PIP Breast Implants

Opened the debate

Fleur Anderson, Member of Parliament for Putney, raised the issue of a health scandal involving Poly Implant Prothèse (PIP) breast implants. She highlighted that at least 47,000 women in the UK have been affected by these faulty implants, leading to years of illness, anxiety, and even cancer-related deaths. Anderson emphasised that victims had not been adequately informed about the risks associated with their PIP implants and that many had suffered without proper medical guidance or support. She called for a thorough review of the links between PIP implants and cancer, the establishment of a comprehensive register to contact affected women proactively, and stronger measures against companies exploiting loopholes to avoid compensation. Anderson also urged the Government to follow up on recommendations from previous reviews and inquiries to ensure better patient information, complaints handling, recall procedures, ongoing care, and compensation.

Government Response

Maria Caulfield responded by expressing sympathy for women affected by substandard PIP implants. She acknowledged that use of these implants was discontinued in 2010, and the MHRA monitors all incidences reported to it, ensuring thorough investigation and necessary action. Caulfield noted that affected women can now have their PIP implants removed on the NHS if doctors agree. Independent reviews were conducted in 2012 by Lord Howe and Sir Bruce Keogh, leading to regulatory improvements such as rating and assessing providers of surgical cosmetic procedures. A Breast and Cosmetic Implant Registry was established in 2016 to collect detailed information on every implant for tracing affected women. Caulfield emphasised the importance of informing women about the small risk associated with any breast implant when deciding on a procedure, ensuring clear communication about PIP implants' higher rupture rate but not necessarily higher cancer risk. She committed to working with Fleur Anderson to improve advice and information available to women and reassured that patient safety and women’s health remain top priorities.