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16 January 2012
A government-ordered NHS review into breast implant safety concerns, potentially affecting up to 40,000 women in the UK, reports its findings.
The implants which have caused concern were made by the French company PIP (Poly Implant Prothese). They were found to contain industrial rather than medical grade silicone gel and are thought to potentially have an increased risk of rupturing.
On investigation, the French government quoted a rupture rate of 5% and recommended that the implants be removed. They also offered free six-monthly ultrasound scans to women who choose not to have them removed.
UK authorities estimated the rupture rate to be closer to 1%. A review was ordered, however, when it was suggested by one cosmetic surgery group that the rate may be as high as 7%.
An NHS committee was formed to investigate the situation and to report. On 6 January 2011, the committee, led by NHS Medical Director Sir Bruce Keogh, published its interim report.
The committee concluded that the stress and worry potentially-affected women may be experiencing is itself a form of health risk. It endorsed Department of Health ministers’ decision that women who had PIP implants fitted on the NHS be offered free replacement implants, following consultation with their GP and surgeon.
The Health Department have stressed that private clinics, who carried out 95% of the surgery, have a moral duty to offer the same to their patients. Some private clinics have already offered to replace the implants for free. However, if private clinics are no longer in business or refuse to help their patients, the NHS will remove the implants but not replace them.
The committee say that they will continue to investigate this matter, as insufficient evidence has so far been available:
'On the currently available information, the group considers that the statistical evidence on the rate of ruptures for PIP implants compared with other implants is incomplete and this risk cannot be assessed accurately. For this reason it is unable to come to any view on comparative rupture rates.'
The NHS committee will reconvene in 4 weeks time to review any new evidence and consider whether their current advice needs to be amended.
Liability in these cases will depend on the particular circumstances of individual cases. If you register using the form below, we will keep you informed as the situation develops. We can guide you through the process of pursuing a claim for compensation, should that be the most appropriate course of action.
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