These are not isolated events. Specialist plastic surgeons see them on a regular basis when patients come to us in need of corrective surgery after their lives have been permanently altered by these non-specialist practitioners.

Despite specialist plastic surgeons reporting these horror stories to AHPRA for years, it sits on its hands. In March, the Australasian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons made a voluntary notification to AHPRA, urging them to do what they are supposed to do: regulate.

There are key differences between a specialist plastic surgeon and a rogue practitioner. Specialist plastic surgeons have an additional eight to 12 years of training that’s assessed and accredited by the Australian Medical Council. It’s a robust standard of training and care that ensures good patient outcomes and prioritises patient safety by minimising risk.

Specialist surgeons are prepared to decline treatment when they believe it’s not in the patient’s best interest, and only perform major procedures in a hospital setting. They will keep patients in hospital overnight when same-day surgery is deemed unsafe, ensuring patients receive around-the-clock care and comprehensive after-care.

Many cosmetic “surgeons” do not have access to quality overnight hospital care for patients. Instead, the ongoing treatment to correct harm, save lives, and help patients recover is often dumped on the public hospital system at considerable cost to taxpayers.

If someone wants to see a medical professional whose surgical credentials – or lack thereof – are not recognised in Australia, that is their choice. But it must be an informed choice. Australians should be free from harm and deception – that’s what a health regulator and state health departments are there to ensure.

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AHPRA’s much-delayed decision to finally review its checks and balances will come too late for some, but for thousands more Australians, change can’t come soon enough. The solution is simple: regulators and governments must compel practitioners to disclose their registration status to patients, and practitioners must tell the truth about their qualifications.

Dr Robert Sheen is the president of the Australasian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons.