Campaign to Raise Public Awareness of ‘Botox Cowboys'

Lorna Jackson
By Lorna Jackson

Lorna was Editor of Consulting Room (www.consultingroom.com), the UK's largest aesthetic information website, from 2003 to 2021.


As demand for cosmetic injectable treatments continue to rise, the Treatments You Can Trust industry self-regulatory scheme for treatment providers is concerned that patients are at risk from so called ‘Botox Cowboys’. Because of this it was announced today (19th October 2012) that Dr. Hilary Jones, the well known ‘TV Doctor’ and member of the TYCT Governance Board has joined forces with Baroness Trish Morris of Bolton, Chair of TreatmentsYouCanTrust.org.uk to launch a new Safer Injectables Campaign to the publicDr Hilary Jones

Launching ahead of the peak period for cosmetic injectable treatments, traditionally the months leading up to the Christmas and New Year party season, the campaign aims to advise consumers on the best and safest approach to Botox® (and other botulinum toxin brands) and dermal fillers whilst the review of cosmetic procedures, led by Sir Bruce Keogh, awaits conclusion in the Spring of 2013.

Launching ahead of the peak period for cosmetic injectable treatments, traditionally the months leading up to the Christmas and New Year party season, the campaign aims to advise consumers on the best and safest approach to Botox® (and other botulinum toxin brands) and dermal fillers whilst the review of cosmetic procedures, led by Sir Bruce Keogh, awaits conclusion in the Spring of 2013.

TYCT notes that over 1,500,000 injectable treatments have been conducted so far this year with figures set to rise further in 2013; they are warning that patients are at an increasing risk from accepting treatment from providers with no medical background or appropriate level of training, practising in unsafe and unhygienic environments.

Safer Injectables Campaign
Safer Injectables Campaign launched by Dr. Hilary Jones

“Whilst Botox® and dermal fillers are non-surgical they are medical procedures and should only be administered by regulated and appropriately trained Doctors, Dentists and Registered Nurses. The ABC’s of safe injectables are simple for consumers to follow to help avoid the known risks associated with treatment by unqualified providers in unsanitary environments”; said Dr. Hilary Jones on the launch of the campaign.

Therefore the Safer Injectable Campaigns launches the ABC’s of Safer Injectables urging consumers to ‘Always Background Check’ their provider and know how to spot and avoid bad practice:

Always Check the following:

 

What to expect…

What to reject…

Provider

A regulated Doctor, Dentist or Registered Nurse - Visit www.TreatmentsYouCanTrust.org.uk

Provider unable to demonstrate a medical or clinical background e.g. beauty therapists, nail technicians

Environment

An hygienic, clean and clinical environment

Treatment in a domestic setting, beauty salon or even a garden shed!

Training

Have completed a certified medical or clinical training to safely administer injectable treatments

Anyone who has attended a one day training course

 

To help stamp out poor standards the campaign also encourages the public to report any bad practice in their area, and inappropriate adverts, particularly as botulinum toxins should not be advertised to the public; any concerns can be emailed to saferinjectables@rpa-uk.com.

Baroness Trish Morris added; “it is imperative that patients are made aware that beauty therapists are not appropriately qualified by the very nature of their non-medical training to administer injectable treatments including Botox®.

Whilst there are calls from within the beauty industry for the (Keogh) review to recognise therapists as appropriately qualified injectable providers, such a move would be totally inappropriate.  Beauty therapists provide an important role and excellent service for beauty treatments however the outcome of the review must safeguard patient safety for medical procedures including injectables.”

raising public awareness of 'Botox Cowboys'

For more information, please visit www.TreatmentsYouCanTrust.org.uk/saferinjectables

To see Dr. Hilary Jones discussing this subject on ITV Daybreak, please visit http://www.itv.com/daybreak/hottopics/new-botox-campaign/

Members of the medical profession seeking accredited cosmetic training can visit http://www.cosmetictraining.co.uk/ for all the latest courses on offer. 

Update added 19th october 2012 - statement from the british college of aesthetic medicine (Bcam), formerly the british association of cosmetic doctors (Bacd) To its members in response to this launch.

Consumers are being urged to print out a letter from the TYCT website and take it to the clinic where they are contemplating having an injectable cosmetic treatment. Within this letter it strongly "urges consumers to CANCEL appointments they have with clinics if the clinic is not registered with TYCT".

Whilst BCAM fully supports proper regulation within our industry to safeguard patient safety, many of our members are already registered with the Care Quality Commission. Registration with the CQC means that we are regulated in a same way as hospitals and other independent healthcare providers and the standards and requirements placed upon us through that CQC registration are far more stringent than the voluntary IHAS scheme.

 

Update added 22nd October 2012 - statement from the British association of cosmetic nurses (BACN)

The British Association of Cosmetic Nurses absolutely supports the regulation of Cosmetic Services, and patient education in particular.

As a body, we would encourage members of the public seeking non surgical treatments to ask lots of questions and be wise in their choice of environments to receive such treatments. Unfortunately the TYCT, in our opinion, does not sufficiently check the clinics they register, and certainly does not check the qualifications and experience of the individual practitioners; it is not transparent in explaining to the public how the quality mark is earned.

 

It is inappropriate to imply that because a provider has chosen not to register with TYCT, they are unsafe, particularly when the clinics with The Quality Mark are not necessarily paragons of best practice. We have submitted a comprehensive report to The Review Panel, including a call for a 'Patient's Charter' to independently advise and inform the consumer, so they are able to ask the right questions and make safe choices, we call for a requirement for this 'Charter' to be referenced wherever services are provided.

We are also of the opinion that Clinicians, not business managers, should lead on regulation, and that any such regulation must focus first on the education, training and experience of the practitioner and must include audit and accountability.

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