My Department's priority at all times has been that the three treating clinics involved in the PIP breast implant issue provide professional and appropriate care to their affected clients. The Chief Medical Officer has met with and continues to engage with the clinics to ensure that best practice and patient support is paramount in the service provided to concerned recipients of these implants. It has been impressed on the treating clinics that an appropriate care programme must be in place and that clinical care should be provided to each client as considered appropriate by their treating surgeon. The provision of an improved care package by one of the treating clinics has been the subject of intense discussions between my officials and the provider concerned and the CMO continues to liaise with the provider in this regard.
The Department's website and the website of the Irish Medicines Board (IMB) continue to provide regular updates and information on the ongoing EU and international scientific investigation of PIP implants. The advice of both my Department and the IMB has remained constant and readily available to all interested parties, i.e.:
there is no evidence of increased risk of cancer for women with this brand of implant;
the risk of rupture is within expected norms and routine explantation is not recommended;
anyone with a concern about their breast implants should discuss the matter with their GP or surgeon. In addition, the Chief Medical Officer appeared before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health on 3rd May last to fully brief and answer members' questions.
The resolution of the implants issue has to be between provider and client and an appropriate solution found between the parties; my Department will continue to encourage all parties to reach an acceptable solution for all concerned.
