British Association of Dermatologists Calling For Mandatory Register Of Practitioners

An unregistered nurse has been found to be running a cosmetic clinic offering Botox and dermal filler treatments, according to a BBC investigation.

Marie McGinty describes herself as an aesthetics nurse practitioner, nurse prescriber and midwife, but according to the Nursing and Midwifery Council, there is no record of her being registered as a practitioner.

49-year-old Marie McGinty, established Vital Cosmetics Liverpool Limited in 2012 and, according to its promotional material, runs clinics throughout the North West and North Wales.

She offers "skin rejuvenation" by using anti-wrinkle injections and dermal fillers, including Botox - a powerful drug that can only be given on prescription following an assessment by a doctor, dentist or nurse prescriber.

BBC 5 Live Investigates programme spoke to a woman who went to the clinic for Botox injections and dermal fillers - and was left with blemishes and hard lumps around her eyes from the fillers.

The woman - who did not want to be named, said: "I could see instantly it was lumpy, then a few hours later it was almost like blisters. It progressively got worse and then it didn't improve and looked like a mess.

"It affected my work, I didn't leave my flat. I hated looking in the mirror and had to hide my hair across the face.

"It looked abnormal; my sister said I looked like a freak."

The woman then went to see a cosmetic doctor in Harley Street - Dr Vincent Wong - to get the damage caused by the dermal fillers corrected.

He said: "The person who carried out this work may not have been trained, simply because this is a very delicate region and if not done properly may have serious consequences.

"With Botox, once it is injected it cannot be removed and if it's injected into the wrong area it can cause serious damage."

To falsely claim that you are a registered nurse or midwife is breaking the law.

Anyone can legally inject fillers so cosmetic surgery safety campaign groups like Save Face have tried to set up their own accredited list of 300 registered doctors, dentists and nurses.

Ashton Colins, Director at Save Face, said: "Treatments like fillers have almost become every day beauty treatments for many people, but, in the wrong hands, they are potentially dangerous procedures.

"Many people we help have been too ashamed or embarrassed to come forward and speak out when a treatment has gone wrong."

The British Association of Dermatologists wants a mandatory register of practitioners.

A spokesperson from the Department of Health, said: "Patients should always have confidence that their care is provided by a qualified individual and we strongly advise anyone choosing non-surgical treatment to check training and experience."

The BBC also found that Ms McGinty's Vital Cosmetics Liverpool Limited mobile number links her to sites where escorts advertise "personal services".

If you've suffered due to negligent cosmetic surgery you might be entitled to claim compensation. See our Cosmetic Surgery Claims or Dermal Filler Claims page for more information.

Expert Opinion

It is incredibly concerning that unregistered nurses and practitioners are still able to set up cosmetic clinics and provide treatments such as Botox and dermal fillers to patients without any regulations. <br/> <br/>“As a firm, we have repeatedly called for significant changes in the regulation of the cosmetic and beauty industry that would not only provide improved support for people whose lives have been turned upside down by complications during surgery, and ensure lessons are learnt, but also reassures those considering treatments in the future that they will not suffer in the same way as so many have before. <br/> <br/>“We would advise any individuals considering surgery to thoroughly research the procedure they want to undergo, as well as the medical professionals that will be responsible for carrying out any operations or non-surgical procedures.” <br/> Mandy Luckman - Partner