Non-surgical Procedures and Functions of Medical Reviewers (Scotland) Act 2026 notes on training and qualifications for voluntary guidance: FOI release
Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
Information requested
1. The date on which Annex 1 was first created and the dates of any subsequent versions, amendments or revisions.
2. The name, job title or role of each author, contributor, reviewer or approver, together with the organisation to which each person belonged at the relevant time.
3. All recorded information identifying any person or organisation outside the Scottish Government who supplied, informed, reviewed or commented upon any part of Annex 1. This includes the commentary concerning SCQF levels, the existence or absence of qualifications, references to VTCT criteria, references to British Medical Laser Association guidance, observations about CPD course quality, and suggested amendments to the wording or descriptions of procedures.
4. All correspondence, emails, meeting records, minutes, notes, comments, tracked changes, draft versions and circulation records relating to the creation, drafting, review, approval or use of Annex 1.
5. Any recorded information explaining the purpose for which Annex 1 was prepared and the policy, guidance, legislative or regulatory workstream in which it was used.
6. Any recorded information showing when Annex 1 was provided to, considered by or circulated among the Scottish Cosmetic Interventions Expert Group, Healthcare Improvement Scotland, ministers, officials, advisers, awarding organisations or external stakeholders.
Response
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not hold all of the information you have requested.
For clarity, I have addressed each part of your request separately below:
1. The date on which Annex 1 was first created and the dates of any subsequent versions, amendments or revisions.
I can confirm that Annex 1 was created on 21 November 2025 but I have not been able to find any other information about the dates of any subsequent versions, amendments or revisions. Therefore this is notice that the Scottish Government does not hold any further recorded information within the scope of this part of your request. Accordingly, this is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA.
2. The name, job title or role of each author, contributor, reviewer or approver, together with the organisation to which each person belonged at the relevant time.
The author was a member of the Healthcare Quality and Improvement Division, Directorate for Chief Operating Officer. All further detail is exempt from disclosure under s.38(1)(b). The Scottish Government does not hold further recorded information within the scope of this part of your request. Accordingly, this is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA.
3. All recorded information identifying any person or organisation outside the Scottish Government who supplied, informed, reviewed or commented upon any part of Annex 1. This includes the commentary concerning SCQF levels, the existence or absence of qualifications, references to VTCT criteria, references to British Medical Laser Association guidance, observations about CPD course quality, and suggested amendments to the wording or descriptions of procedures.
I enclose a copy of some of the information you have requested. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide all of the information you have requested because an exemption under Section 38(1)(b) of FOISA applies. This relates to personal information, and as such redactions have been applied clearly identifying the reason for the redaction. Wherever possible contextual information (such as the domain of email addresses) has been retained to assist understanding of the exchanges.
We are also unable to provide some of the information you have requested because exemptions under section 30(b)(ii) (free and frank exchange of views) of FOISA apply to that information. Exemption 30(b) (ii) applies because disclosure would, or would be likely to, inhibit substantially the free and frank exchange of views for the purposes of deliberation. The withheld information records candid discussions and opinions that were exchanged to inform policy development and decision-making. Disclosure would be likely to reduce the willingness of participants to engage openly and frankly in future discussions. This exemption is subject to the public interest test. We recognise that there is a public interest in openness, transparency and informing public debate about the development of policy. However, there is also a strong public interest in ensuring that officials and stakeholders can exchange views freely and frankly while options are being considered. In this case, we have concluded that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosure.
4. All correspondence, emails, meeting records, minutes, notes, comments, tracked changes, draft versions and circulation records relating to the creation, drafting, review, approval or use of Annex 1.
The Scottish Government does not hold recorded information within the scope of this part of your request. Accordingly, this is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA.
5. Any recorded information explaining the purpose for which Annex 1 was prepared and the policy, guidance, legislative or regulatory workstream in which it was used.
The Scottish Government does not hold recorded information within the scope of this part of your request. Accordingly, this is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA.
6. Any recorded information showing when Annex 1 was provided to, considered by or circulated among the Scottish Cosmetic Interventions Expert Group, Healthcare Improvement Scotland, ministers, officials, advisers, awarding organisations or external stakeholders.
The Scottish Government does not hold recorded information within the scope of this part of your request. Accordingly, this is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA.
About FOI
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Contact
Please quote the FOI reference
Central Correspondence Unit
Email: contactus@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000
The Scottish Government
St Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG