Today, the All Party Parliamentary Group on Beauty and Wellbeing (the APPG), Chaired by Carolyn Harris MP and Judith Cummins MP, publishes recommendations for government following its inquiry into the value of the complementary therapies in supporting the nation’s health.  

Complementary therapies from massage, to reflexology and reiki can be crucial to supporting everyone’s physical health and mental wellbeing. However, the sector’s value is often overlooked. With the NHS being under escalating pressure, it is vital that the benefits of complementary therapies are taken account of by Government. 

Medical professionals could be better informed on the merits of these therapies and how they can refer patients through the use of social prescribing. This would both deliver better outcomes for patients, especially for those who experience chronic pain or mental health conditions, as well as helping ease up pressure on our struggling health system.  

Figures show that complementary therapy practices can lead to a 37% reduction in doctors’ visits. 

To ensure complementary therapies can adequately support the NHS, the skills gap must be addressed. We need to attract more talent into the sector and ensure all therapists receive the right training to become highly skilled professionals. 

We also need to increase the view of the professionalism of the sector so it is no longer seen as non-essential. Building understanding of its value in supporting our nation’s health, and cracking down on the underground market of poor treatment is crucial.  

The Group today makes key recommendations for Government including:  

1. To work with NHS England to promote the benefits of social prescribing complementary therapy services  

2. Provide greater financial incentives for employers to take on apprentices and learners to address the skills shortage  

3. Give Environmental Health Officers greater powers to act quickly to deal with poor practice  

Co-Chairs of the APPG, Carolyn Harris MP and Judith Cummins MP, said:  

“It is clear that complementary therapies can have a huge impact on all of our physical and mental health and wellbeing. However the value of the sector is not being adequately recognised.”  

“Using social prescribing to offer complementary therapies through the NHS can provide life changing support for many with long-term health conditions, while taking pressure off our seriously overstretched healthcare system. 

Yet many medical professionals are unaware of the benefits of prescribing such therapies. Equally the skills gap faced by the sector means not enough highly trained professionals are available to support the NHS is this way. 

We hope the Government will review our recommendations in order to support the complementary therapies sector and improve the nation’s health.”  

This report is not an official publication of the House of Commons or the House of Lords. It has not been approved by either House or its committees. The views expressed in this report are those of the group. This report was researched by Dentons Global Advisors and funded by the National Hair and Beauty Federation, the Federation of Holistic Therapists and spabreaks.com.  

For more information, please contact the Secretariat of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Beauty and Wellbeing, on appg-bawUK@dentonsglobaladvisors.com.  

Today a cross-party group of MPs has launched an investigation into the value of complementary therapies in supporting everyone’s physical health, mental health and wellbeing and taking pressure off the NHS. 

Co-chaired by Carolyn Harris MP and Judith Cummins MP, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Beauty and Wellbeing (APPG BAW), will exploring how complementary therapies can support everyone’s health, evaluate the skills gaps facing the industry, consider how to ensure the viability of businesses and jobs, and review potential government interventions to support the sector’s future. 

The Group is today launching a call for written evidence to better understand: 

• the value the sector brings to the UK’s economy and society 
• how complementary treatments can play a preventative role in supporting people’s health and wellbeing, or support those with existing health conditions  

• how the NHS can be better integrated with the sector 
• the skills gap facing the industry and how we can attract talent  
• how has the pandemic changed demand for these services 
• how to ensure the long-term growth of the sector and ensure those that work in it are able to make a good wage. 

During the summer the MPs invited sector experts to give oral evidence at the first session of the investigation, with further sessions to be held over the autumn. Having collected evidence, the APPG will present a Call to Action on Government with recommendations for how to support the sector’s future. 

The deadline for Call for Evidence submissions is midnight on 11^th November. 

Carolyn Harris MP and Judith Cummins MP, Co-Chairs of the APPG BAW said: 

“Great steps have been made to secure the beauty industry greater recognition in Parliament and Government, however the value of complementary therapies in supporting everyone’s health is not being adequately recognised. 

“Treatments such as massage can play a vital role in helping those with long-term health conditions manage their symptoms. Equally, highly-trained complementary therapists can play a preventative role in helping identifying health conditions in their clients. 

“With our NHS under increasing pressure, it is more important than ever that the benefits of complementary therapies are recognised. 

“We look forward to receiving representations from across the industry as we seek to make recommendations to the Government on to support the sector’s future, and ensure it’s role in supporting the UK’s health is maximised.” 

The terms of reference, call for evidence questions and information on how to submit a response are available on the Group’s website here. 

The APPG was thrilled to receive a letter from the Minister for Patient Safety, Maria Caulfield, referencing the role of the APPG and the inquiry into non-surgical cosmetic procedures in influencing the Government’s decision to implement a licensing regime for these treatments.

The Minister wrote: “We welcome the important contribution of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Beauty, Aesthetics and Wellbeing. The APPG inquiry highlighted the huge range of non-surgical cosmetic procedures available, which vary in their level of complexity and invasiveness. The Government has carefully considered the findings of the report including the recommendation for a licensing system”.

Read the letter from the Minister below.

All-Party Parliamentary Group on Beauty and Wellbeing Reinstated for 2022

Last week, the APPG held its Annual General Meeting to reinstate the Group, re-elect its officers, and agree the work programme for the year ahead.

The 2022-23 APPG list of officers is as follows:

Carolyn Harris MP, Labour MP for Swansea East – Co-Chair

Judith Cummins MP – Co-Chair

Caroline Nokes MP – Vice Chair

Peter Dowd MP – Treasurer

Nick Smith MP – Secretary

The MPs agreed the purpose of the APPG on Beauty and Wellbeing is to highlight and celebrate the British beauty and wellbeing industry in Parliament, tackle the prejudice it experiences, and provide a forum to explore the challenges facing the industry and what government action is needed to overcome those issues.

The MPs discussed their priorities and workplan for the year ahead.

• Following the Government’s milestone announcement of a licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic treatments, as recommended by the APPG in its 2021 inquiry and report on the subject, the MPs will continuing to lobby on the licensing amendment to the Health and Care Bill to ensure this is not watered down and ensure the regulations cover the wide range of necessary treatments that need to be adequately regulated. They  will also continue efforts to lobby the Government to deliver on the wider recommendations made in the APPG’s report in order to support the industry and protect consumers.

• The Group will continue to place a focus on the ‘Power of Beauty & Wellbeing’ and work to grow the recognition of the sectors in Parliament and with Government. This will also include a focus on the wider post-covid landscape such as maintaining consumer confidence and how to address ongoing post-Covid and -Brexit skills issues. The MPs agreed the APPG would run a panel series on this subject, to explore industry issues, such as:
  • Beauty and sustainability
  • The importance of complementary therapies and wellbeing
  • The science behind the beauty: women in STEM
  • Female leaders and entrepreneurship
  • Beauty, diversity & inclusion
  • Beauty battling cancer

• And finally, the APPG will continue to support the charity Beauty Banks and highlight hygiene poverty in Parliament. They will focus on the importance of personal care products to physical health, mental health and wellbeing, and explore what can be done to end hygiene poverty in the UK. They also plan to engage their parliamentary colleagues to encourage MPs to support the charity in their constituencies.

DGA Interel will continue to provide administrative support to the APPG as Secretariat with the support of the National Hair and Beauty Federation and spabreaks.com as sponsors.

APPGs are cross-party groups of MPs and Peers with a shared interest in a particular issue they would like to raise in Parliament and with Government. Though they are run by and for Members of the Commons and Lords, many choose to involve outside organisations for advice and administration.

For further information, please do not hesitate to contact the Group’s secretariat on appg_bawUK@interelgroup.com. You can find out more about the APPG on here and on Twitter.

Today, we are pleased to share that the Government has announced its plans to introduce a licensing scheme in law to finally regulate aesthetic non-surgical cosmetic treatments, such as Botox and fillers.

This was a central recommendation of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Beauty, Aesthetics and Wellbeing’s inquiry into the subject last year.

Co-Chairs of the APPG, Carolyn Harris MP and Judith Cummins MP, welcomed the announcement, saying:

“We are thrilled to see the Government has accepted our recommendation to introduce a national licensing framework in law for non-surgical cosmetic treatments.

The APPG on Beauty, Aesthetics and Wellbeing’s year-long investigation found that the regulation of these treatments remains fragmented, obscure and out of date, meaning anyone can carry out any treatment, anywhere, with next to no restrictions on what qualifications they must have to do so.This has left consumers at risk and undermined the industry’s ability to develop.

A licensing framework set in law is an important step in the right direction, however this must be underpinned by mandated national minimum standards for practitioner training.

Maintaining the status quo is not an option. We urge the Government to accept our report’s recommendations in full and look forward to working with them to better protect consumers and support the industry”.

Today, the All Party Parliamentary Group on Beauty, Aesthetics and Wellbeing (the APPG), welcomed Small Business Minister Paul Scully to National Hair and Beauty Federation salon Issy’s in Belgravia, as he showed his support for the UK’s £30 billion hair, beauty and wellbeing sector.

The Minister, who is responsible for the Personal Care sector, met with Debbie Postiglioni and David Gillson, Co-Directors of Issy’s, the NHBF and APPG member Caroline Nokes MP. They discussed the salon’s experiences during the pandemic, how they have fared since reopening, and wider industry issues such as skills and apprenticeships.

The APPG’s recent inquiry into how the beauty and wellbeing sector can recoup its losses and recover from COVID-19 found that a deficit in consumer confidence since reopening has meant that 66% of beauty businesses remain either partially or fully reliant on Government support to function. The APPG this week launched 3-point Call to Action on Government supporting the sector, which includes broader apprenticeship incentives for small and micro businesses, and recognising the crucial role of holistic and complementary therapies in taking pressure off the NHS.

Paul Scully, Small Business Minister, said:

“The beauty sector has such a critical role to play in our recovery from the pandemic, not just because of the opportunities it provides to workers and entrepreneurs – most of whom are women – but also because of the vital boost to mental health and wellbeing which beauty treatments offer.

“I’m proud of the efforts we have made to support the sector and will continue to work closely with beauty industry experts as we build back better on high streets across the nation.”

Co-Chairs of the APPG, Carolyn Harris MP and Judith Cummins MP, said:

“We were delighted to see the Minister back our campaign to help beauty and wellbeing bounce back post-pandemic.

“Once worth £30bn to the UK economy, supporting 50,000 businesses and 560,000 jobs (85% women), the pandemic took a massive toll on the industry, which has been struggling to get back on its feet. Despite the full reopening of ’Personal Care’ in April, consumer confidence remains below its pre-COVID levels.

“It was fantastic to see the Minister show the strength of support for this sector, and ensure that, as the beating heart of several UK high streets, it can bounce back to its pre-pandemic state once again”.

APPG Member Caroline Nokes said:

“I am pleased the Minister has recognised the importance of the hair, beauty and well-being sector, and has come to hear at first-hand how businesses have been impacted by the pandemic.

This is an incredibly resourceful sector, which I have been proud to champion in Parliament, and will continue to remind Government of the economic value and the wider well-being support it gives.  It is a female driven industry, providing hundreds of thousands of jobs, and just as importantly it has helped enormously to combat loneliness and anxiety at the current time”.

Today, the All Party Parliamentary Group on Beauty, Aesthetics and Wellbeing (the APPG), Chaired by Carolyn Harris MP and Judith Cummins MP, publishes a Call to Action following its inquiry into the sector’s recovery from COVID-19.

The MPs launched the inquiry following concerns from industry leaders that the sector was still struggling to bounce back after the pandemic. Once worth £30bn supporting 50,000 businesses and 560,000 jobs (85% women), the pandemic has decimated the industry.

The Group found many businesses are facing debilitating staff shortages post-Brexit and due to inadequate funding for apprentices. In addition, the deficit in consumer confidence has meant that 66% of beauty businesses remain either partially or fully reliant on Government support to function.

The pandemic has taken a huge toll on the physical and mental health and wellbeing of the UK public, and the sector pays a crucial role in supporting this, taking pressure of the NHS, and helping to treat long-COVID symptoms. Yet staff shortages and a complete lack of Government recognition hinder the sector from fulfilling these needs.

The Group today makes 3 key recommendations for Government to ensure that the sector is not left behind in the UK’s post-COVID recovery:

1. Broaden apprenticeship incentives for employers, in particular for small and micro businesses
2. Include further accessible and broader holistic and complementary qualifications in the National Skills Fund
3. Recognise the crucial role of holistic and complementary therapies, and the crucial role these can play in taking pressure off the NHS

These recommendations are based on evidence given in public inquiry sessions and written submissions from a wide range of stakeholders including trade associations, industry operators and education providers.

As part of the APPG’s campaign to encourage MPs to support the beauty sector, APPG Co-Chair Judith Cummins visited an NHBF salon, Salon 57 & Jayne Taylor Aesthetics, in her constituency, Bradford South.

Co-Chair Judith met with salon staff and discussed a range of issues, from skills and apprenticeships to the COVID-19 recovery. She said:

“It was fantastic to meet local salon owners Helen and Jayne and hear from the team about the challenges facing this key sector in Bradford as they work to return to a more recognisable business environment.

“The hair & beauty sector has been heavily affected by the pandemic. A number of issues raised today will inform the work of the APPG on Beauty, Aesthetics and Wellbeing in Parliament. Particularly on the difficulties of recruiting apprenticeships and delivering the full range of training they need throughout Covid.

“These businesses are at the heart of our local communities. They provide important services that support wellbeing, local jobs and contribute greatly to the Bradford economy. This sector must not be left at the bottom of the priorities list.

“The contribution the industry makes to the economy, the opportunities it provides to young people, women and local entrepreneurs are vital in keeping the Great British high street alive.”