Plans to insure cosmetic surgery

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20 January 2012 Last updated at 04:04 GMT By Simon Cox BBC Radio 4's The Report PIP implants contain industrial silicone but there is no evidence they pose a health risk An insurance scheme for cosmetic surgery patients could be introduced after the PIP breast implants scandal.

Sir Bruce Keogh, who is leading the government review into PIP implants, told the BBC the scheme would protect consumers.

Although there is no clear evidence PIP implants cause harm, the NHS will remove and replace those it fitted.

But patients who were treated privately are being told by most clinics they must pay for the procedure.

About 40,000 women in Britain have implants made by the French firm Poly Implant Prothese (PIP).

The 3,000 cancer patients who had them for breast reconstruction will have their implants replaced for free by the NHS for compassionate reasons to ease the concern of patients.

But that leaves thousands of women - fitted with implants that contain industrial silicone that is not supposed to be in human bodies - with no official recourse for help.

The three leading clinics which performed breast implant operations, and which would have used the PIP products, are Transform, the Harley Medical Group and Surgicare.

All three have declined to offer free replacements for their patients despite the government saying they have a moral obligation to their customers.

An insurance scheme for future cosmetic surgery patients would offer greater protection for consumers in these scenarios.

Sir Bruce Keogh, the NHS medical director, was appointed by Health Secretary Andrew Lansley in December to lead the review into PIP implants.

Protecting consumers

He told Radio 4's The Report the scheme being considered would work much like the insurance protection scheme in place in the travel industry.

"One of the things my review will be looking at will be... something like the Abta arrangement, which means that when a company runs into trouble for whatever reason, the consumer is covered," Sir Bruce said.

The Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) offers financial protection for its members and their customers should something go wrong.

Companies pay a subscription to become members of Abta, which then provides a fund for people to fall back on should there be a problem.

Sir Bruce said this model "captured the flavour of where we want to go," but said he did not want to pre-empt the recommendations from the review.

Jim Frame, professor of aesthetic plastic surgery at Anglia Ruskin University, supports an insurance system under which the patient would pay a premium but if a problem occurred with implants years after they were put in, there would be "an all-expenses paid replacement of a ruptured implant, absolutely no hassle and we do not have to worry the NHS."

Professor Frame also supports a breast implant registry which is likely to be reintroduced to record details of all operations.

A registry did exist between 1993 and 2006.

The inquiry team will meet in two weeks' time to review the data from private clinics about the failure or rupture rate of PIP implants.

Further tests are also being conducted on the industrial silicone which was used in the implants, to determine how toxic it was.

This edition of The Report was on BBC Radio 4 on Thursday, 19 January at 20:00 GMT.

Listen to the full programme via the Radio 4 website or download the programme podcast.

Source BBC

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New tests for cosmetic surgery

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By Adina Campbell
Newsbeat reporter Sian Welsh says she was too young when she had breast implants at 18

New assessments are being introduced at some private clinics to try to stop people having cosmetic surgery they may later regret.

The test has been developed by psychologists who say patients are being put at risk by firms who don't carry out enough checks.

They are also being backed by the UK's biggest plastic surgery group.

Some clinics in The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (Baaps) have already started using the form.

Nigel Mercer, a consultant plastic surgeon and member of Baaps, says the questionnaires are easy to use and have a scoring system to help identify those who aren't suitable for cosmetic surgery or treatments.

"It's important we are aware of those patients who are vulnerable and that they are appropriately counselled. They need to be fully aware of what they're letting themselves in for if they go for surgery."

"These assessments should act as an aid for surgeons who have a responsibility to ask the right questions. Too many private clinics are more concerned about their bank balance and not their patients."

The test asks questions like how long a person spends looking in the mirror and how much the feature they want to change bothers them.

Nichola Rumsey, a psychologist in Bristol, helped develop the assessment.

"We've worked on this for a number of years. We thought there was a need to provide surgeons with a screening instrument to find out who looks like they will do well from cosmetic surgery and those that may go on to suffer psychological problems."

'Flat chest'

Twenty-two-year-old Sian Welsh from Oldham had breast implants when she was 18. Looking back she says the surgeon didn't give her enough time to think about whether she needed surgery.

"Before my boob job I was a double A cup and it always bothered me having a flat chest. I was really excited about having implants when I turned 18 because I thought it would give me more confidence."

"But looking back, I was definitely too young and probably needed counselling to make me feel better about myself."

The patient must complete 11 questions on body image

"I don't regret the surgery but I should have waited. My surgeon didn't get to know me and never found out where I was psychologically."

The questionnaire takes up two sides of A4 and patients will need to answer the 10 questions before their first consultation with a surgeon.

There is a separate guide for surgeons which helps flag up those who aren't suitable for surgery and may need counselling instead.

It's claimed some patients who are desperate for surgery will able to cheat the test and give false answers.

Newsbeat gave Sian a copy of the questionnaire and she had mixed views.

"I think these assessments are a good idea and if it was around when I had surgery, the outcome may have been different for me.

"However, looking at these questions they're not very detailed and I think some people will put scores down that will guarantee they have surgery."

Nigel Mercer says the questionnaire is only supposed to be an aid for surgeons.

"Good surgeons will be able to tell when someone is lying and we are trained to pick out those who have deeper underlying issues."

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