By Scott Wright

THE company’s name may suggest that cosmetic treatments are its main stock in trade. But there is a lot more to what Cosmedicare offers than what its moniker may suggest.

Gill Baird, the healthcare entrepreneur who founded the business in 2016 following a career as a senior hospital manager in the NHS and the private sector, is determined to challenge any pre-conceived ideas people may have of her company.

Cosmedicare, which has private hospitals in Edinburgh and Livingston, does offer cosmetic surgery. But Ms Baird is keen for that work to not “overshadow” the range of other procedures the company’s practitioners conduct, which include breast reconstruction following trauma, and the treatment of burn injuries.

“Cosmetic surgery almost diminishes what we actually do,” Ms Baird told The Herald.

“A lot of our work is reconstructive work: it is post-trauma reconstruction. We do burns work; we do a substantial amount of transgender reassignment surgery. We are more healthcare-related. I see myself as a healthcare entrepreneur, as opposed to a cosmetic surgery entrepreneur.”

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Ms Baird, who launched Cosmedicare after spotting a gap in the market for a “specialist service for cosmetic and re-constructive surgery”, likened the firm’s St Ellen’s hospital in Livingston to Ross Hall in Glasgow or those operated by Spire. St Ellen’s, which opened in October, offers procedures such as plastic, reconstructive and weight-loss surgery, and will be moving into areas such as orthopedics and diagnostics, providing the likes of MRI scans, x-rays and mammograms.

Cosmedicare’s Edinburgh Park facility treats out-patients in areas like private GP services, fertility treatment and hair transplants. “It’s a medical healthcare company we are,” Ms Baird said.

She was speaking shortly after revealing plans to invest to open a new private, day-case hospital on Glasgow’s Sauchiehall Street, as part of a wider, five-year growth strategy.

The hospital, which Ms Baird is aiming to open towards the end of the year, will be housed in the former Slumdog Bar & Kitchen, and will specialise in day cases, offering procedures such as breast reconstruction, cosmetic surgery, pain management, private GP services and bariatrics.

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Ms Baird notes the £2.5 million investment is being planned as increasing numbers of people are opting for private hospital treatment in the west of Scotland. And while demand has increased during the pandemic, she said people were seeking treatment outside the NHS before the crisis began.

“Everyone knows right now that the NHS is stretched to its limits,” Ms Baird said.

“I think there has been a societal, behavioural change over the last five years. Part of that is to do with Covid, but it was coming before that as well, and a recognition that the NHS cannot be an infinite resource. It cannot be all things to all people.

“As much as there are financial constraints just now, with the other political and economic aspects that are happening in the world, people are prioritising their health and their well-being to have a good quality of life. And I think they are understanding that there is a personal responsibility for that, in terms of how you live your life and look after your health.

“That doesn’t necessarily mean private healthcare insurance. I think historically people associated accessing private healthcare with having private healthcare insurance, but actually the model that we work to is a self-pay, self-referral service – you do not need private healthcare insurance. You can pick up the phone, speak to us about the issues you are experiencing and we can create a pathway where you can access the proper medical professionals and services that you need.”

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Although as a private operator Cosmedicare is benefitting from the growing demand for services outside the NHS, Ms Baird passionately believes in the need for a strong health service that is free at the point of care. She is concerned at the extent to which private sector companies are making money from the NHS as a result of the government out-sourcing services, and argues that it would be more cost-effective to the health service if those operations were brought back in-house.

“Cosmedicare have not pursued any NHS contracts,” Ms Baird said. “I don’t believe in doing that.”

Ms Baird added: “As healthcare professionals we have a duty of care. All of my consultants are senior NHS consultants. We have benefited greatly from NHS training and support.”

Meanwhile, Ms Baird said she would like the new hospital she is planing for Glasgow to play a part in the regeneration of Sauchiehall Street, which has suffered acutely from the fall-out of the pandemic.

“I would like to think so,” she said. “I was born and raised in the east end of Glasgow, and I remember the city centre being a vibrant part of my childhood.

"Even before Covid, the with the rise of online shopping, the high street has been affected by that, so it would be nice to play a part in creating a new vision of services that could be offered within quite iconic buildings.”

She added: “I’m a strong believer that someone has to go first and pave the way, then others will follow.”

And Ms Baird pledged that the expansion of Cosmedicare will not end on Sauchiehall Street. She revealed that the firm, which has 50 people on the payroll and employs senior NHS consultants to carry out procedures, is looking to extend its presence at the St Ellen’s hospital in Livingston, where it is based on the Kirkton campus.

“We are focused on both geographical and service expansion,” she said. “We are not closed off to having other locations in Glasgow as well.”

Six Questions

What countries have you most enjoyed travelling to, for business or leisure, and why?
I love lots of different types of cultures – from European city trips to far-flung exotic locations with tropical landscapes and adventure – it really depends what mood I’m in at the time. 
 
When you were a child, what was your ideal job? Why did it appeal? 
I wanted to be a forensic pathologist or a lawyer 
– I loved the idea of solving problems and speaking out for those who couldn’t. 
 
What was your biggest break in business?
It’s not happened yet…but it’s coming, I can feel it.

Your worst moment... 
A failed business, 
I thought it was the end. I was devastated, embarrassed and really hard on myself. If only I’d known then it would be the making of me. 
 
Who do you most admire and why?
I admire anyone who has the strength to go after their dreams with determination and conviction whilst staying true to their moral compass. And that’s not just in terms of business, it’s in any aspect of life. 
 
What book are you reading and what music are you listening to? 
I’m not reading anything now, but am listening to a lot of feel-good music – from cheesy tunes to motivational get up anthems – and strangely enough some hertz healing vibrations at night, which is new 
for me.