British women harmed by pelvic mesh implants are still waiting for government compensation a year after a call for urgent action by a major report, which also drew attention to another treatment scandal involving epilepsy medication.
Patient Safety Commissioner Dr Henrietta Hughes, who made the recommendations, called the mesh controversy “an injustice” for the thousands of lives destroyed.
Some women were left in permanent pain, unable to walk, work or have sex, after the surgery to treat incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse, reports the BBC.
A Department of Health and Social Care official said: "Our sympathies are with those affected. This is a complex area … and Health Minister Baroness Gillian Merron met some of those affected before Christmas, and has committed to providing an update to the patient safety commissioner at the earliest opportunity.”
Redress
Hughes said it was very disappointing that women who had suffered so much harm were still waiting for redress.
Pelvic mesh was considered the gold-standard treatment for incontinence and prolapse in women for many years, to give weak or damaged tissue extra support.
But the net-like implant can erode and harden, cutting through tissue and causing serious pain.
The Hughes report also called on government to act quickly to help victims of another treatment, involving an epilepsy medication.
If taken during pregnancy, sodium valproate can cause major birth defects – but for decades, women were not properly warned about the risks.
An estimated 20 000 children were exposed to the drug in the womb, which can lead to birth defects, and learning and behaviour problems.
Hughes has recommended initial payments of £100 000 for sodium-valproate victims and £20 000 for women injured by mesh, followed by further payments for some, as well as some non-financial assistance to victims and their families.
Some women have already received undisclosed payouts from three mesh manufacturers, Bard, Boston Scientific and Johnson & Johnson.
The Hughes Report (Open access)
BBC article – Mesh victims still wait for financial compensation (Open access)
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Vaginal mesh implant victim awarded £1m
J&J: Australia court awards damages for faulty pelvic mesh implants
UK women sue NHS and Johnson & Johnson over vaginal mesh implants
Another Valproate alert over risks of children’s disorders
Sanofi ordered to compensate for epilepsy drug’s autism side-effect in pregnancy
Poorer test results for children exposed to epilepsy drugs in the womb