Non-surgical cosmetic procedure complications data: FOI release

Information requested

Please provide the following data for the period of 2020 until 2025.

Please provide me with the following information for each calendar year:

• Any data, records, or reports relating to complications, adverse events, or hospital admissions associated with the following non-surgical cosmetic procedures:

1. Dermal filler treatments
2. Botulinum toxin (Botox) treatments
3. Skin booster treatments

Where possible, please break down this data into the following categories for each calendar year:

• The number of recorded complications, adverse events, or hospital presentations arising from each treatment type, by year.
• A breakdown by type of complication (e.g. infection, vascular occlusion, blindness, allergic reaction, necrosis, etc.).
• Whether any of these cases were identified as having originated from Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) registered clinics or non-registered providers.

Response

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have all the information you have requested.

I enclose a copy of any sets of data that we do have, with information on the source, and other related documents. As the non-surgical procedures sector has to date been largely unregulated, it has not been possible to gather consistent or comprehensive data on complications, adverse events or deaths arising from procedures. We know from qualitative evidence from people working within, or accessing this industry, that complications happen, and that when they do occur people are seeking treatment both from the NHS and private healthcare providers.

NHS coding for treatment does not record the reason why someone has had to seek treatment, it just records the issue being treat. As such the type of data you are looking for is not available. As I am sure you are aware there are regular media reports about complications and harm. This includes two deaths in England understood to be linked to this sector; one in 2024 and one in 2026 associated with individuals receiving non-surgical Brazilian Butt Lifts.

Some of the information we hold is available online, and I have provided links below in Annex A. Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

Exemptions under sections 38(1) of FOISA (personal information) apply to some of the information you have requested. This applies for example to email addresses and to instances where individuals have been mentioned by name in documents. It also applies in some cases to the names of businesses where it is likely that individuals will be identifiable. This exemption is not subject to the 'public interest test', so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.

Exemptions under section 30(b) of FOISA (information which would, or would be likely to, inhibit substantially the free and frank provision of advice or the free and frank exchange of views for the purposes of deliberation), also apply to some of the information. This exemption is subject to the 'public interest test'. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption. We recognise that there is some public interest in release because the information relates to the development of legislation. However, this is outweighed by the public interest in enabling officials to provide Ministers with full advice which will allow them to make robust decisions.

Some of the information has been redacted because it is out of scope, for example where emails or reports deal with other issues which do not fall within the scope of the topic you have asked about.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI 202600510200 - Information Released - Annex A

File type

PDF

File size

94.3 kB

FOI 202600510200 - Information Released - Spreadsheet

File type

Excel document

File size

38.0 kB

FOI 202600510200 - Information Released - Documents

File type

PDF

File size

2.4 MB