City council serves notice on business offering non-surgical ‘Brazilian Butt Lifts’

City of Wolverhampton Council has served a prohibition notice on a city business offering non-surgical ‘Brazilian Butt Lifts’ – making it the first local authority in England to take such action against a premises offering this type of procedure.

The notice was served on Clinique Modele Aesthetics, based in School Road, Tettenhall Wood. The premises offered non-surgical buttock augmentation injections with dermal filler, also commonly referred to as Body Sculpting and/or Bum Filler.

Action was taken under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to prevent the risk of serious personal injury and potential for fatalities from the procedure when carried out by unsuitably trained practitioners.

The prohibition notice was served following an assessment of the skills, knowledge and experience of those carrying out the procedure, a review of equipment available on site and expert opinion from a consultant plastic and reconstructive surgeon.

The expert’s report identified risks and complications associated with the procedure, including pulmonary embolism (a life-threatening blood clot), sepsis, deep vein thrombosis and fat and skin necrosis (death of tissues in the body).

Following an assessment, Clinique Modele Aesthetics was unable to show that its staff had enough training, skills and knowledge to:

• undertake buttock augmentation, increasing the risk of pulmonary embolism and/or sepsis
• adequately recognise and deal with complications that may arise during the procedure
• ensure adequate consent, including recognition of the need for psychological assessment of some individuals.

There was also no trained assistant during the procedure, no access to suitable equipment including an ultrasound machine, and no ability to prescribe medication on site in the event of complications.

Clinique Modele Aesthetics is now prohibited from carrying out these activities from the premises and any other location in Great Britain. No appeal was made.

The popularity of surgical and non-surgical BBLs, which sees fat or dermal filler injected into the buttocks to change size or shape, has increased significantly over recent years. But there is currently no standard licensing scheme in England for businesses offering the procedure.

A public consultation is due to be carried out under the Health & Care Act 2022 to give Government powers to introduce such a scheme, but the timescale for this has yet to be determined.

Due to the serious risks involved, the procedure is likely to be excluded from the scheme unless it is carried out by someone listed on the General Medical Council Specialist Register.

Therefore, City of Wolverhampton Council has taken the action using existing powers provided by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 with the aim of protecting residents from potential harm.

Councillor Steve Evans, City of Wolverhampton Council’s cabinet member for city environment and climate change, said: “We have based our decision to issue this prohibition notice on expert medical advice and with the aim of preventing any harm coming to our residents.

“The provision of these procedures is currently unlicensed and although work is underway to agree a standardised licencing scheme, it is not known how long this will take. Therefore, we have taken this action in the meantime as we believe people could be putting themselves at real risk. 

“When it is not carried out with the required level of training and skills, this type of procedure can cause serious injury, pain and even death. We do not want anyone to suffer these terrible outcomes.

“We are able to issue prohibition notices where we have concerns, and we will continue to take a pro-active approach. This will involve identifying and investigating other businesses offering this service.”

Marc Pacifico, consultant plastic surgeon and President of BAAPS, the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, said: “BAAPS seeks to promote patient safety in aesthetic procedures and surgery.

“We are fully supportive of the decisions taken by the City of Wolverhampton Council. The risks involved in filler injection can be significant, especially when injected blindly into the buttocks.

“Furthermore, not being medically trained in both the procedure, and in recognising and managing risks and complications, puts patients at significant risk of harm. We hope that other councils around the UK follow this example of decisive action to protect the public.”

Residents and businesses with concerns can email environmentalhealth@wolverhampton.gov.uk