logo
Mesh victims ‘still fighting for justice' five years on from review

Mesh victims ‘still fighting for justice' five years on from review

Glasgow Times08-07-2025
Sling the Mesh, a campaign group representing women harmed by mesh, accused governments of 'dragging their feet' on implementing all the recommendations set out in the report.
The review examined how the health service responded to concerns over pelvic mesh – which has been linked to crippling, life-changing complications including chronic pain, infections and loss of sex life; the anti-epilepsy drug sodium valproate – which has been linked to physical malformations, autism and developmental delay in many children when it is taken by their mothers during pregnancy, and hormone pregnancy tests such as Primodos – which are thought to be associated with birth defects and miscarriages.
It concluded that patients came to 'avoidable harm' because the healthcare system failed to respond in a speedy and appropriate way when serious concerns were raised about some medical treatments.
The First Do No Harm review, published in 2020, found patients were 'dismissed' and 'overlooked', while the healthcare system had a 'glacial' and 'defensive' response to concerns over treatments.
It set out a series of recommendations, but campaigners have said that to date, some three of the nine recommendations set out in the review have been implemented.
Sling the Mesh said that the Government had not done a retrospective audit to gauge the scale of the harm caused by mesh implants or provided compensation for women injured as a result.
I welcome this reply from the new Minister for Patient Safety re the Hughes report recommendations. The government now needs to act quickly to provide redress for those harmed – see the letter at https://t.co/Sj3SAXswHQ #redressnow pic.twitter.com/lkjB7UHcoq
— Patient Safety Commissioner (@PSCommissioner) August 19, 2024
It also said that ministers had not delivered on a recommendation to reform of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Kath Sansom, founder of the Sling The Mesh campaign, said: 'It's not good enough. Five years ago, Baroness Cumberlege laid bare the systemic failures that caused irreparable harm to women across the UK.
'Yet here we are in 2025, and the Government has dragged its feet on the most critical reforms.
'Women are without compensation and still being failed by a healthcare system that was supposed to protect them.'
MP Sharon Hodgson, chairwoman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for First Do No Harm, said: 'To have this little progress five years on from the publication of the report is hugely disappointing.
'Five years ago today, things felt hopeful. The review marked what we thought would be the beginning of real systematic change, the start of building a system that listens to women when they report harm – an end to defensiveness and denial.
'Yet progress can only be seen in three out of the nine changes she proposed, with one still ongoing – leaving five completely untouched.
'Crucially, thousands of women and families who were irreversibly harmed through no fault of their own are yet to see compensation.
'Money will not make up for all they have endured. However, it would at the least remove the financial burden placed on their lives – helping them to navigate the physical, mental and financial impact these scandals have placed upon them and their families.
'Five years on, the time for excuses is over. We need action now and I call on my Government to implement all the recommendations, including updating the House on a timeline for compensation as soon as possible.'
Rebekah Smith, Epilepsy Action's chief executive, said: 'It is a scandal that as far back as 35 years, thousands of women with epilepsy weren't being told about the risks involved with taking valproate in pregnancy when evidence was mounting. These women have had to live with the reality of that for decades and the huge emotional and financial impact it has on their lives.
'It is also a scandal that two reports in the last five years have recommended that families be compensated for the ordeal and yet those affected are still waiting for the light at the end of the tunnel.'
Nicola Swanborough, head of external affairs at the Epilepsy Society, said: 'Five years after the publication of the Cumberlege Review, we welcome the fact that regulations have been tightened around the prescribing of valproate for women with epilepsy, reducing the risk of harm for the next generation.
'But for the families whose lives have been devastated by the side effects of valproate, there has still been no promise of the compensation that they have long campaigned for, and which was recommended by the Patient Safety Commissioner.'
One of the key recommendations of the report was the appointment of a Patient Safety Commissioner, who would be an 'independent public leader with a statutory responsibility'.
A commissioner was appointed, but following the Government's 10-year plan for health last week, it has been confirmed that this role will be transferred into the MHRA.
Ms Sansom said: 'Moving the Patient Safety Commissioner role to the MHRA silences the patient voice instead of strengthening it.
'It strips away independence, undermines trust, and betrays the very women this role was created to protect.'
Earlier this month, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said that patients do not need 'ventriloquists' from arm's length bodies to speak for them, and more weight should be given to the likes of MPs and councillors.
Mr Streeting suggested the patient safety landscape is 'cluttered', with NHS leaders receiving 'competing and contradictory instructions' from different organisations.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'The harm caused by pelvic mesh continues to be felt today. Our sympathies are with those affected and we are fully focused on how best to support patients and prevent future harm.
'This is a complex area of work and the Government is carefully considering the Patient Safety Commissioner's recommendations in full.
'Health Minister Baroness Gillian Merron met patients affected and has committed to providing a further update.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Man with dementia dies after accidentally pouring washing detergent in his cup of tea instead of milk
Man with dementia dies after accidentally pouring washing detergent in his cup of tea instead of milk

Scottish Sun

time6 minutes ago

  • Scottish Sun

Man with dementia dies after accidentally pouring washing detergent in his cup of tea instead of milk

In a similar case two years ago, a dad-of-five died after mistakenly pouring washing detergent on a bowl of cornflakes instead of milk TRAGIC MISTAKE Man with dementia dies after accidentally pouring washing detergent in his cup of tea instead of milk Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MAN with dementia died after pouring white-coloured washing detergent into a cup of tea instead of milk in 'an apparent confusion'. David Hayes, 82, from Bolton, accidentally ingested the liquid and was admitted to hospital the next day, on April 16. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 David mistook detergent for milk He had vomited after drinking the tea and is believed to have inhaled the detergent and stomach acid into his lungs causing fatal damage. Doctors diagnosed him with pneumonitis, swelling of the lungs, thought to have been triggered by chemical aspiration. Despite treatment with antibiotics, steroids and pain relief, his condition worsened and he sadly died five days later, on April 21. An inquest held at Bolton Coroner's Court on July 17 concluded his death was accidental. The official cause was pneumonitis and aspiration due to ingestion of a chemical substance. David had Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia which affects memory, thinking skills and other mental abilities. He had previously been discharged from hospital the day before his final admission, following an earlier accidental detergent ingestion. Coroner Michael Pemberton said: 'This had occurred when he had made a cup of tea at home and put washing detergent into the cup instead of milk after an apparent confusion. "He had vomited following the ingestion and it is likely that he aspirated.' Following the inquest, the coroner issued a formal warning to the Government and major charities, urging action to prevent similar deaths. Easy, everyday ways to prevent dementia He wrote to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, Age UK, Dementia UK and the Alzheimer's Society, highlighting safety concerns around the packaging of household cleaning products. He said the detergent had been stored in a plastic bottle that resembled a milk carton, with a screw top and no childproof features. This, he said, made it 'easily accessible by a person with reduced capacity or dementia, or even a child'. While the liquid was classed as low toxicity, it still caused vomiting and aspiration in Mr Hayes, ultimately leading to his death. The corner said there was "a risk of similar events". He said this was because "the colouring of the liquid is similar to items which a person suffering from an infirmity such as dementia may get confused - here milk". He also warned that "public knowledge of these risks is not likely to be at a level where households in which vulnerable adults reside are aware of the need to safeguard detergents and make them less accessible." In a similar case two years ago, a dad-of-five died after mistakenly pouring washing detergent on a bowl of cornflakes instead of milk. Tom McDonald died in March 2023. He had been diagnosed with dementia five years earlier. Is it ageing or dementia? Dementia - the most common form of which is Alzheimer's - comes on slowly over time. As the disease progresses, symptoms can become more severe. But at the beginning, the symptoms can be subtle or mistaken for normal memory issues related to ageing. The US National Institute on Aging gives some examples of what is considered normal forgetfulness in old age, and dementia disease. You can refer to these above. For example, it is normal for an ageing person to forget which word to use from time-to-time, but difficulting having conversation would be more indicative of dementia. Katie Puckering, Head of Alzheimer's Research UK's Information Services team, previously told The Sun: 'We quite commonly as humans put our car keys somewhere out of the ordinary and it takes longer for us to find them. 'As you get older, it takes longer for you to recall, or you really have to think; What was I doing? Where was I? What distracted me? Was it that I had to let the dog out? And then you find the keys by the back door. 'That process of retrieving the information is just a bit slower in people as they age. 'In dementia, someone may not be able to recall that information and what they did when they came into the house. 'What may also happen is they might put it somewhere it really doesn't belong. For example, rather than putting the milk back in the fridge, they put the kettle in the fridge.'

Tesco giving away free food at stores this summer
Tesco giving away free food at stores this summer

North Wales Live

time2 hours ago

  • North Wales Live

Tesco giving away free food at stores this summer

Children will be able to get free fruit at the checkout at branches of Tesco during the summer holiday as part of a new campaign announced by the retailer. The initiative, which will run from August 4 to August 17, will see the supermarket chain give away an estimated 3.5 million apples over the two-week period. Tesco has launched the campaign, which has been backed by the Government, in response to figures showing fewer than one in 10 children and one in five adults eat the recommended five-a-day. Heath and social care secretary, Wes Streeting, said: 'Obesity has doubled since the 1990s and costs our NHS £11 billion a year. "Unless we curb the rising tide of cost and demand, the NHS risks becoming unsustainable. But we can't do this alone. 'The declining health of the nation requires a national mission, working with all parts of our society – from industry to influencers – to reverse the decline and make sure that kids today grow up to be part of the healthiest generation ever. 'Our brilliant supermarkets already do so much work for our communities and are trying to make their stores healthier, and we want to work with them and other businesses to create a level playing field.' In addition to the free fruit at the checkouts, Tesco will also offer around four million customers the opportunity to earn personalised Clubcard stamps on fresh fruit and veg, which can be converted into bonus Clubcard points and vouchers to spend in store, while millions of customers will also be able to earn extra points through new Clubcard Challenges on frozen fruit and veg, beans, and pulses. The campaign builds on the Stronger Starts Fruit & Veg for Schools which has seen free fruit and vegetables and other resources provided to schools in areas where there is a higher-than-average free school meal ratio. Ashwin Prasad, Tesco's UK CEO, said: 'We understand that for many, there are barriers that make healthy eating feel hard. "We want to help our customers make small changes that amount to big health benefits for themselves and their families. 'That's why we're setting out to make healthy choices easier every day, starting with new offers and support for families in store this summer. 'We're bringing customers new ways to earn Clubcard points and vouchers as a fun and engaging way to help them towards their five-a-day, on top of new and existing great value offers on healthy staples.'

Care home director warns of impact of visa restrictions
Care home director warns of impact of visa restrictions

North Wales Chronicle

time3 hours ago

  • North Wales Chronicle

Care home director warns of impact of visa restrictions

Kevin Edwards, from Meddyg Care, which runs two dementia care homes in Gwynedd, has written to Wales's First Minister, Eluned Morgan. He warned of the 'potentially devastating impact' of the UK Government's decision to end the Health and Care Worker visa. Mr Edwards believes the move could lead to care homes and domiciliary care companies shutting down. The issue is particularly severe in rural areas, which are already struggling to recruit local workers. Mr Edwards highlighted official statistics showing that 15 per cent of registered care workers in Wales were born outside the UK. He said: "The social care sector in rural North Wales is already under significant strain, grappling with high vacancy rates, an ageing population, and limited local workforce availability. "The Health and Care Worker visa has been a critical lifeline, enabling care providers to recruit international workers to fill staffing gaps." He has called on the First Minister to pressure the Westminster Government into either reversing the policy or implementing a transitional scheme for critical workers in social care. Mr Edwards is also advocating for more investment in training and pay levels to attract local workers and stronger measures to stop exploitation of international workers. He said: "The withdrawal of this visa will exacerbate existing challenges in rural North Wales, where geographic isolation and a smaller pool of domestic workers make recruitment particularly difficult." The ban on care workers bringing dependants, introduced in March last year, has already caused an 83 per cent fall in visa applications, with monthly applications dropping from 129,000 to 26,000 in a year. Mr Edwards said: "This sharp reduction demonstrates the policy's immediate impact, and the complete termination of the visa route will likely deepen the crisis. "The loss of international workers, who bring diverse skills and dedication, threatens to destabilise care homes and domiciliary services, potentially leading to closures." He extended an invitation to the First Minister to visit the care homes to see firsthand the impact of the potential closure of the visa scheme. The issue has also been raised by Care Forum Wales (CFW), who have branded the policy 'half-baked.' READ MORE: Ysbyty Gwynedd: 'Systemic challenges' but 'positive improvements' in ED Historic church on Anglesey with a 'lost well' in bid to extend graveyard The organisation warned that the policy, which came into force on July 22, risks 'extreme workforce shortages'. CFW Chair Mario Kreft MBE said: "This ill-thought through policy has come as a double whammy because it coincides with the increase in the employers' National Insurance contributions which amounts to a 37 per cent rise. "I'd also like to quash the myth once and for all that international workers are cheap labour because the exact opposite is true."

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store