16 June 2011
Dr David Anthony Waghorn has been successfully prosecuted by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), for carrying on an independent hospital providing cosmetic surgery without being registered to do so under the Care Standards Act 2000.
Deputy District Judge Monro sitting at City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court, fined Dr Waghorn a total of £2,500 to go to CQC, the regulator of health and adult social care services.
The regulator had carried out an unannounced inspection at the clinic in March 2010, after receiving information from a member of the public.
Private medical treatment is regulated under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and anyone providing certain kinds of private medical treatment must register with the CQC and comply with regulations and essential standards of quality and safety.
CQC said it had obtained evidence that liposuction was being carried out on a patient at 30 Dover Street, London W1.
Colin Hough, CQC’s London regional director, said: “Before committing to private medical treatment, people should always check whether the service needs to be registered with CQC. You can check on our website to see if the service is registered, or ask the doctor or practitioner upfront.
“Unregistered providers of private health care can present a risk to the public because they are not subject to scrutiny by the regulator.
"This prosecution sends out a very clear message to providers that we will continue to act on intelligence received about unregistered services. The courts can now impose a fine of up to £50,000 for an un-registered service and we will not hesitate to take tough enforcement action where necessary to ensure the safety of patients."
Ends
For further information please contact CQC press office on 0207 448 9239. Out of hours on 07917 232 143.
Notes to editors
About the CQC: Snippet for press releases
About the Care Quality Commission
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and social care in England.
We make sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and we encourage care services to improve.
We monitor, inspect and regulate services to make sure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety and we publish what we find to help people choose care.