10-Step Guide to Choosing a Safe, Reputable Plastic Surgeon in the UK
Choosing the right plastic surgeon is one of the most important decisions you will ever make for your health, confidence and wellbeing. These ten practical steps will help you make a safe, informed choice.
1. Check GMC Registration & Specialist Plastic Surgery Training
The website of the General Medical Council allows you to search for your doctor by name. If you click on their profile, you will find where they qualified (university) and, crucially, whether they are on the Specialist Register (SR) for Plastic Surgery.
If they do not have SR next to their name, they have not completed recognised specialist training in plastic surgery. UK-trained plastic surgeons are among the best in the world, and this page also shows where their training took place.
2. Check CQC or HIS Registration of the Clinic or Hospital
All facilities offering plastic surgery must be registered with Healthcare Improvement Scotland or the Care Quality Commission in England and Wales. You can access inspection reports online to see if any concerns have been raised.
Pay particular attention to whether a clinic has addressed previous issues. Regulatory compliance reflects a commitment to clinical governance, patient safety and patient experience.
3. Choose a Surgeon With the Right Subspecialty
All surgeons on the Specialist Register are trained in plastic surgery, but they will each have a subspecialty - the area they spend most of their working time on.
If a surgeon focuses mainly on breast surgery, they are likely an excellent choice for breasts. If you are considering face and neck surgery, a head and neck plastic surgeon may be more appropriate. Many surgeons spend around 80% of their time in one area, which usually reflects a high level of expertise and safety in that field.
4. Look for a True Multidisciplinary Clinic
A clinic that offers both non-surgical and surgical options can give you genuinely balanced advice. As Mr John Biddlestone, consultant plastic surgeon explains:
“When all you have is a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail.”
Not all plastic surgeons are expert injectors, and many have limited experience of what can be achieved without surgery.
A multidisciplinary clinic may also recommend additional treatments such as laser to improve skin quality after surgery for better final results.
5. Be Cautious of Long Operating Times
It can be cost-effective for clinics to combine multiple procedures in a single operation. However, evidence shows that surgeries lasting longer than four hours carry a significantly higher risk of postoperative complications.
If your surgeon advises staging your treatment rather than doing everything at once, this is almost always based on your safety, and it is wise to take their advice.
6. Understand Postoperative Care, Complications & Geographical Access
Complications can happen in any surgery, even in expert hands. You need to be confident that you will have clear, reliable access to care and follow-up should any concerns arise.
Equally important is access to postoperative care in a geographically convenient location. This is particularly relevant when considering surgery abroad. If complications arise, ongoing care, review appointments and emergency access can be extremely difficult to manage from overseas.
Always ask about emergency cover, out-of-hours support, review appointments and revision policies before proceeding, so you fully understand what support will be available to you after surgery.
7. Assess the Overall Patient Experience
Are the surgeon and their team friendly, approachable and happy to answer your questions? Do they give you time to think, or do you feel pressured into booking?
As Mr Biddlestone says: “Plastic surgery shouldn’t be sold. It’s an excellent option for many patients, as long as they are given the time and space to make their own choices with full information.”
8. Be Sensible With Price
Cost matters, but reputable surgeons in the same region usually charge similar fees. If a price seems unusually low, revisit the earlier checks carefully - it may reflect limited experience or reduced safeguards.
Equally, very high prices don’t always mean better care. Some surgeons charge a premium due to international reputations, but this is not always the case. High cost alone does not guarantee quality.
9. Look Beyond Website Testimonials
All clinics showcase their best reviews on their own websites and social media. Also check Google and Trustpilot, where less positive feedback cannot be edited or filtered. These often give a more balanced picture of patient experience.
10. Reputation & Professional Respect Matter
Large advertising budgets do not equal clinical excellence. Ask around. Aesthetics clinics and experienced nurses often know which surgeons are genuinely respected locally.
At FrownDocs, we asked senior plastic surgery nurses who they would personally recommend. When you work in a department day in, day out, you quickly learn who is skilled, calm under pressure, kind, collaborative and consistently safe - all qualities patients should prioritise.
To learn more about how FrownDocs can help you, get in touch or book a consultation today.
