Implant-mum to go ahead with removal

A MUM-OF-THREE has been given the all-clear to have her PIP breast implants removed — and says more should be done on the NHS to help women like her.

Andrea Hornby (37) of Mortimer Street, Higginshaw, will have surgery on February 22 to remove the now-banned implants, which used industrial rather than medical grade silicone.

Andrea had been experiencing a burning sensation and pain, but doctors said they didn;t believe the implants had burst. The company that did the implant operation refuses to replace them - leaving Andrea pay the £1,500 cost herself.

She said: “I’m still in a lot of pain. I’m not willing to wait to see how the situation pans out. It makes me angry that in Wales and across Europe, women are being offered free replacements on the NHS.”

Andrea will travel to Birmingham for the operation by private company the Hospital Group, which did the original operation. She has been told full recovery could take months.

Andrea added: “England should follow what Wales is doing. By not offering replacements, it could leave the NHS with an even bigger bill in the long run. I wish I’d never had the implants.”

Andrea is among 40,000 women the NHS believes have the implants, made by French company Poly Implant Prostheses. The NHS will remove but not replace implants if a private clinic refuses or no longer exists.