The UK health agency, NHS, has issued new guidance to clinics and doctors who practise aesthetics to screen patients for OCD and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). The draft proposals were prepared by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
The UK health watchdog further advises doctors and other NHS staff to take extra care in evaluating people with signs of depression, anxiety, autism and ADHD for OCD and BDD. NICE new draft guidance states that healthcare professionals do not routinely ask about or explore whether people have intrusive thoughts or appearance-related worries.
Instead, it outlined protocols asking surgeons, doctors and nurses who extend cosmetic services to enquire about patients with structured questions before administering a procedure. In case the responses show signs a person is suffering from BDD or OCD, they should be referred for a specialist before the treatment is performed.
According to NICE, OCD is estimated to affect about 1.2 per cent of people while BDD affects about 2 per cent of the population. The new proposals will take effect from next year, and the consultation on the draft guidelines remains open until 21 October 2026.