Reaction to faulty implants 'inadequate' say MPs The Commons Health Committee highlighted a more than 20-month delay between a safety alert being issued to surgeons over the potentially faulty implants and "urgent action" to gather evidence and communicate with affected women. About 47,000 British women are now believed to have been given the implants manufactured by French company Poly Implant Prothese. They were filled with non-medical grade silicone and have been linked to rupture and swelling. New evidence in the report said surgeons had experienced "increased difficulty" in removing ruptured implants, which may mean there is a need to recommend they are taken out early. MPs criticised the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency [MHRA] and questioned the Government's response. The MHRA issued an alert in March 2010 telling surgeons they should stop using PIP implants. The report said no awareness campaign was instigated to trace affected women. The MPs said it was "surprising" that urgent action to gather evidence and communicate with affected women only gathered pace in December 2011 when the French government recommended women have the implants removed. The Government has ordered reviews of the action taken.