History of the BACD

The beginnings of the BACD were formulated by Dr Rita Rakus and myself during several meetings in 2000. The initial impetus was to discuss the impact of the impending introduction of appraisals for doctors in cosmetic medicine. It soon became very clear to us that we needed to form a group and widen the remit to include organised training, treatment protocols, revalidation and provision of a forum to discuss topical issues.

The increasing publicity of non-surgical techniques in cosmetic work in the press and television focused largely on non-medical personnel. We thought it was time for a directional change that brought the Doctors themselves, through the BACD into the media limelight. We also felt it imperative that the BACD would provide a unified representative voice to benefit doctors and patients alike.

We circulated doctors with potential interest and were delighted by the response. This was our initial vision and mission statement.

The inaugural meeting was held at the Law Society in London on 2nd October 2001 and 27 doctors attended from all fields of medicine. This highlighted and confirmed the need for an organisation. So in order to spread the increasing load we formed a committee including Doctors John Curran, Tracy Mountford and Mike Comins. The meeting in 2002 had 65 attendees and the growth has continued to the present day with over 300 members.

Dr Patrick Bowler
Founder and Fellow Member of the British Association of Cosmetic Doctors