But what is just as hard to stomach as this whole scandal is the idea of any clinics taking advantage of the worried victims to increase their profit margins. According to British Association for Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), some clinics are trying to bully the PIP victims in to further unnecessary surgery, sources from the BBC have confirmed.
Clinics are cross-selling other procedures and services to PIP victims using scare tactics to convince them that further treatment could be a necessity.
Twenty Nine year old Sarah, having being told by her GP and a clinical consultant that one of her PIP implants had likely ruptured, opted for them to be removed by the clinic that was now in place of the original which has previously gone in to administration. When she advised she would not be paying more money to have them replaced, she was told that she would have large amounts of scarring, and that “it was a shame that such a young person would end up kind of deformed.”
The report goes on to confirm that the clinic talked about bank loans to fund the treatment, and suggested she would look “deformed” and like a “freak” if she did not have the further treatment! Sarah says she feels they were simply trying to bully her in to paying more money; and I imagine many other women in similar situations would probably feel pressured in to paying for the further surgery when the clinics are telling them they face deformity!
BAAPS President Mr Fazel Fatah has spoken out: “Medical treatment is not a business just like any other business – it’s not a commodity. Medical treatment should only be provided if it’s in the interest of the patient and if the patient asks for the treatment.
“However, if the patient comes to you for a specific medical problem and you try to capitalise on that moment of vulnerability and try and cross-sell other surgical procedures they have never thought about and have never been an issue, it’s immoral, unethical and should be condemned.”
With clinics facing thousands of potential victims making claims against them for compensation, they stand to lose a lot of money. You could say it’s not surprising to see some of them attempt to make more money to reduce the huge financial hit that they potentially face; but capitalising on the concerns of the victims of this whole scandal is a disgusting concept.
If you are concerned about any treatment you are considering having, or to speak to us about making a claim for PIP compensation, call our free helpline on 0800 634 75 75.