Ms Margaret O'Donnell:

There is a European standard for beauty therapists, many of whom are excellent. Often they will pick up on something and send a person to his or her GP. There is a European standard and code of practice for beauty therapy, but it is one of these grey areas. If we look at whether something is medical or consumer-led, somebody mentioned lifestyle choices. I agree. If somebody is seeking medical treatment, a doctor is obliged to treat him or her in his or her best interests. Therefore, one cannot sell the person the thing that is most expensive. One treats the patient in his or her best interests. If someone comes for a lifestyle choice as a consumer, the gates are open. That is the problem. The more one can sell, the more money one can make. There is a blurring between what is medical and what is consumer-led and, with a little thought, people could declare themselves to be one or the other. Patients come to me saying they had conducted all their research and were surprised that X, Y or Z happened. One is looking at them and thinking the research just involved looking at the biggest and glossiest website. It is very difficult for someone who does not understand the nuances of the qualifications of practitioners to make a clear decision.