New registry will improve safety if implants fail

A new registry to safeguard the health of patients with breast and other cosmetic implants has been launched. The registry will record the details of any individual who has breast implant surgery, so that they can be traced in the event of a product recall or other safety concern. The Department of Health (DoH) asked NHS Digital to develop and manage the Breast and Cosmetic Implant Registry (BCIR) in response to the Keogh Review of the Regulation of Cosmetic Interventions in the wake of the PIP implant scandal.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said, “We want the NHS to be the safest healthcare system in the world and anyone who chooses to have a cosmetic procedure has the right to safe care. The PIP breast implant scandal in 2010 affected thousands of people, which is why we asked NHS Digital to develop a new register which will allow people to be traced swiftly if that is ever needed.”

The British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS), Association of Breast Surgery (ABS) and the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) welcomed the announcement and issued a joint statement saying: “We have long championed the need for a compulsory register for breast implants. This will protect patients by providing a way to actively monitor all implants, track and trace their use and provide data for further research, which may be used to further technological advances.”