It has been announced today that the Department of Health has published the terms of reference for reviews following the recent concerns on PIP implants

Lord Howe, the Minister for Quality will lead the first review establishing what happened in the UK when the Department of Health learnt about the situation with PiP implants in France. The report will look into information about the implants, external concerns and what information was shared to advise patients.

Lord Howe said:

“I want to quickly establish the facts of what happened so we can, as far as possible, prevent anything like this from happening again.

“Women with PiP implants are, quite rightly, very concerned.  We need to give them answers and set out lessons for the future.”

The second review will be led by Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, the NHS Medical Director, and will look at whether the cosmetic surgery industry needs to be more effectively regulated. The report will aim to be completed by 2013 due to the complex issues. It will look into patient safety, the procedures of the clinical governance systems and improvements which are needed in systems for reporting patient outcomes.

NHS Medical Director, Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, said:

“I am working with experts from the plastic surgery field to look at what we can do to make sure people who choose to have cosmetic surgery and other cosmetic procedures are safe.

“I will be looking at all aspects of regulation – at the regulation of implants and fillers, at whether the people who carry out cosmetic interventions have the right skills, at whether the clinics look after the care and welfare of their patients.

This would include treatments such as cosmetic surgery, botox injections and dermal fillers and other cosmetic treatments where there is a potential risk to health."

For more information
www.mediacentre.dh.gov.uk