Firm ‘would go bust’ if it replaced PIP implants for free

The Harley Medical Group, which fitted PIP breast implants to almost 14,000 British women, has said it will not replace them free of charge. The private firm, which has an office in Glasgow, fitted more of the implants than any other UK company.

It follows days of delay from the company in giving clear advice to women affected by the scandal. The group claims replacing the banned implants would put it out of business.

Some 40,000 British women received implants manufactured by the French company Poly Implant Prostheses (PIP). The implants were filled with non-medical-grade silicone intended for use in mattresses.

The Harley Medical Group’s chairman, Mel Braham, said the government must accept “moral responsibility” for replacing the PIP implants.