Northern Irish minister of health says there are ‘no plans’ to introduce legislation for the aesthetics industry

Northern Ireland’s Health Minister Robin Swann said there are "no active plans" to introduce legislation around NI’s aesthetics industry.

Mark H Durkan, a member of the legislative assembly (MLA) for the Social Democratic and Labour Party, called on Mr Swann to introduce a licensing scheme and standardised qualifications for practitioners carrying out non-surgical cosmetic procedures (NSCPs).

But Mr Swann said his department is “currently operating within a constrained budget and is required to make decisions in relation to the work that can be delivered within current resources”.

He added: "In that context, work on the review of the regulation is currently paused to allow for other priority projects to progress. As such, there are no active plans to bring forward legislation in this area.”

In 2022, in the absence of an executive, Durkan commissioned a comparative research paper from the Assembly Research and Information Service (RaISe) into NSCPs in Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

The Foyle MLA said: “Cosmetic surgery is a lucrative market, the industry in the UK is worth an estimated £3.6bn, so it’s no wonder so many practitioners are diversifying into this field.

“People are pitting themselves up against impossible standards of perfection. Of course, this is nothing new but the lack of regulation in terms of licensing and advertising is deeply concerning.

"People don’t need to look too far to see how widespread the issue of unregulated non-surgical cosmetic procedures problems is. Social media is filled to the brim with influencers promoting the latest on the market trends.”

Mr Durkan urged Mr Swann to issue a public consultation on a mandatory licensing scheme for NSCPs.

"This industry isn’t going anywhere, it’s here to stay – the Executive shouldn’t wait until disaster strikes before acting to make it safer for everyone involved,” he added.

Responding, Mr Swann said the Department of Health “is aware of the wider, changing health and social care service delivery environment including in relation to cosmetic treatments”.

"Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the department had developed a new draft regulatory policy framework however further development work is required, including consultation on the draft policy”, he continued, repeating that work has been paused.

Specialist registered medical aesthetics and orthopaedic nurse, Claudia McGloin, shared her thoughts on the news.

“It’s shocking that despite the increase in botched procedures and illegal behaviour, they don’t want to introduce legislation.

"In the Republic of Ireland last week, RTE Prime Time Investigates highlighted the extent of what was going on which included Northern Ireland. From fake prescription weight loss pens to unlicensed fillers and toxins, there are lays travelling to the republic to illegally inject and potentially cause serious harm.

“Maybe if and when the Attorney General in Ireland sets out recommendations and introduces legislation, Northern Ireland may follow suit.

“It’s the wild west and extremely dangerous on the island of Ireland at present and medical professionals must keep educating the public about the dangers.” in the Republic of Ireland called for a range of measures to deal with non-medics administering botulinum toxin to their clients. A response from the Department of Health said that, with the Health Products Regulatory agency, it is assessing the current regulation of dermal fillers in Ireland and ‘further consideration’ of future legislation may be taken on foot of this work.

Dr Patrick Treacy, a prominent figure in aesthetic medicine in Ireland and globally, has been a fervent advocate for higher standards and regulation in the industry, having been involved with the above campaign.

He expressed disappointment regarding the statement by Health Minister Robin Swann about the absence of active plans to introduce legislation around Northern Ireland's aesthetics industry. Considering his advocacy and commitment to high standards in the field of medical aesthetics, he urged the NI Government to "respect the importance of having a regulated industry to protect patients and maintain professional integrity."