All patients going for cosmetic surgery would require a GP referral under proposed new guidelines from the Medical Board of Australia, which aim to protect patients from aggressive marketing tactics. 

The board has gone a step further than its independent cosmetic surgery review — which merely noted that GPs were often out of the loop — by suggesting patients “must have” a GP referral before undergoing major cosmetic procedures.

These included procedures that “involve cutting beneath the skin”, such as rhinoplasty, surgical face lifts, liposuction and breast augmentation, its consultation paper published on Monday states. 

“The referring GP must work independently of the medical practitioner who will perform the procedure and must not perform cosmetic procedures themselves,” it adds.