Hugh James Partner Mark Harvey criticises the lack of clarity and support provided to women with PIP breast implants
Head of Litigation at Hugh
James, Mark Harvey is representing over 250 women with PIP
implants
04 | 01 | 12
Renowned campaigning lawyer Mark
Harvey, Partner and head of the top ranked
Personal Injury Team at Hugh James solicitors, is already
acting for over 250 women with PIP implants and is investigating
potential claims for over 200 additional women that has contacted
Hugh James more recently.
As the leading solicitor
representing women in the UK affected by the PIP breast implant
recall, Mark Harvey has been called to provide his reaction to the
latest developments with PIP breast implants as concerns over the
failure rate of the defective Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) implant
continues to grow with experts calling for the UK Government to
support those affected.
The faulty PIP implants are the
subject of a Medical Device Alert (MDA) by the Medicines and
Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), with a recall being
issued on March 31 2010 for all UK implants. The implants were
recalled following concerns relating to an increase in rupture
rates in these implants.
The failure rate for UK patients
has been defined by the MHRA as being 1%, whereas French
authorities have found that the implants have a 5% rupture rate and
a major UK private clinic has reported that the failure rate
amongst its patients is at 7%.
Tim Goodacre, a member of a panel
looking at products made by French firm PIP, and president of the
British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic
Surgeons (BAPRAS) has given reaction in a recent interview with the
BBC. Mr Goodacre discussed that a failure rate of 7% is higher than
could be considered acceptable. He also discussed that the threat
of cancer is not likely; however a programme should be put in place
to remove of all implants.
Today, in a further complication
for women affected by these implants, The Independent Healthcare
Advisory Services (IHAS) a body which represents numerous cosmetic
surgery clinics, says data collected from thousands of patients
shows an average rate within the industry standard of 1-2%. This
despite the fact that it is listing Transform as one of its members
who it is known has already provided the government with new data
revealing a failure rate amongst its patients of 7%.
The conflicting data on implant
ruptures has prompted Mr Andrew Lansley, Secretary for Health to
launch a review of the evidence.
He reiterated government advice
that the implants, which 40,000 UK women have, do not require
routine removal. Last week, French authorities recommended that
30,000 women have faulty breast implants removed as a precaution.
The French government will cover the cost of the removals.
Mr Lansley repeated the stance,
expressed by the UK government last week, that there was "no
evidence" of a safety concern over the implants. But he said he was
concerned by the content and quality of some data, which required
further analysis to answer issues around rupture rates.
Mark Harvey, Partner and Head of
the top ranked Personal Injury Team at Hugh James solicitors is
acting for over 250 women with the defective PIP implants. Mark
Harvey says “It is clear that having contradictory releases from
cosmetic surgery clinics, their representatives and the French and
British Authorities at this anxious time for women affected is
unhelpful and I am again calling on the MHRA to react, provide
clear guidelines and advice to women and put procedures in place to
support those affected including working with the clinics to remove
the impnats where the patient requests it”.
Mr Harvey has been very critical of
the MHRA throughout the history of this product. This stems from
allowing this company to sell these implants in the UK in the first
place; their refusal to respond when Mr Harvey alerted them to the
problems; their refusal to meet with any of his clients or to
discuss their concerns and to release details of the testing they
have undertaken upon the products. As a result of course the latest
press reports about the product have caused an enormous amount of
stress and concern to Mr Harvey’s clients but he welcomes the
establishment of an expert working group to examine the present
guidance.
Listen to and read some of Mark
Harvey’s comments
View
our PIP news articles archive
For information on joining the
group represented by Mark Harvey please contact Hugh James on 02920
224 871 or complete the enquiry
form.