Government orders private cosmetic surgery clinics to produce data within the next 48 hours as part of urgent investigation into PIP breast implants. 

It has been announced today that the Government has ordered private clinics to produce data as part of an urgent investigation into PIP breast implants.

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has said that he hopes to publish the results by the end of the week. He confirmed that there is still no evidence of a link to cancer or to support the removal of the implants, but this is the first time that the Government has admitted that there has been a problem getting information from private clinics.

Around 40,000 women in the UK are thought to have the implants from Poly Implant Prostheses (PIP). They have been found to contain non-medical grade silicone gel, intended for use in mattresses and not the human body.

The Government’s position remains that there is no current evidence to support the routine removal of implants in the UK, and no evidence of an increased health risk from implants. However, some leading British surgeons are calling for the implants to be removed because of the uncertainty of their safety. This conflicting advice has left many women with the implants understandably feeling anxious and frustrated.

The Times also warned yesterday that anti-ageing injections will be the next scandal to hit the cosmetic surgery industry as patients are put at risk by loopholes in the law. There are 160 injectable fillers on the market in the UK that can be bought and used by anyone, leaving patients at risk of poor-quality procedures and possible subsequent health complications.

Hundreds of thousands of dermal filler procedures are carried out every year yet the market is largely unregulated and no medical training is required to inject them.

The cosmetic surgery industry is a fast-growing multi-billion pound industry in the UK and the number of people opting for procedures is increasing. However, with little regulation the onus is really on the patient to make sure that they are choosing a qualified practitioner to carry out their procedure.

If you have any concerns about PIP implants, or any other cosmetic procedures that have gone wrong, then to get in touch with us via our website www.cosmeticsurgerysolicitors.co.uk . You can also follow us on Twitter @CS_insider or like us on Facebook, CS insider.