Glen Waverley’s Sparadise clinic banned from cosmetic procedures after bad outcome
A MELBOURNE cosmetic clinic has been ordered not to undertake any cosmetic surgery procedures, with a bungled Botox believed to be behind the ban order.
VIC News
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A BUNGLED Botox-like injection is believed to be behind a ban order on a Melbourne cosmetic clinic.
In an unprecedented move the Sparadise Medical and Cosmetic Clinic in Glen Waverley has been ordered not to undertake any cosmetic surgery procedures while an investigation by Victoria’s Health Complaints Commissioner continues.
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The action was ordered after a patient suffered issues following treatment at the clinic, with concerns leading the HCC to issue the state’s first interim prohibition order under powers written into law last year.
Sparadise management on Monday insisted the clinic’s non-cosmetic services were still operating, including GP, Chinese medicine, facial massage and laser treatments, but conceded it had ceased offering Botox-type injections following concerns over a patient.
Despite staff from the Sparadise telling the Herald Sun the allegations relate to a Botox treatment, the company which manufactures Botox claimed they did not supply medication to the Glen Waverley clinic.
A representative of Botox manufacturer Allergan said there were a range of similar botulinum toxin products frequently used for anti-wrinkle-injections.
The case is the most serious of more than 50 cosmetic surgery complaints in Victoria now being examined.
The most common complaints made about the unregulated industry are of poor treatment and the failure of procedures to live up to patients’ expectations.
In February last year, Victoria’s Health Complaints Commissioner was given new powers to enforce interim prohibition orders against unregistered health providers. The Sparadise closure marks the first use of those powers.
Sparadise director Miao “Judy” Li has also been banned from providing health services for at least 12 weeks while Health Complaints Commissioner Karen Cusack completes an investigation.
“Issuing these sort of prohibition orders is not something I do lightly,” Ms Cusack said. “(We only do it) … where there is a serious risk to the health, safety or welfare of the public, as there is in this case.”
Ms Cusack said there had been a complaint from a clinic patient who “had a really bad outcome”.
According to preliminary information gathered, “it is so serious that to avoid that risk to the public broadly, we have issued the interim prohibition order”, she said.
Details of the patient’s condition or treatment are unknown, and Ms Li did not return the Herald Sun’s calls.
Depending on what the investigation finds, penalties could include a permanent prohibition order.
The Department of Health recently demanded an unrelated clinic in Hawthorn cease all surgery until further notice.
And the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency is currently taking action against some registered cosmetic practitioners.
According to the Sparadise website, the centre is one of Victoria’s largest medical and cosmetic clinics, using “top cosmetic surgeons”, offering services to Melbourne’s “culturally and linguistically diverse communities”, and providing products that are “created according to stringent standards of performance … to offer professional excellence to every woman in the world”.
Health Minister Jill Hennessy welcomed the Health Complaints Commissioner’s action, and urged any Victorian who had concerns about a cosmetic medical or surgical procedure to contact the commissioner.
“Cosmetic medical and surgical procedures are not risk- free,” Ms Hennessy said.
“And that’s why we introduced new legislation last year to put the safety of patients first and crack down on dodgy unregistered health service providers and practitioners.”
Anyone who has concerns about a cosmetic procedure can contact the Health Complaints Commissioner on 1300 582 113 or at hcc.vic.gov.au
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