Hansard

I am grateful to Stuart McMillan for securing the debate. I whole-heartedly support his motion.

The demand for non-surgical aesthetic treatments such as Botox, dermal fillers and Brazilian butt lifts has surged in recent years. However, too many practitioners are unregulated, which can lead to botched jobs with horrendous side effects. Constituents in East Kilbride have contacted me about the issue.

Many aesthetic procedures require injections, but lay injectors who often have no healthcare qualifications are performing medical procedures without being subject to the same professional standards that apply to regulated clinics. More and more people are seeking such procedures every year, but regulation has not kept pace with that growth. We absolutely need legislation to regulate practitioners who operate in the aesthetics industry. Only clinics that employ registered healthcare professionals are monitored by Healthcare Improvement Scotland, which leaves many providers who do not have relevant formal qualifications operating without sufficient oversight.

At recent events that were held in the Parliament, members heard harrowing stories of patients who have suffered both physical and psychological harm from botched treatments that can lead to infection and disfigurement. The emotional toll for people who are affected can be huge. That also places a huge burden on our NHS, as many of those individuals need correctional treatment when things go wrong. The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons estimated that a botched Brazilian butt lift costs the NHS an average of £15,000. It is not right that the NHS has to pick up the pieces due to unregulated and unqualified people offering aesthetic treatments.

At the heart of all this is patient safety. At present, patients who obtain treatment from lay injectors have little comeback when things go wrong. It is clear that we need regulations not only to protect the public and the NHS but to ensure that good practitioners can continue to provide safe cosmetic surgery. With Stuart McMillan and other colleagues, I recently met Jenni Minto, the Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health, to discuss issues with the aesthetics industry. I welcome the fact that the Scottish Government has consulted on the issue, with the result showing that the public overwhelmingly support tighter regulation. I note that the Government is moving the issue forward with key stakeholders, including healthcare professionals and beauty industry representatives, and that there will be further opportunities for the public to feed into the process later this year. The proposals should include strict requirements that only qualified healthcare professionals can administer Botox, dermal fillers and similar treatments. Patients must be able to trust that those who hold the needle have the necessary training, oversight and accountability.

I highlight that many regulated practitioners offer Botox and fillers safely and successfully. People should check out the credentials of a practice before having any aesthetic work done. However, as politicians, we need to step in on regulation. Regulating the medical aesthetics sector is necessary to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the public. I think that members across the chamber will be keen to work together on developing meaningful legislation. I hope that we will be able to deliver that in the next couple of years, so that we can protect patients and restore trust in this rapidly expanding industry.