Make cosmetics industry safer, public health coalition urges Government

A coalition of public health organisations have joined with Caroline Nokes MP to table a vital amendment to the Health and Care Bill, giving the Secretary of State the power to introduce a licensing regime for non-surgical aesthetic procedures in England and makes it an offence for someone to practise without a licence.

Treatments can include anything from tattooing to common beauty treatments offered on the high street and can cause serious harm to clients if not carried out correctly and in a safe environment. Critically, there is currently no consistent system of regulation in England and no nationally-set training and qualification requirements for all types of procedures.

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) has been working in coalition with the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), the Institute of Licensing (IoL), the Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP), the UK Public Health Network (UKPHN), the Faculty of Public Health (FPH), and Save Face, in calling for better regulation of non-surgical aesthetic procedures.

The campaign also has the support of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Beauty, Aesthetics and Wellbeing, and key players in the industry itself in the form of the Beauty Industry Group (BIG), which encompasses the National Hair and Beauty Federation.

The public health coalition has now also written to the new Minister responsible for this vital policy area, Maria Caulfield MP, welcoming her to the role and calling for the UK Government to support efforts to make the cosmetics industry safer.

The amendment is currently supported by a cross-party group of MPs:

1. Caroline Nokes MP
2. Sarah Champion MP
3. Anne Marie Morris MP
4. Kevan Jones MP
5. Carolyn Harris MP
6. Judith Cummings MP
7. Peter Dowd MP
8. Justin Madders MP
9. Mary Kelly Foy MP
10. Caroline Lucas MP
11. Alex Norris MP
12. Kim Johnson MP
13. Karin Smyth MP

The amendment was debated last week in the Health and Care Bill’s Committee Stage where the Government expressed sympathy but refused to back the amendment at this time.

Caroline Nokes MP said:

“It is encouraging that this amendment has been raised and debated during the Bill’s Committee Stage, but we cannot stop there. The strong need to make the aesthetics industry safer has not gone away.

I look forward to continuing to work closely with the Government to ensure that the concerns expressed by so many people and organisations are addressed and that further steps are taken to protect public health.”

Julie Barratt, CIEH President, said:

“We are delighted that the momentum behind this amendment continues to grow. The need to improve the safety of procedures offered to members of the public in England is clear and it is encouraging to see the wide-range of support this campaign is attracting.

We look forward to receiving a response from our letter to Maria Caulfield and continue to call on MPs from across the political spectrum to join with us.”