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Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he was worried about the ‘wild west in cosmetic surgery’ not just overseas but ‘here at home’ as he praised the Mirror’s campaign on the issue
The Health Secretary has thrown his weight behind the Mirror’s campaign to put an end to cowboy cosmetic surgery in Britain.
Wes Streeting said he was worried about the “wild west in cosmetic surgery” not just overseas but “also here at home”. The Cabinet minister said he wants to “make sure we take action” as he said he’ll look at our campaign’s demands to crackdown on unregulated high-street salons and clinics.
He warned the public to think twice if they see an “offer that looks too good to be true”. Asked about the Mirror ’s cosmetic surgery campaign, Mr Streeting said: “I think it’s great to see the Mirror campaigning on this issue.
“I am worried about the wild west in cosmetic surgery, not just overseas with some horror stories we’ve had from people coming back and the NHS picking up the pieces, but also here at home. We’ve got a lot more to do on this.”
The senior minister said he thinks there’s a lot of cross-party support on this issue and that he looks forward to hearing more from Mirror readers about their experiences. “I want to make sure we take action to stop the wild west in cosmetic surgery,” he said.
In the meantime Mr Streeting sent a warning to the public. “I just urge people out there, if you see an offer that looks too good to be true, it is probably too good to be true,” he said. “We’ve already seen some life-changing, and sadly, in some cases, fatal consequences from botched cosmetic surgery.“
Last month Mr Streeting issued strong advice to people travelling abroad for Brazilian butt lift, tummy tucks and other cosmetic treatments amid several women having lost their lives in recent years after cut-price surgery in Turkey. He vowed to work with international partners to improve Brits’ safety abroad, adding: “I think we need to take very seriously this issue of medical negligence and malpractice overseas.”
In September Alice Webb, 33, became the first person to die following a liquid BBL in a UK clinic. Alice’s partner, campaign group Save Face and the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons are joining us in demanding action to stop devastating cosmetic procedures in Britain.
The Royal College of Surgeons has warned that cosmetic procedures must be regulated “as soon as possible before there is another death”. It is feared there could be between 100,000 and 200,000 “aesthetic practitioners” operating in High Streets and from homes around the country. The exact number is unknown.
All doctors performing cosmetic surgery in the UK must be registered with and licensed to practice by the General Medical Council. But issues have risen after a surge in non-surgical procedures such as Botox, anti-wrinkle injections and dermal fillers carried out by private providers. Current regulation places few restrictions on who can perform such procedures.
- All beauty clinics offering potentially dangerous procedures should be licensed by the Quality Care Commission. This includes ‘high risk’ treatments such as BBLs, liposuction, surgical facelifts and surgical eye lifts. They need to be restricted so that only GMC regulated plastic surgeons can carry them out
- All procedures must be surgically safe and carried out only by fully trained medical professionals
- Make it a legal requirement for practitioners who offer non-surgical interventions to have malpractice insurance. Currently it is not mandatory which leaves patients with no avenue for redress when things go wrong
The Mirror is demanding that all beauty clinics offering potentially dangerous procedures, including ‘high risk’ treatments such as BBLs, liposuction, surgical facelifts and surgical eye lifts, are licensed by the Quality Care Commission. Our campaign also calls for all procedures to be surgically safe and carried out only by fully trained medical professionals, as well as for it to be made a legal requirement for practitioners who offer non-surgical interventions to have malpractice insurance.
Under the Tories, a consultation on licensing cosmetic procedures ran from September to October last year yet no action has been taken since. Health minister Karin Smyth said in October the Labour government is “currently considering what steps may need to be taken in relation to the safety of the non-surgical cosmetics sector”.
