§ Mrs. EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many silicone gel breast implants were undertaken in the past five years by(a) the NHS and (b) the private sector. [51676]
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§ Mr. Boateng[holding answer 22 July 1998]: The available information is in the table. We record the number of episodes in which a breast implant was inserted; whether the implants were filled with silicone-gel or another material is not known. There are no equivalent figures for the private sector.
Number of episodes by primary operation; ordinary admissions and day cases combined, National Health Service hospitals, England Year Breast implants 1991–92 1,514 1992–93 1,680 1993–94 1,234 1994–95 1,320 1995–96 1,435 Source:
Hospital Episode Statistics OPCS4R Codes B30.1 Insertion of prosthesis for breast, B31.2 augmentation mammoplasty and B31.8 other specified plastic operations on breast
We have accepted the recommendation of the Independent Review Group on Silicone Gel Breast Implants for the compulsory registration of details of each breast implant and explant operation with the National Breast Implant Registry. This will, over time, give fuller data on the annual number of operations carried out in the United Kingdom.