Nottingham entrepreneur urges ‘safety first’ and tougher rules on bogus Botox and dodgy dermals

A doctor who specialises in anti-ageing and longevity is urging the next government to accelerate plans to ban unlicensed providers of cosmetic treatments.

Dr Dimitri Vichas, who runs the Nottingham-based Clinic Eudai, says that although a shake-up was promised back in 2023, little has changed and has urged swifter action as the number of treatments soar, as do the number of unqualified practitioners who are meeting the demand.

“We’re in something of a Wild West situation here,” said Dr Vichas.

“I’m a doctor and I am both trained and insured to do these treatments as part of the requirements laid down by our regulatory bodies. As are many nurses and other healthcare professionals. This is clearly a good thing.

“However, at the moment, there is actually no set training for beauty therapists and other non-professionals. That elevates the risk from both an efficacy of treatment and safety perspective.

“This isn’t about creating a monopoly. It is about ensuring the safety of patients – the doctor’s first priority.’

The idea of stronger regulation was first mooted back in 2022 with licenses required for botox and fillers. However, according to Vichas, the public consultation is dragging on for far too long, with a threat to patients continuing to grow.

“The government response to the public consultation, at which there were 12,000 public responses, was meant to be published in Spring this year and yet there is no sign. I appreciate an election is around the corner but in the meantime, more and more people could be at risk until these standards are raised across the market.

“The key point here is about patient safety first, then patient choice. Medical professionals are uniquely trained and competent when it comes to any situation that might arise during such procedures.

“The way these treatments are currently marketed by some non-medical providers is very casual with accessibility driving demand. That makes commercial sense but in terms of injectable medicines that carry a risk, however small, no, I think that needs to be looked at very carefully indeed. That’s just common sense and should be addressed immediately by the next government, whoever that is led by.”