Patients are being urged to test for blood-borne diseases including hepatitis and HIV after health authorities raided a cosmetic clinic in Sydney’s CBD that allegedly breached infection controls, used expired medication and advertised registration certificates belonging to people who had not worked for the business.
The Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) issued a public health warning on Thursday morning after executing a search warrant this month on Fresh Cosmetic Clinic on George Street.
The 630 George Street clinic closed after the Health Care Complaints Commission issued an interim prohibition order on Wednesday.
Despite the clinic advertising the certificates of qualified medical practitioners, investigators alleged these people never worked there and that cosmetic procedures, including Botox injections, hyaluronic acid injections and dermal fillers, were performed by unqualified employees.
Commissioner John Tansey accused the clinic of displaying the certificates “to intentionally mislead patients into believing they were receiving care from qualified professionals”.
“Deeply concerning to the commission are the clinic’s inadequate hygiene practices and standards, which raise significant infection control concerns and potentially exposing patients to blood-borne viruses,” Tansey said.
“We are committed to taking swift action to prevent these services from putting individuals at risk with unsafe and unregulated practices.”
The clinic, nestled between a dance studio and escape rooms at the southern end of George Street, closed on Wednesday after the commission imposed an interim prohibition order preventing it from providing any health services for the next eight weeks.
The ongoing investigation was sparked by reports of patients who required additional medical care due to complications from their treatments at the clinic, Tansey said.
Inspectors from South Eastern Sydney Local Health District’s public health unit inspected the clinic last week, advising it was possible clients may have been exposed to blood-borne viruses such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV.
The unit told patients who had injections or procedures, including Botox, fillers, breast implants or nasal carving, to consult a GP and get tested.
“Blood-borne viruses can be spread between clients where injections or invasive procedures are carried out without stringent infection control,” said unit director Vicky Sheppeard.
“People infected with blood-borne viruses may not show symptoms for many years, so it is important to be tested to see if there is silent infection.”
The Herald was unable to reach the owners of the clinic for comment.
Authorities have ramped up efforts to rein in rogue beauty clinics – particularly those offering Botox and dermal fillers – following a crackdown by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
The commission raided another practice on Macquarie Street last month following reports a patient contracted hepatitis B after being treated at the clinic owned by banned doctor and convicted fraudster Tommy Jodlovich.
Jodlovich did not keep patient records, the commission said, making it difficult to track down those affected and determine how many people had been exposed.
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