Calls for tougher regulation of aesthetics industry following BBL death as beauty boss warns 'incidents will continue'

28 September 2024, 06:53

The death of a mother-of-five following a non-surgical BBL procedure has sparked calls for tougher regulation of the aesthetics industry.

Alice Webb, 33, was taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital in the early hours of Tuesday after falling unwell.

She died on Monday just hours after having the procedure.

Two people have been arrested in connection with her death.

Victoria Brownlie MBE from the British Beauty Council has warned that without tougher regualtion of the sector "further adverse incidents and worse will continue to occur".

She added that in recent years the council has seen a growing "prevalence and normalisation "of non-surgical cosmetic procedures, which have been associated with the rise of social media.

Victoria Brownlie MBE, Chief Policy & Sustainability Officer at the British Beauty Council: said: “The Council has been campaigning for a number of years to introduce regulation for the aesthetics sector.

"Recent years have seen a growing prevalence and normalisation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures, associated with the rise of social media, the increasing accessibility and affordability of providers and the advancement of technologies and products in this field.

"The British Beauty Council firmly supports the position that any procedure designed for buttock, breast or genital augmentation, using dermal fillers or grafted fat, is considered to be a surgical procedure.

"The risks, the ability to mitigate those risks, and the proficiency to manage the adverse events and complications when they arise, are such that these procedures should only be performed by appropriately trained General Medical Council registered doctors who possess the necessary qualifications to undertake surgical procedures and have proven competence in the performance of Brazilian Butt/Bum Lift (BBL) procedures.

"These procedures are subject to the outcome of a government consultation held in 2023, which proposes to restrict such procedures to those outlined above. Further details on the current proposals can be found here The licensing of non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). 

"Until such time, enforcement officers must rely on powers under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, to issue a Prohibition Notice on businesses or practitioners, who pose a risk, and are performing, or likely to perform these procedures.

"These procedures, when undertaken outside of the settings described above, represent an imminent and significant threat to an individual’s safety.

"Until such time as the Government moves forward with its secondary regulations to restrict such practices, we fear that further adverse incidents and worse will continue to occur.

"We therefore call on the Secretary of State for Health to move forward with this necessary legislation at pace.”

Gloucestershire police said in a statement: "Two people have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter following the death of a woman in her 30s in Gloucester.

"Police had been called by the ambulance service at around 11.35pm on Monday (23 September) with a report a woman had become unwell following a suspected cosmetic procedure.

"She was taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital and died in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Her next of kin and the coroner are aware.

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"The woman's family are being supported by specially trained officers.

"An investigation, led by the Major Crime Investigation Team, is ongoing.

"The two people who had been arrested have been released on police bail."