Ministers launch crackdown on 'wild west' beauty industry amid growing health fears

Ministers have announced a clampdown on "cowboy" cosmetic procedures, including so-called liquid Brazilian butt lifts, with stricter rules on who is allowed to perform these in England.

- Eleni Courea Tobi Thomas

Wes Streeting, the health secretary, plans to introduce legislation next year to restrict who can access and perform aesthetic treatments. Labour has warned that the industry is a "wild west" due to a lack of regulation around who can administer treatments such as dermatological filler and Botox injections.

At present you do not need a licence to perform these kinds of cosmetic procedures in England. Health department officials said botched treatments had left people "maimed" and suffering from "dangerous complications, permanent scarring and even death".

Ministers are planning to introduce new rules whereby only qualified healthcare professionals can deliver high-risk procedures. Providers will need to be regulated by the Care Quality Commission and those found to be breaking rules could face sanctions and financial penalties. Clinics offering lower-risk procedures such as Botox and fillers will need to be licensed by their local authority.

The proposals will be subject to a consultation early next year that will seek views on the types of procedures that should be covered by new regulations.