Choosing a procedure is, in many ways, the easier decision. Whether it is breast augmentation, breast reduction, abdominoplasty or the removal of breast implants, most patients arrive at a consultation already fairly clear about what they want done. Choosing who does it is the harder question, and the one that matters more. The same operation performed by two different surgeons can produce very different results, very different complication rates, and very different experiences of being cared for along the way.

This guide sets out the practical steps worth taking before you book a consultation, wherever in the country you are looking, along with some specific detail on what patients across Kingston, Guildford, East Grinstead, Benenden and the wider Surrey, Sussex and Kent area can expect from a properly qualified private plastic surgeon.

Start with the GMC Specialist Register

The single most important check takes two minutes and costs nothing. Visit the General Medical Council's website and search the Specialist Register for the surgeon's name. You are looking for an entry under "Plastic Surgery" specifically — not cosmetic surgery, not dermatology, not a general surgical listing. Only doctors who have completed full specialist training in plastic surgery and passed the relevant exams are entitled to this entry.

This distinction matters because, in the UK, the term "cosmetic surgeon" is not itself a protected title. A doctor can legally describe themselves this way after a relatively short course, without ever having trained as a plastic surgeon. A Consultant Plastic Surgeon on the GMC Specialist Register, by contrast, will typically hold the qualification FRCS (Plast) — Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in Plastic Surgery — awarded only after years of supervised training across the full breadth of the specialty, including reconstructive work, and a demanding set of examinations.

Look Beyond Core Training for Independent Certification

FRCS (Plast) confirms broad competence across plastic surgery as a whole. For patients considering a specific cosmetic procedure, it is also worth asking whether a surgeon holds additional, procedure-specific certification. The Intercollegiate Cosmetic Surgery Board (part of the Royal College of Surgeons of England) independently assesses and certifies surgeons in defined areas — cosmetic breast surgery, cosmetic body contouring, and body contouring after massive weight loss among them. Relatively few surgeons hold these certifications, since they require evidence of specific training, operative volume and safe outcomes in that particular field, on top of core specialist training.

This does not mean a surgeon without ICSB certification is unqualified. It does mean that, where certification exists, it is a useful and independently verified signal of concentrated expertise in the exact procedure you are considering, rather than general competence across plastic surgery as a whole.

You Do Not Need a GP Referral

A common misconception is that seeing a private plastic surgeon requires going through a GP first, in the way an NHS referral would. In practice, the great majority of private plastic surgeons — this practice included — accept self-referrals. You can contact the surgeon's secretary directly to arrange a consultation. A GP letter is sometimes useful if you have relevant medical history the surgeon should know about in advance, but it is rarely a requirement to be seen.

Check Where — and How Often — They Operate

Ask which hospitals a surgeon operates from, and how frequently they perform the specific procedure you are considering. A surgeon who performs a particular operation regularly, at hospitals with dedicated cosmetic and reconstructive facilities, will generally have more refined technique and a better-calibrated sense of what "normal" recovery looks like than one who performs it only occasionally.

It is also worth asking to see before-and-after photographs of that specific surgeon's own patients, not stock images or results from elsewhere in a clinic group. Genuine results, ideally shown at a realistic post-operative stage rather than the most flattering possible moment, tell you far more than marketing photography.

Understand Insurance Recognition

If you hold private medical insurance and are hoping to use it, confirm that the surgeon is recognised by your specific insurer — recognition with Bupa does not guarantee recognition with Aviva, AXA or Vitality, and policies vary in what they will and will not cover for a given procedure. Ask this question directly at enquiry stage, before booking a consultation, so there are no surprises about funding later on.

Ten Questions Worth Asking at Consultation

A surgeon who answers these questions clearly, without defensiveness, and who is honest about limitations as well as likely results, is generally a good sign. Be cautious of anyone who is reluctant to discuss complication rates or who pushes toward a decision before you have had time to think.

A Note on Convenience — Choosing Somewhere Local

Practical convenience is a legitimate factor, not a trivial one. Recovery from surgery such as abdominoplasty, breast reduction, breast augmentation or implant removal involves several follow-up appointments, and a shorter journey makes those appointments easier to keep. Mr Adam Blackburn FRCS (Plast) sees patients at four hospitals across the region — New Victoria Hospital in Kingston upon Thames, Mount Alvernia Hospital in Guildford, the McIndoe Surgical Centre in East Grinstead, West Sussex, and Benenden Hospital in Kent — with patients regularly travelling from across Surrey, Sussex, Kent and London for consultation and surgery. Whichever surgeon you choose, it is worth weighing where your pre-assessment, surgery and follow-up appointments will actually take place, and how that fits with your own life during recovery.

Ultimately, the right surgeon for you is one whose qualifications you have verified independently, whose results you have seen, and who has answered your questions honestly rather than reassuringly. Take the time before your consultation, not during it.