NSW Health has issued a public health alert warning the clients of a Sydney cosmetic clinic to get tested for blood-borne viruses “due to infection control breaches in the clinic” where people who were not registered health practitioners were performing invasive procedures.
Fresh Cosmetic Clinic is no longer operating at 630 George Street after South Eastern Sydney Local Health District’s public health unit inspected the clinic on 22 October and reviewed evidence from the Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC).
The public health unit identified that some procedures conducted may have risked exposing clients to viruses such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV.
Dr Vicky Sheppeard, the director of the unit, said in a statement on Thursday that clients who had injections or underwent invasive procedures such as breast implants, facial or nasal line carving should see their general practitioners as soon as possible to be tested.
In cosmetic procedures, nasal line carving involves reshaping to add definition, often in conjunction with fillers. A NSW Health spokesperson said this clinic used the term for a more extensive procedure that included insertion of a lifting thread – described by the clinic as “a soft carving silicon to lift the nose ridge”.
“Blood-borne viruses can be spread between clients where injections or invasive procedures are carried out without stringent infection control,” Sheppeard said in the NSW Health warning.
“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. There are effective treatments for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.”
In a Thursday statement, the HCCC said Fresh Cosmetic Clinic Sydney was also known as Blissful “and by other names”.
The commission executed a search warrant on the clinic on 16 October after receiving a number of complaints “made in relation to the clinic”.
According to the HCCC statement, evidence obtained during the investigation found that non-registered persons at the clinic were performing invasive cosmetic procedures including injecting botox and dermal fillers such as hyaluronic acid.
“These procedures must be undertaken by registered health practitioners,” the HCCC said.
The HCCC also found non-registered persons at the clinic were administering prescription-only medicines in procedures including the injection of botox, hyaluronic acid and anaesthetics, which were not prescribed by a registered medical practitioner.
The commission also found some of the clinic’s stocks of medication were expired, and that it was displaying registration certificates of registered practitioners who did not work at the clinic.
“Members of the public attending the clinic believe that they are undergoing procedures performed by registered health practitioners when they are not,” the HCCC said.
“A number of people may have had an adverse reaction to the procedures being performed by the clinic.”
On 30 October the HCCC imposed an interim prohibition order on the clinic to prevent the health organisation from providing health services of any kind for a period of eight weeks.
Clients of Fresh Cosmetic Clinic who have concerns about the care and treatment they received can contact the Health Care Complaints Commission on prohibitionorders@hccc.nsw.gov.au
Clients can also contact their local public health unit on 1300 066 055 for more information on blood-borne viruses
