Taking steps to prevent future implant scandal

FOLLOWING the many letters I received from concerned constituents last year about the PIP breast implant scandal, I am pleased to report that MEPs have voted to tighten up the regulation of both medical devices and implants across Europe.

The new proposals mirror many of the recommendations made by Sir Bruce Keogh, medical director of the NHS, charged by the Government to look into lessons to be learned from the PiP scandal.

Many readers would have been as shocked as I was to learn that women who had implants were given no record of what type of implant they actually had.

I was also surprised to hear that the French company at the root of the scandal was given prior notice of an inspection, giving it time to hide the evidence of the fraud that they had committed.

The new law would close these loopholes with on-the-spot inspections, personal implant cards for patients, an obligatory insurance scheme for manufacturers to cover costs should devices fail and a European database to track any problems or side effects with a device.

If we can get Ministers to sign up to these new laws, we can put an end to manufacturers cutting corners on patient safety, and passing the bill to the NHS when things go wrong.