The shift towards aesthetic medicine
With the NHS under strain, many medics are looking for alternative careers or sources of income
2023 marked the 75th anniversary of The National Health Service (NHS) – the first free-of-charge universal health system of its kind.
It has become a part of British culture and heritage and is often referred to as a “national treasure”; the backbone of healthcare provision, offering essential medical services to more than a million people a day.
But in recent years, the NHS has been under a lot of strain, particularly following the Covid-19 pandemic, and many healthcare professionals have been looking for alternative careers or sources of income to support their NHS work.
In October 2023, The Guardian reported that a rising number of NHS medics were training in cosmetic procedures, drawn by more flexibility, the potential to make a higher income and to have more autonomy over working hours and conditions.
The fact the sector was “becoming more legitimised”, with the Government launching a consultation on a new licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures in 2023, was also given as a reason healthcare professionals were becoming more attracted to a career in aesthetics.
The results of our annual survey gave similar insights, naming the interest in non-surgical cosmetic treatments as the main reason practitioners were moving from the NHS into aesthetics, with 59.8% giving this as the top answer.
A new challenge and flexible working hours were the next biggest motivators, with 53.9% and 53.3% saying this drew them to the field.
Job satisfaction also came in high, with more than half (50.3%) stating this as their reason.
Although half of respondents still worked for the NHS (50.7%), 24.8% of those who had left the NHS said they would not consider returning, citing factors such as work-life balance, antisocial hours, lack of flexibility and stress.
