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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 earlier this month on Fresh Cosmetic Clinic on George Street, in Sydney’s CBD.
The 630 George Street clinic closed after the Health Care Complaints Commission issued an interim prohibition order on Wednesday.
Despite the clinic advertising the registration 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 instead by unqualified employees.
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 commission said the ongoing investigation was sparked by public complaints about the clinic and people working there.
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 the unit’s director, Vicky Sheppeard.