- COMPLETE LACK OF CONSISTENCY IN CLINICS’ APPROACH TO SCANS
Scottish victims of the PIP Implant scandal are urging Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon to urgently clarify advice given to Scottish Healthcare providers on offering scans to PIP Implant victims who want to find out about the state of their implants.
The move comes after reports in the Sunday Mail this weekend revealed that women are being charged up to £300 for a scan to discover if their implants are leaking silicone into their bodies.
Campaign group “PIP Implants Scotland” slammed the private clinics’ charges and said that there was a “complete lack of consistency” in what clinics and GPs are telling patients concerned about the dangerous implants.
PIP Implant Scotland’s spokeswoman is 34 year old mum of one from Stirling, Trisha Devine. Her provider, Transform, has asked her to pay £120 for a scan. She said:
“It’s a disgrace asking frantic women to pay to find out if they have ruptured implants.
“We’ve already had to pay to have what we were told were the best quality implants.
“Some clinics are offering to scan, remove and replace for free and others are charging for everything. On top of that some GPs are referring women to the NHS for a scan and others telling women that they need to see their private provider. There is a complete lack of consistency; we just don’t know where we stand.
“Nicola Sturgeon urgently needs to make clear what the guidance is on this. All we want to do is find out what’s wrong with us. We didn’t ask for any of this to happen to us and we need help.”
Thompsons Solicitors are offering a free legal advice line to the victims of the scandal. Partner at Thompsons Solicitors, Patrick McGuire, said:
“All that these women are asking for is fair treatment. They trusted these clinics and gave them their money and in their hour of need they’ve been abandoned.
“The size of your wallet shouldn’t be the main factor determining access to a scan, it’s just not right. These women understandably want to know what effects these implants are having on them.
“We believe the law is clear that as consumers, the women affected deserve damages covering the cost of any scans and replacement operations from the clinics who sold them the goods as well as redress for any suffering they’ve been through.
“It is important that all victims of the PiP scandal seek legal advice to find out their rights. Anyone affected should call us to get free legal advice on 0800 0891331.
“It is the provider’s responsibility to sell goods of a sufficient standard and consumers have rights to protect them if this contract is broken.”
