Cristianos News:

Primary Care Trust (PCT) Funding
Assistance with Treatment Costs For Hair Removal

The availability of hair removal on the NHS varies from one Trust to another and is generally regarded as a cosmetic treatment. Some Trusts will have electrolysis clinics attached to their dermatology departments but generally speaking the waiting lists are extensive and the amount of treatment is restricted regardless of the severity of the patients condition. The availability of light-based technology i.e. laser or intense pulsed light IPL within this framework is even more rare. Nevertheless where individual cases are presented certain Trusts are willing to out-source such treatment. Cristianos is a clinic known not only for the high standards of treatment and care but also the support offered to it’s clients. That same quality of client centred treatment and care has resulted in Cristianos being assessed by several Primary Care Trusts as being a suitable for providing contracted services for hair removal.

NHS have a duty to ensure that treatments patients receive are safe, effective and performed by suitably qualified pracitioners. Healthcare organisations are required to monitor the quality of treatment they provide and produce audited data which demonstrates the safety and effectiveness of treatment. Healthcare Professionals are obliged by their professional Codes of Conduct to abide by Clinical Guidelines and can be struck off the register if they fail to do so. Hair removal either electrolysis or light based has traditionally fallen within the field of beauty therapy where although professionally qualified there are no mechanisms in place to withdraw qualifications for bad practice and no requirements to prove the safety or effectiveness of treatment. Therefore the NHS has in the past been reluctant to out-source treatments of this nature.

However the Care Standards Act 2000 (as amended) made it a criminal offence to operate a laser or intense pulse light system without prior registration with the Healthcare Commission. Registration requires the provider to demonstrate their compliance with a quality assurance framework known as the National Minimum Standards, NMS. Registration can be suspended or withdrawn where breaches in the NMS are found. The legal requirement to register and comply therefore gives the NHS a tool with which they can gauge the safety and effectiveness of any clinic and a mechanism by which they can report bad practice and as such many more Trusts are willing to contract such services.

If your unwanted hair is the result of a medical problem or is affecting your quality of life your PCT may pay for you to have treatment at Cristianos. If you think you would benefit you can contact Cristianos on freephone 0800-0850661 or in confidence to info@cristianos.co.uk