Breast surgeons see problems from procedures abroad on weekly basis, MPs told

Independent

16-07-2025

Some breast surgeons are seeing patients suffering from complications of cosmetic surgery abroad on a weekly basis, health chiefs have told MPs.
It comes amid warnings that the NHS is 'taking the impact' of unregulated enhancements on the high street, which have become 'widespread' and 'normalised' in the last couple of years.
Health officials appeared in front of the Women and Equalities Committee on Wednesday as part of its inquiry into the health impacts of breast implants and other cosmetic procedures.
The panel included Professor Aidan Fowler, national director of patient safety at NHS England and deputy chief medical officer at the Department of Health and Social Care, Dr Alison Cave, chief safety officer at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and Andy Morling, deputy director of criminal enforcement at the MHRA.
They were pressed on untrained and unregulated people administering fillers and Botox on the high street for aesthetic purposes, such as liquid Brazilian butt lifts (BBLs) and anti-wrinkle injections.
When asked by committee chair Sarah Owen what would be helpful to the NHS to stop this practice, Prof Fowler said: 'Well, I think from the point of view of the NHS, we deal with the complications of that and are concerned about it.
'We recognise the Government's consulting on regulation around this, and we're very supportive of them doing that, and recognise their concerns and share them.'
When asked about how much rectifying problems from cosmetic procedures abroad costs the health service, Prof Fowler said a figure is 'very difficult' to calculate as patients will record a complication but will not necessarily disclose where the surgery happened.
'My wife's a breast surgeon, and she would say that she's seeing on a weekly basis people with the complications of surgery abroad, for example, coming in and requiring supportive treatment,' he added.
'But that's not recorded as a specific thing, and I think there is ongoing discussion on whether it should be recorded.
'But of course, then it comes to, how do we get back that money?
'And that's very difficult, because we exist to support those people who are suffering and give them care, and it is a very complex business to then turn to them and say, 'well, actually now you have to pay for it', it's a complicated landscape around insurance and so on.'
On harsher regulation for aesthetic treatments performed on the high street, Ms Owen said: 'You cannot walk past, every hairdressers, every nail salon will offer Botox or will offer fillers, all for aesthetic purposes.
'But you're saying the things that they're actually injecting, don't have to meet any of the regulations because they're not being used for medical purpose?'
Dr Cave told MPs measures to bring some products under regulation are currently being consulted on.
'I would emphasise that that doesn't then necessarily regulate who administers them, and that's, I think, what you're alluding to,' she said.
'And I think the Government consulted on that particular issue a couple of years ago, and will shortly respond to that consultation. So that may be a way forward.'
Ms Owen said: 'And you can see how long in those two years, how much more widespread this has become, how much more normalised this has become.
'We heard about the psychological impacts, the mental health impacts… Young girls are particularly targeted, advertising on social media for cosmetic enhancements, that there are things such as a 'lunchtime boob job', for example, that there is a real slowness for the agencies that should be protecting people and making people aware of the consequences of this, and the NHS is taking the impact of it.'
Mr Morling was also asked what the MHRA is doing regarding 'evidence that there's widespread administration of Botox without prescription'.
He replied it would be difficult to put a figure on how prevalent an illegal trade is, but added: 'I don't think it's quite as big as one might think.'
However, he stressed the organisation takes a 'multi-dimensional approach' on the issue: 'We do go out and arrest people, we do prosecute people.
'Because these are criminals and should be treated like criminals.'
Mr Morling added the MHRA also carries out 'preventative activity', such as talks to raise public awareness.
'I firmly believe there are a number of practitioners out there who just don't know what they're doing is illegal, so their behaviour can be changed,' he said.