The big story in London today is the fact that a private company, which fitted faulty breast implants, is refusing to rectify them. The issue could not be more black and white. If you buy something, which is not fit for purpose, the company that sold you the product or service should rectify the problem, for no extra costs. A responsible company should have insurance to cover such issues, especially if they operate in the area of health.
The government should regulate and close down any clinics operating without full insurance and who do not guarantee their work. I would urge everyone to avoid such clinics like the plague until such time as we can all be sure that they are fitting safe products and if there is a problem they will fix it.
If you buy a car and it has a design fault, the manufacturer remedies it. There is no excuse for the same rules not applying in healthcare. If the clinics fitting these have a beef they can sue the manufacturer. I suspect that the big issue is that the greedy surgeons don't want to interrupt the cash flow by fixing the shoddy work they have performed. The whole issue makes me sick. Sue the bastards if they won't fix your boobs. They don't give a shit about you, so have their house !
There is an issue about regulation. The MHRA is supposed to test & check devices like implants & licence them for use. However on 31 March 2010 they issued a warning/ stop use notice.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mhra.gov.uk/home/groups/dts-bs/documents/medicaldevicealert/con076500.pdf
And doctors/ private medical groups are insured.
Jaybird: As I understand it, the product had to receive a European "kite mark" for quality - the French manufacture "deliberately" used a (respected) GERMAN standards body for this.
ReplyDeleteThis logistically made inspection more difficult, and notice was always given of the inspection visits.
The question that I would like a surgeon to answer is could one tell the difference by eye between an industrial grade implant and a medical grade one. I presume not but if one could then the problem is down to the surgeon.
ReplyDeleteThis could hardly be more clear. The manufacture was not properly regulated in the country of origin. And the supplier of goods or services (ie those selling them to the customer) is liable for rectification or reimbursement.
ReplyDeleteThe inteview on BBC TV news last night was with an Australian spiv who was happy to take the customer's money to pay for a vanity project, but is broke when it comes to crunch time.
It is totally unacceptable that the people who fitted these are leaving people in the lurch. The issue is as simple as that. It is crystal clear to me that the industry is failing the customer.
ReplyDeleteThese people prey on peoples insecurities. The least they can do is fix the problems they have caused