Died After Black Market 'Skinny Jab'

A grieving family is pushing for a crackdown on unlicensed weight loss drugs after their mother died just days after receiving an illegal 'skinny jab' at a beauty salon. Karen McGonigal, 53, from Salford, passed away in May of last year, weeks before licensed weight-loss treatments became available on the NHS in June. Her daughters, Abbie and Ffion McGonigal, met with Health Secretary Wes Streeting to urge for tougher penalties for sellers of unsafe injections and improved access to legitimate NHS treatments.

Karen McGonigal sought the £20 injection because she could not obtain the medication from her GP. Four days after her final dose, she was hospitalized and tragically died after two days on life support. Her family fears the unregulated semaglutide administered at the salon was the cause of her death. The Health Secretary praised the family's courage in sharing their story, acknowledging that lack of NHS availability pushes people towards dangerous, unqualified providers. He committed to working with regulators to curb illegal sales and warn the public about the risks.