Trust Toolkit

Before you book

You do not need to decide during a sales call, an online chat or your first appointment. Start by working out who will assess you, who will perform the procedure, and who will be responsible for your care afterwards.

Ask the clinic:

• What is the full name and profession of the practitioner who will assess me?
• Will the person who assesses me also perform the procedure?
• What is the practitioner's registration number?
• Where will the procedure take place?
• Who should I contact after hours if I am worried?
• What happens if the practitioner decides not to proceed?
• Are any consultation, booking or deposit payments refundable?

Do not rely on a clinic name, a social-media bio or a printed certificate to confirm a practitioner's registration. Search the current Ahpra Register of practitioners using the person's name or registration number. Read the profession, registration type, specialty (if any), conditions and undertakings shown on the record.

A registered practitioner may still need different training, experience or authorisation for a particular procedure. Registration alone is not a procedure-specific quality rating.

At the consultation

A useful consultation should give you room to explain what you want, hear the limits as well as the possible benefits, and leave without being pushed to pay.

Questions to take with you:

• What change are we discussing, in plain language?
• What are the realistic limits of this procedure?
• What other options include doing nothing or waiting?
• Why do you consider this option appropriate to discuss with me?
• Who will prescribe, perform and supervise each part of the procedure?
• How often does that practitioner perform this procedure?
• What relevant training and experience do they have?
• What are the common risks and the serious risks, even if uncommon?
• What result would require further treatment or urgent care?
• Could I need another procedure, and who would pay for it?
• What does recovery usually involve?
• What help will I need at home?
• When could I safely return to work, exercise, driving and normal skin care?
• What result can reasonably be assessed, and when?
• Can I take the written information away before deciding?

Tell the practitioner about your health history, medicines and supplements, allergies, previous procedures, pregnancy or breastfeeding where relevant, and any earlier problems with anaesthesia, medicines, wounds or scarring. Ask what they need to know rather than deciding for yourself that a detail is unimportant.

Consent is a conversation, not a form

A signature does not replace a clear discussion. Before agreeing, you should understand what is proposed, who will do it, the material risks, likely recovery, alternatives, costs and what happens if the result or recovery is not as expected.

Ask for:

• the name of the procedure in writing;
• the practitioner's name and role;
• written risk and aftercare information;
• an itemised estimate of expected costs;
• details of possible additional costs;
• the clinic's cancellation, refund and revision policies;
• the contact process for routine and urgent concerns.

If you do not understand an answer, ask for it again in ordinary language. Taking time to decide is reasonable.

Additional checks for cosmetic surgery

Cosmetic surgery and non-surgical cosmetic procedures are regulated differently. Do not assume a rule for surgery applies to every non-surgical procedure, or vice versa.

Current Medical Board guidance requires a referral from a GP or another medical specialist before a consultation for cosmetic surgery. The doctor performing the surgery is responsible for the consent discussion.

Ask:

• Has the required referral been received?
• Will I meet the doctor who will perform the surgery before I consent?
• What registration and specialist registration does the doctor hold?
• Is the facility accredited or licensed as required for this surgery?
• Who will provide the anaesthetic, and what are their qualifications?
• What is the plan if I need transfer to a hospital?
• What follow-up is included, and for how long?
• Who manages complications if I live interstate or travel home?

Additional checks for non-surgical cosmetic procedures

“Non-surgical” does not mean minor, suitable for everyone or free of risk. Roles can be split between the person who assesses, the person who prescribes and the person who performs a procedure.

Ask:

• Who is responsible for my assessment and ongoing care?
• If a prescription-only medicine is involved, when and how will I consult the authorised prescriber?
• Will that consultation be live and allow questions?
• Who will perform the procedure, and under whose supervision?
• What training has that person completed for this procedure?
• What product or device is being considered, and why?
• Is the proposed use consistent with its approved information? If not, what does that mean for consent?
• How will the product, batch or device details be recorded?
• What emergency equipment and written response process are available onsite?

Do not use this checklist to request or identify a prescription-only medicine. The choice of any medicine belongs in a private consultation with an authorised prescriber.

Costs, deposits and finance

Ask for the total expected cost in writing before paying. Check whether the quote includes:

• consultations;
• the procedure and facility;
• anaesthesia or medicines;
• garments, dressings or other supplies;
• follow-up appointments;
• treatment of complications;
• revision or corrective procedures;
• cancellation fees;
• payment-plan or credit charges.

A low headline price may not be the total price. Read the refund and cancellation terms before paying a deposit. If finance is offered, separate the decision about the procedure from the decision to borrow.

Photographs, reviews and social media

Before-and-after photographs show selected people, not a forecast of your result. Lighting, pose, timing, makeup, image processing and the choice of examples can change the impression they create.

Ask:

• Are these images of this practitioner's patients?
• Do the images use comparable lighting, angle, expression and timing?
• How long after the procedure was the “after” image taken?
• Is this outcome typical, or was the example selected for another reason?
• Has image editing or a filter been used?

Treat reviews and testimonials as one person's account. They cannot establish that a procedure is suitable, that a claimed result is typical, or that a practitioner is the right choice for you.

Reasons to pause

Pause and seek more information if:

• you cannot identify the practitioner responsible for your care;
• you are discouraged from checking the practitioner's registration;
• important risks are brushed aside or described as impossible;
• you are guaranteed a result;
• you are pressured to decide, pay or borrow immediately;
• the price, cancellation terms or likely extra costs are unclear;
• you cannot obtain written aftercare and urgent-contact instructions;
• the planned location or responsible practitioner changes without a clear explanation;
• your questions are repeatedly redirected to sales staff;
• you are told a clinic itself is “Ahpra registered”;
• advertising appears to promote a prescription-only medicine.

One concern does not prove wrongdoing. It is a reason to stop, clarify the facts and, if needed, seek an independent opinion.

If something does not feel right afterwards

Follow the clinic's written aftercare instructions and contact the responsible practitioner or clinic. Describe what has changed, when it started and whether it is getting worse. Keep copies of relevant instructions, invoices, correspondence and product or device information.

Do not wait for an online reply if you believe the situation is urgent. See the Urgent help panel above for the emergency and healthdirect numbers.

Raising a concern or making a report

Different organisations deal with different problems:

• Contact the clinic first where it is safe and appropriate to do so, and ask for its complaints process.
• Raise concerns about a registered health practitioner with Ahpra or the relevant health complaints body. Queensland and New South Wales have different co-regulatory arrangements; use Ahpra's guidance to find the right pathway.
• Report a medicine side effect or medical-device incident to the TGA. You do not need to prove that the product caused the event before making a report.
• Report potentially misleading business claims to the ACCC. The ACCC uses reports for compliance and enforcement but does not resolve individual disputes.
• Use the TGA reporting pathway for advertising that may breach therapeutic goods advertising rules.
• Contact police if you want to report a possible criminal offence.

Reporting to a regulator is separate from obtaining medical care or pursuing an individual complaint or remedy.

Sources

Last checked: 25 July 2026. Links open in a new tab.

• S-01 Ahpra cosmetic surgery hub (opens in a new tab)
• S-02 Ahpra information for the public (cosmetic surgery) (opens in a new tab)
• S-03 Medical Board FAQ: GP referral for cosmetic surgery (opens in a new tab)
• S-04 Ahpra guidelines for registered health practitioners who perform non-surgical cosmetic procedures (opens in a new tab)
• S-05 Ahpra Register of practitioners (opens in a new tab)
• S-06 Ahpra tips for using the public register (opens in a new tab)
• S-07 Ahpra cosmetic surgery complaints (opens in a new tab)
• S-08 TGA: reporting adverse events for consumers (opens in a new tab)
• S-09 TGA: referring to cosmetic injectables in advertising (opens in a new tab)
• S-10 Ahpra cosmetic-procedure advertising guidelines (opens in a new tab)
• S-11 ACCC: false or misleading claims (opens in a new tab)
• S-12 ACCC: advertising and promotions (opens in a new tab)
• S-13 healthdirect: how healthdirect can help (opens in a new tab)