Unregulated botox becoming ‘health crisis’, MP warns as petition launched

Unregulated botox on the high street is “an emergent healthcare crisis”, a Conservative MP has warned days after a doctor launched fresh calls to tackle an aesthetics “wild west”.

Bradley Thomas told the Commons that demand for non-surgical and aesthetic treatments is “partially fuelled by social media and societal pressures on young people”.

He asked Commons Leader Lucy Powell when the Government planned to introduce new legislation for a “mandatory licensing regime”.

Dr Rosh, whose full name is Dr Roshan Ravindran, launched a petition on the UK Parliament website last week which warned that unregulated botox, fillers, fat-dissolving and liquid Brazilian butt lift (BBL) treatments can lead to “severe complications and unnatural results”.

Mr Thomas, the MP for Bromsgrove, said: “We face an emergent healthcare crisis in towns and communities across the country as demand for non-surgical and aesthetic treatments including botox and dermal fillers rise.

“It is particularly fuelled by social media and societal pressures on young people. This often takes place in unregulated high-street environments and places pressure on the NHS.

“When will the Government bring forward legislation to introduce a mandatory licensing regime and will the Government allow for a debate in Government time on the floor of this House?”

Ms Powell replied: “He raises a very important topic which I know affects many of our constituents.

“We’ve seen a number of very high-profile cases lately where this has gone terribly wrong in a sector that is completely unregulated, as he says.

“I know there are plans – there have been plans – in place for a while to bring forward the measures that he describes. I will ensure the House is updated when they are ready.”

The petition reads: “We believe the lack of regulation in aesthetics, including botox, fillers, fat-dissolving, and liquid BBL, can lead to harm, with poorly trained practitioners sometimes causing severe complications and unnatural results.

“We believe that adverse events remain underreported, potentially burdening the NHS with corrective care.

“We believe parliament should legislate to protect patients, and potentially reduce NHS costs.

“Regulation could address what we feel is a public health crisis, improve trust in the UK’s aesthetic industry and could position us as a global leader in safety and standard.”

In a video on his Instagram, followed by around 547,000 accounts, Dr Rosh said: “It’s time for change.”

He added: “We know aesthetics at this moment is like the wild west.

“Anyone with very little training can do botox, they can do filler, anything involving a needle that we know is dangerous.

“We know that aesthetic providers that are non medically qualified have led to death and vascular occlusions. This is a once-in-a-generation chance to bring that change and bring that regulation.

“I think only medical doctors should be doing aesthetics in the UK.”

The previous government consulted on non-surgical procedures in England, after the Health and Care Act 2022 gave ministers the power to introduce licensing regimes.

“Any licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures must strike a balance between protecting the public and building confidence in the safety of the aesthetic industry, while respecting consumer choice and encouraging innovation,” according to a consultation document.