.

The guidance provides information to help people understand the risks and make informed decisions before seeking treatment abroad. It was developed with input from clinical and professional bodies to ensure its accuracy.

However, it is not possible to accurately determine whether the guidance has reduced complications. This is because patient records do not consistently identify whether an individual has accessed the National Health Service in relation to treatment they received overseas. We are exploring ways to improve our understanding.