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Stock image of a Botox syringeIMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES By Anna Collinson Health correspondent Beauty practitioners offering Botox-style injections or dermal fillers could be required to have a licence, as part of government plans to protect patients in England. It is hoped this will ensure consistent standards in an industry previously called the "Wild West" by MPs. Industry bodies say the consultation on new rules is welcome and want changes implemented quickly. Currently, anyone can offer the treatments, with few restrictions. 'Physically scarred' Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid says he is committed to making it an offence for someone to operate without a licence. "While most of those in the aesthetics industry follow good practice when it comes to patient safety, far too many people have been left emotionally and physically scarred after botched cosmetic procedures," he says. Complications can include infections, lumps, bruising and even blindness. An amendment to the Health and Care Bill has been tabled on Tuesday. If successful, the government would have the power to introduce a licensing regime for botulinum-toxin injections - often known as Botox - or fillers. However, the full details will not be confirmed until after a public consultation, which some fear could take months or even years. Social media Ashton Collins, from Save Face, says: "These unlicensed operators are like ghosts. "They're on social media, they're mobile, they come to people's houses. "Then, when somebody complains, they disappear and have no fixed address. "We urgently need a licensing scheme which is fit for purpose." Hannah Russell, chief executive of Glowday, a website that connects patients with verified, medical aesthetic practitioners, is calling for the licensing criteria to go beyond technical skills. "Prior experience of the injector", "the ability to properly consent" and "skills to resolve complications" should all be considered, she says. Driven demand The government plans also include introducing hygiene and safety standards for premises. BBC News has been told about many cases of treatments in people's homes, sometimes near children or pets, which can increase the risk of infection. The spread of images on social media has driven demand for these procedures, which can plump or smooth the skin, with sites also providing a platform to sell them. In October, it became illegal to give Botox-style injections or fillers for cosmetic reasons to under-18s in England. And from May, cosmetic-surgery adverts that target them will be banned. Regulated qualification The All Party Parliamentary Group on Beauty, Aesthetics and Wellbeing has welcomed the Department of Health's plans but wants all of the recommendations it made last summer to be implemented. This includes requiring practitioners to hold a regulated qualification at a national minimum standard. The Welsh government says the proposed licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures would "in effect bring England into line with the powers we already have" under the Public Health (Wales) Act 2017 - though Brexit and the pandemic has delayed implementation. Proposals are due to be set out in the "near future" in Scotland, while Northern Ireland has no plans for such measures.

Plans to ban unlicensed Botox providers in England

Call for body-image warnings on retouched photos

Call for body-image warnings on retouched photos

Brazilian Butt Lift can be made safer say surgeons

Brazilian Butt Lift can be made safer say surgeons

Image of someone having surgeryIMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES Image caption, Private cosmetic procedures are on the up according to BAAPS By Annabel Rackham BBC News The number of cosmetic procedures taking place in the UK has continued to increase following the pandemic, according to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS). Breast enlargement remains the most popular surgery for women, but the number of breast reductions is also on the rise. Women underwent 93% of all recorded cosmetic procedures, BAAPS says. Anyone thinking about surgery should consider the risks before deciding. BAAPS is an organisation that looks at improving safety and innovation in cosmetic surgery. Its president Marc Pacifico says "economic uncertainty and a decrease in overall consumer spending does not seem to the deterring patients from having cosmetic surgery". The BAAPS yearly audit looks at surgery undertaken in the UK - mostly at private clinics - so does not reflect the growing number of people going abroad for cosmetic procedures. The NHS has offered advice for those considering travelling to another country for surgery.

UK cosmetic procedure numbers recover after Covid

Woman having filler injection in her foreheadIMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES The government could ban unlicensed providers of cosmetic treatments in England, in what industry bodies say would be the biggest shake-up in a generation. Under the plans, anyone carrying out Botox, breast or butt lift injections would have to be trained and licensed, with their premises also inspected. The proposals have been have been opened up for public consultation. But some say enforcing the regulations could be a challenge. There has been an explosion in cosmetic procedures in recent years, with much of it being fuelled by sales on social media and in beauty shops on the High Street. At present, healthcare professionals such as doctors, nurses and dentists carrying out non-surgical cosmetic procedures have to be trained and insured to do them as part of the requirements laid down by their regulatory bodies. But there is no set training for beauty therapists and other non-professionals. In early 2022, the government said it wanted to introduce a licensing scheme for Botox and fillers to protect patients, with details to be firmed up after a public consultation. Maria Caulfield, the minister for women's health strategy, said there had been "too many stories of people who've had bad experiences" from getting a cosmetic procedure from someone who is inexperienced or underqualified. Nearly 3,000 were sent last year to registered practitioner service Save Face, out of a total of 900,000 non-surgical cosmetic procedures carried out in the UK. Botox 'left woman unable to open eye for 16 weeks' 'I couldn't close my lips after botched filler' Non-surgical beauty industry like Wild West - MPs Ms Caulfield said it was the government's role "to ensure consistent standards for consumers and a level playing field for businesses and practitioners". Former Love Island contestant Faye Winter said Botox procedures which had gone "terribly wrong" left her in physical pain and impacted her mental health. The TV personality told BBC Radio 4's PM programme how on one occasion she had Botox injected into the wrong muscles, leaving her eyebrows paralysed. She continued: "I didn't want to leave my house, I was crying...when I look back I really wish there was someone there who said 'you don't need that, are you sure you want to do that? - not 'okay, well I'll take your money'." Faye Winter attending the UK premiere of The Power at the Odeon Luxe, Leicester Square IMAGE SOURCE,PA MEDIA Image caption, Ex-Love Island star Faye Winter said botched Botox impacted her physical and mental health The proposed new licensing scheme will make it a criminal offence for anyone to carry out non-surgical cosmetic treatments without a licence. The BBC understands that injections for vitamins, weight loss and hay fever will be included on that list of treatments. Those administering them will have to be trained, qualified and experienced, have the correct insurance cover and operate from clean and hygienic premises which are also licensed. The scheme will be administered by local authorities across England. Prof David Sines, chairman of the Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners charity, said: "This will dramatically improve consumer safety and reduce the risk of injury and harm arising from 'botched' and improperly performed cosmetic treatments." Ashton Collins, director of Save Face, said the licensing scheme was still in its "very early stages" and the main focus had to be public safety. She is concerned that online sellers of cheap beauty treatments who "operate in the shadows" will remain unlicensed. She also said too many people assume the person injecting is trained and do not ask to see their qualifications, or request the face-to-face consultation with a healthcare professional to which they are entitled. So-called "Brazilian butt lifts" and breast enlargement injections are thought to be the most high-risk unregulated procedures on offer in the UK. It became illegal to give Botox-style injections or fillers for cosmetic reasons to under-18s in England last year. It is also illegal to advertise the treatments to children. People and businesses can share their views in a consultation on the licensing scheme until 28 October on the government website.

Botox providers in England facing stricter rules

At least 30 E.coli cases may be linked to recalled cheese - HSA

At least 30 E.coli cases may be linked to recalled cheese – HSA

It is important to stress that Covid has always caused a wide range of symptoms. Even before vaccines, some lucky people barely got sick or did not even develop symptoms.

Why Covid is still flooring some people

Louise says the prolonged process has put a lot of "strain on her own mental health as well as her and her husband's relationship".

How to go sober at Christmas, from people who know

The Kenyan women being helped by Alnwick stoma swimmer

The Kenyan women being helped by Alnwick stoma swimmer

Jang Jun-ha's brother, Jun-an, was only 35 when he took his life in 2018. Jang had called the police in South Korea's capital Seoul after not being able to reach Jun-an on his mobile phone for days.

S Korea suicide: ‘When I found my brother’s body, my heart turned to winter’

Wegovy injectable prescription weight loss medicineIMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES Image caption, Wegovy propelled Novo Nordisk into the big league By Jonty Bloom Business reporter Late last year, Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk became Europe's most valuable company, for a short time at least. Well-known in business circles, but hardly a household name, Novo Nordisk had not previously been seen as a big player in the drugs industry, let alone a titan of the European stock market. But it leapt to the top of the league table and was valued at $428bn (£342bn) because it has discovered the Holy Grail of all drugs. One that millions of people want and need across the Western World and beyond. Called Wegovy, its active ingredient was designed to tackle type 2 diabetes, but as a side effect was found to almost guarantee to make people lose weight. Like Viagra, which was originally supposed to treat high blood pressure, unrealised but popular side effects have made Wegovy a must-have drug. It is knocking at an open door - Goldman Sachs research predicts that the anti-obesity drugs market is worth some $6bn this year. But by 2030, it could grow by more than 16 times to $100bn. It almost sounds too good to be true, but what are the long-term prospects and consequences for a pharmaceutical company that discovers a sure-fire winner? Is it really the Midas touch or more of a poisoned chalice? Semaglutide in a pill IMAGE SOURCE,NOVO NORDISK Image caption, The market for weight loss drugs could be worth $100bn by 2030 Well for a start, having discovered a drug that suddenly dominates the market is just the start of the process. You have to make it, market it and negotiate the price with a whole host of health companies and national health services. Some like the NHS in the UK are so large they can force down the cost and therefore the profitability of even the most popular drugs. At the moment Wegovy is available on the NHS for weight management in specific circumstances. Claire Machin is executive director for international policy and UK competitiveness at the ABPI, the body that represents pharmaceutical companies in the UK. She told me that the UK not only forces down prices for drugs using a value-for-money standard set 20 years ago, but then the NHS will negotiate even lower prices, followed by a further requirement for cash rebates from companies when the NHS exceeds its medicines budget. "Because of that, the UK spends comparatively less on medicines than similar countries, spending about 9% of its total health budget on medicines, compared to around 14% in Australia, 15% in France, and 17% in Germany." Then there are operational problems, In 2022 Novo Nordisk had trouble meeting the huge demand for Wegovy. In December 2023 its shares were marked down because of worries about its ability to produce the drug in enough quantity again, and at a high enough quality, to satisfy the industry's regulators. A production line of anti-diabetes injection is pictured at a factory of Novo Nordisk (China) IMAGE SOURCE,ALAMY Image caption, Novo Nordisk is ramping up production to meet demand The company admits that in the US, during December it ran out of the 1.7mg dose of Wegovy. That happened despite running its manufacturing lines "24 hours a day, seven days a week". But, it expects to be able to restart shipments this month. Then there is the quite obvious fact that Wegovy's head start is just that, a head start. There are already other drugs from other companies that do the same thing. Those companies will be working night and day to improve their drugs, to market them better, to sell them cheaper, and to undercut Novo Nordisk at every chance. After all, there is a potential market of $100bn a year at stake. In November, Eli Lilly, an American pharmaceutical giant got approval for its weight lose drug Mounjaro in the UK. Other alternatives include drugs like Saxenda, Orlistat, and Qsymia - the battle to dominate the weight loss drug market is well under way. Of course, Novo Nordisk is protected from direct competition by its drug patents that normally run for 20 years. After that anyone can enter the market and make their own generic version of its drug. Presentational grey line More technology of business Will hotter heat pumps win over homeowners? Tech Trends 2024: AI and electric vehicle deals The quest to find healthy and cheap sweeteners Could there be a gold rush for buried hydrogen? What happens after a nuclear power station is closed? Presentational grey line Pharmaceutical patents mean companies have to make the money while the going is good. When anyone can copy them the good times are well and truly over. "I think 90% of pharmaceutical spend in the UK, and I'm pretty sure it's similar in the US, is for generics... so, you [the original inventor] may well retain market share, but the price will fall," says Graham Cookson chief executive of the Office of Health Economics, the world's oldest health economics research organisation. Then there is one final problem for the discoverer of a giant new successful drug. It makes you stand out from the crowd, and if you are a small or even medium sized company that makes you vulnerable. It really does not pay to be too popular. Pharmaceutical giants have very deep pockets and if their extensive and expensive drug development programmes have failed to find the best drugs there is a simple solution, buy the company that has. But Novo Nordisk has one final card up its sleeve, most of its shares are owned by a Danish Foundation, making it virtually immune to a takeover bid.

Can Denmark’s world-beating drugs maker stay ahead?

Sarah Gersten, executive director and general counsel for the Last Prisoner Project, called the executive order "largely symbolic".

Biden grants pardons for certain marijuana offences

Workers at a crisp factory in South Australia have complained that a spicy ingredient is affecting their health.

Spicy Doritos seasoning sparks Adelaide workplace safety complaint

Cheese Image caption, Four types of Mrs Kirkham's cheese were recalled on Christmas Eve By Michelle Roberts Digital health editor A person in Scotland has died from E. coli, following an outbreak of the bacterial infection in the UK linked to cheese. Health experts warned a few days ago that some products in the Mrs Kirkham's range might be contaminated and should be recalled as a precaution. It is not clear yet whether the death was caused by food. Mrs Kirkham's said it had withdrawn its cheese from the market and urged customers to follow official advice. Officials say investigations are continuing into any common links between cases and the recalled cheeses. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said one person from Scotland with the infection has now died but has not provided details such as their age or sex, or whether they had other underlying health conditions. It says there have been 30 confirmed cases of Shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC) reported across England and Scotland since late July. These were people aged between seven and 81, and some needed hospital care. Symptoms of STEC infection can vary in severity, ranging from mild diarrhoea to severe abdominal cramps, vomiting and bloody diarrhoea. In up to 15% of cases, infection can lead to the development of haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) - a serious and life-threatening condition predominantly affecting the kidneys, which can result in death. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and UKHSA warned the public not to eat the following cheeses: Mrs Kirkham's Mild & Creamy Lancashire Mrs Kirkham's Tasty Lancashire Mrs Kirkham's Mature Lancashire Mrs Kirkham's Smoked Lancashire No 1 Waitrose and Partners, Farmhouse Kirkham's Lancashire cheese STEC infection can be spread by many different routes - not just contaminated food. It can be caught from direct contact with an infected animal or close contact with an infected person. Amy Douglas, incident director for gastrointestinal infections and food safety division at UKHSA, said people should take any necessary precautions. "If you have diarrhoea and vomiting, you can take steps to avoid passing it on to family and friends over the festive period. "Washing your hands with soap and warm water and using bleach-based products to clean surfaces will help stop infections from spreading. Don't prepare food for others if you have symptoms or for 48 hours after symptoms stop. "Many of us will be travelling for Christmas, but if you are unwell you should avoid visiting people in hospitals and care homes to avoid passing on the infection in these settings," she added. "Do not return to work or school once term restarts until 48 hours after your symptoms have stopped." In a statement, Preston-based Mrs Kirkham's said it had been made aware of the STEC outbreak. A spokesperson said: "Consumer safety is our top priority and we will not take any risk when it comes to protecting the health of our customers. We are working closely with the relevant authorities, and whilst the situation is developing, we have taken the precautionary decision to recall and withdraw all of our cheese from the market. "We are assured that our local authority have not identified any issues or concerns in our manufacturing process. Furthermore, all the early tests carried out by government laboratories on our cheese have come back negative." The spokesperson said the company was awaiting the results of further tests as a foods standards investigation into the source of the outbreak continues. They urged consumers to follow official advice and said businesses supplied with Mrs Kirkham's products would be provided with further updates as soon as possible. Stuart McAdam, head of incidents at Food Standards Scotland, said:  "We are aware that this recalled product may be popular over the festive period, especially as it has also been sold as part of a Christmas gift hamper and so we are urging consumers to check whether they have this product or may have gifted it to others." He urged people, especially pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems, to follow the advice in the product recall notices.

One dead following cheese recall over E. coli

Golpe De Suerte Capitulo 86 Completo HD

Golpe De Suerte Capitulo 60 Completo HD

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