Wales pays to replace French-made breast implants – but England won't

Welsh health minister says not removing defective implants could endanger women's health

A woman holds her removed defective silicone gel breast implant
A woman holds her removed defective silicone gel breast implant, manufactured by the now defunct French company Poly Implant Prothese (PIP). Photograph: Reuters

The Welsh government says it will pay to replace French-made PIP breast implants for women who were treated privately.

Welsh health minister Lesley Griffiths said not replacing the implants could endanger women's health, given some have already ruptured.

The health secretary, Andrew Lansley, will rule out following suit in England when he updates MPs on the scandal today.

The Commons health select committee is to inquire into the cosmetic treatments industry.

"There's been a huge explosion in this country in cosmetic procedures generally over the last 10 years, particularly driven by celebrity culture and programmes like The Only Way Is Essex.

"Yet at the moment not everyone who carries out these invasive procedures is properly qualified, and procedures such as dermal fillers and Botox injections have the potential to make this a cowboy industry. We need to protect women and have a proper framework," said Dr Daniel Poulter, the Conservative MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, who is a committee member and hospital doctor.


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