A health care watchdog announced it submitted regulations meant to govern "healthcare businesses" and "health professionals" to the Ministry of Health.

How these regulations will govern and which providers they will specifically target is not known as requests to explain them by the Bermuda Health Council's (BHeC) Chairman Linda Merritt yesterday were denied.

She wrote: "We do not want to circumvent the regulatory recommendations process and discuss the specific proposed regulations at this time.

"The Council sought the input of all stakeholders (statutory bodies, professional associations, etc) and we appreciate receiving their recommendations as we developed the way forward."

The only clarification she could offer was that healthcare providers include: "a person, group of persons or organisation that operates a business offering health services to the public."

And healthcare businesses were: "Health services including hospitals, medical, dental and professional services related to health."

Ms. Merritt added in the news release that: "The Ministry of Health hopes to have the regulations before the House of Assembly in 2009."

So whether or not these regulations might specifically cover any stem cell work on the Island, which Premier Ewart Brown said in June was on its way at the Brown-Darrell Clinic, is unclear.

In January Minister Bascome had stated that no stem cell legislation had come across his desk, but despite many requests no further update has been provided.

What Ms. Merritt did do in her news release was identify at least two areas Botox injections and Microdermabrasion, a skin rejuvenation process that she said the council needed to educate the public on.

"In Bermuda we are currently working in an environment where science and technology have outpaced outdated legislation," she said.

"With the number of new establishments being opened to render Microdermabrasion services and Botox injections provided to the public the consumer must do their homework.

"Microdermabrasion should be performed by a trained aesthetician, registered nurse or a cosmetic dermatologist under the supervision of a medical doctor or plastic surgeon and Botox injections by Board certified and medically trained plastic surgeons.

"It is our responsibility at the Bermuda Health Council, to inform and help to educate the general public in the absence of legislation and regulations to govern who can perform in-office cosmetic medical procedures.

"We are growing increasingly troubled by the number of medical spas, hair salons and other entities who may send their staff to unaccredited schools to learn to perform these services."

Along with submitting regulations to the Health Minister, the BHeC stated that they would be discussing a "Certificate of Need".

However, Ms. Merritt also failed to clarify what she meant by this.

According to Internet searches it states that: "Certificate of Need (C.O.N.) programs are aimed at restraining health care facility costs and to allow coordinated planning of new services and construction.

"Laws authorising such programs are one mechanism by which state governments seek to reduce overall health and medical costs."

The Health Council which was established at the end of 2005 was initially comprised of Chairman Dr. Michael Bradshaw, and other members of the community.

In January this year, according to a source, the BHeC members all received letters stating they were no longer necessary and at the end of the month Minister Bascome announced Ms. Merritt's appointment as chairman.

The council was then completed with "stakeholders" from the different boards including the Dental Board, the Bermuda Medical Association and Insurers.

At her appointment Ms. Merritt promised she would be updating the council minutes online a practice started by the previous chairman to add transparency to the health watchdog.

In an apparent u-turn, however, Ms. Merritt last month admitted the process would not continue.