Response regarding the BOOS broadcast

In the BOOS broadcast of 29 July, a treatment was discussed with which a former patient of ours is very dissatisfied. We realise that this situation must be emotional and stressful for the patient concerned. We have contacted her again to listen to her story, show our sympathy and look for a solution together.

Although our priority lies with our contact with the patient, we feel it is important to provide some context to this broadcast.

BOOS’s request
We were approached by BOOS by email on 1 July. They announced a broadcast about “risk areas and abuses in cosmetic care”. The editorial team spoke with doctors, surgeons, researchers and various organisations.

The editorial team wanted to talk with us about our responsibility as a clinic, our quality safeguards and our complaints procedures. They also indicated that they wanted to discuss a few complaints.

From the start of our contact with BOOS, we cooperated fully, answered all questions, gave explanations by email and gave a telephone interview. Throughout, we emphasised that we are open to substantive, personal conversations and solutions. That is why we deliberately chose not to have a public confrontation in front of the camera. We still stand by that.

Request for a conversation
As regards the patient in the broadcast, the following applies. In 2018 we immediately expressed our sympathy and, in a conversation with our complaints officer, offered a corrective operation. At the lady’s request, the legal settlement was handled directly between her and our insurer.

At the time we respected her request not to have contact, but we now understand that there was a need for contact after all. We deeply regret that there has been no contact with her since then.

The film crew’s visit
On Thursday 17 July, a BOOS film crew turned up at our clinic. The broadcast states that we are shirking our responsibility. However, we consistently made it clear that we would not respond on camera, and always indicated that we wanted to have a personal and substantive conversation with her. We always want to listen, even when it is difficult or painful.

As a medical institution, we bear a special responsibility under which we are obliged to handle our patients’ medical data with extra care, even if a patient wishes to go public themselves.

Aftercare
We consider customer satisfaction, safety and care extremely important. We do our work with attention and with an eye for each individual patient. We have been around for more than 100 years and, with our 27 plastic surgeons and ENT doctors, we perform more than 5,000 operations a year. Should something nevertheless not go as planned, we always look for a solution. We regret that, unfortunately, we have so far not found a solution with the patient in the broadcast.

Do you have any questions, or would you like to discuss something in response to this broadcast? You are of course always welcome to call us.