NHS to help NI women with PIP breast implants

While it was recently announced that no PIP breast implants were used by the NHS or private clinics in Northern Ireland, it has been estimated that as many as 400 women may have had the PIP implants fitted elsewhere in the UK.

Northern Ireland health minister Edwin Poots has announced that the health service will remove the PIP implants, but will only replace them if they were originally fitted for health reasons. Any woman in Northern Ireland who had the PIP implants fitted for cosmetic reasons will be able to have them removed, but the Northern Ireland health service will undertake to replace them.

The implants were made by Poly Implant Prostheses, a French company which has now ceased operations. The implants were banned in France after it was discovered they contained industrial grade silicone, such as is used in computer components, as opposed to medical grade silicone which is more expensive, and it was suggested there was a higher rupture rate than with normal implants.

Earlier in the week it was confirmed that no PIP implants had been used in operations in Northern Ireland, but it was expected that a small number of women may have travelled to other parts of the UK to undergo surgery, and may have had the implants fitted then. Mr Poots said they were trying to ascertain how many Northern Ireland women did receive the implants, but that they have not been able to "verify" the figure of 400 that some have estimated.

Mr Poots advised anyone who had the PIP implants fitted to speak to experts within National Health Service for advice, and pledged that "should people desire them to be removed, we will cover the cost." He advised that they would seek to recover the money from the private clinic that carried out the initial operation. He said that they do not believe that any Northern Ireland women received the implants under the health service, but if they did, the cost of removing and replacing the implants would be covered.

If you live in Northern Ireland and have had the PIP implants fitted you should speak to a solicitor about a possible compensation claim. Contact one of the solicitors specialising in medical negligence and product defect claims in Wilson Nesbitt by calling 0800 840 9289.

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