
Delaying redress for mesh scandal could end up costing taxpayers, warns MP
Delaying redress for victims of the pelvic mesh 'scandal' could end up costing the public purse, a Conservative former Treasury minister has warned.
John Glen on Thursday called for a Commons debate about valproate and pelvic mesh, telling MPs that 'we must move on this matter'.
Thousands of babies are thought to have been harmed by sodium valproate use during pregnancies since the 1970s, a drug used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder which is now known to cause birth defects and lifelong learning difficulties.
Pelvic mesh used to treat stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse is also thought to have caused complications and harm for thousands of women – possibly more than 200,000 in England – between 1998 and 2020.
A report by Patient Safety Commissioner Henrietta Hughes published in February last year recommended that victims of harm should start to receive compensation payments this year.
Mr Glen told the Commons: 'It has now been a year since the publication of the Patient Safety Commissioner Hughes Report, which highlighted the devastating impact of valproate and pelvic mesh on thousands of woman and then children.
'Given my experience on the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme (as a Cabinet Office minister) and given what I learned from (policing minister Dame Diana Johnson) when she was sat here in opposition, please can we have some time to discuss this?
'The further delays that could occur will cause enormous additional anxiety but also expense to the taxpayer.
'We must move on this matter.'
Commons Leader Lucy Powell replied from the despatch box: 'He does raise a very important issue that has been raised as he said by colleagues with me before recess on the Hughes Report and the valproate and pelvic mesh scandal, which I know is a big issue in the last parliament.
'I know the minister has met with families and is considering in great depth the report, and I will absolutely ensure that at the earliest opportunity the House is given a full update on these matters.
'And I look forward to him from those backbenches as well continuing to raise that with me if that doesn't happen.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mirror
7 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Former Newsround and Most Haunted star becomes Reform UK's new chairman
Dr David Bull takes over from Zia Yusuf, who dramatically quit as Reform UK's chairman last week, before returning to the party in a new position just two days later A former BBC Newsround presenter has been made Reform UK's new chairman. Dr David Bull takes over from Zia Yusuf, who dramatically quit the role last week, before returning to the party in a new position just two days later. Nigel Farage welcomed Dr Bull, who was previously Reform's co-deputy leader, saying he would come to the role of Reform UK chairman with "terrific verve, energy, enthusiasm". Mr Farage, Reform's leader, added: "It's going to be great fun." Mr Yusuf said he is "hugely excited" that Dr Bull was taking the role. Some viewers might recognise Dr Bull, now 56, from his former years as a TV presenter, with his credits including Newsround and paranormal series Most Haunted. The now Talk TV presenter's broadcasting career first started in 1995, when he starred as an on-screen doctor for Sky TV giving people advice to people travelling abroad. The Reform politician then joined Newsround in the late 1990s. It followed Dr Bull having qualified as a physician in 1993 from St Mary's Hospital Medical School in London. He went to present other BBC kids shows, before joining BBC's Watchdog to present its Healthcheck spin-off. His presenting credits also include Most Haunted Live and Hospital Live. After his years as a TV doctor, Dr Bull turned to politics. He was selected as Tory candidate for Brighton Pavilion but stood down in 2009 before the election to head up a Conservative policy review on sexual health with Anne Milton, the shadow health minister. In 2019, he was elected as a Member of the European Parliament, as part of The Brexit Party, and served until the UK left the EU. He has since been Reform UK's Deputy leader and health spokesman. Mr Yusuf resigned after criticising Reform MP Sarah Pochin for asking a "dumb" question at PMQs about a burka ban. In a parting jibe, he added: "I no longer believe working to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time, and hereby resign the office." But he returned to the party just days later. Mr Yusuf said he regrets his social media post about Ms Pochin. He will now lead the so-called "Doge team", which is inspired by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency in Donald Trump's administration. Dr Bull reportedly backs "banning the burqa".


The Courier
a day ago
- The Courier
How a Kinross woman's beloved pet dog is inspiring bid to change law
A campaigning mum from Kinross hopes the memory of her much-loved dog will help change the law for people who need 'emotional support animals'. Elizabeth Crammond took up the challenge to change UK equalities law after sadly losing Daisy in March. The Yorkshire terrier, who joined the family in 2009, was a constant companion and helped Elizabeth cope with stressful situations. She has fybromialgia and other debilitating conditions, and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. The presence of her canine companion was a constant source of comfort after her own mother died from cancer in 2011. Daisy, classed as an emotional support animal with a doctor's note to prove it, would still be turned away from places including restaurants and public venues. 'After my mum passed away, Daisy was my emotional support,' Elizabeth told The Courier. 'She was the tiniest thing, she went everywhere with me to the point I lived my life around her. 'I was having a lot of anxiety and panic attacks, and that's where my fybromialgia would come in.' The condition flared up under stress, she says, causing even more anxiety about leaving the house and living a normal life. 'Daisy knew when an attack was coming and she would bring me back into the zone,' Elizabeth said. Daisy would even help support her own little daughter, now four, as she was growing up. Elizabeth, 42, who works in education, realised she would have to change the Equality Act 2010 to put support animals on the same footing as guide dogs. She's doing that by enlisting help from her local MP Pete Wishart and lodging a petition at Westminster to show UK-wide support. Elizabeth says the change of the law will also help people with unseen conditions, avoiding embarrassing situations in public places. Her petition – called Daisy Companion Law – is live on the Commons website.


Glasgow Times
2 days ago
- Glasgow Times
Nurses to vote on pay deal amid concerns of industrial action
Around 345,000 members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) will be asked if the pay award is enough in what was described as the biggest single vote of the profession ever launched in the UK. Last month, the Westminster government accepted the recommendation of the Pay Review Body, giving nursing staff In England's NHS a pay rise of 3.6%. Royal College of Nursing general secretary Professor Nicola Ranger (RCN/PA) The RCN described the award as 'grotesque', saying it will see nursing staff receive a pay rise 'entirely swallowed up by inflation' – with doctors, teachers, prison officers and the armed forces all receiving a bigger increase. An identical award was made in Wales, while in Northern Ireland, the Health Minister has announced his wish to implement a 3.6% pay rise, but this is still to be agreed. The RCN said the vote will be crucial in determining the next steps, which could include a ballot for strike action. The vote will include RCN members working in the NHS in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Speaking from an international nursing conference in Helsinki and on the launch of the vote, Professor Nicola Ranger, RCN general secretary, will say: 'I'm with nurses from around the world today asking why it is our ministers in the UK who have once again put nursing at the back of the queue when it comes to pay. 'Nursing is an incredible career, but despite being the most valued profession by the public we continue to be weighted to the bottom of the NHS pay scale and are set to receive one of the lowest pay awards. 'It is time to show that nurses are valued and, from today, hundreds of thousands of nursing staff working in the NHS will give their verdict on whether 3.6% is enough.' The RCN said nursing staff in England have faced more than a decade of pay erosion since 2010/11, with pay down by a quarter in real terms. As a result, there are more than 26,000 unfilled nursing posts, while student recruitment has 'collapsed' and the numbers quitting is 'skyrocketing', said the RCN. Professor Ranger will add: 'Over a decade of pay erosion has had a devastating impact on our profession, forcing increasing numbers into quitting while putting off the nurses of the future. 'When our members vote, they won't just be voting on the fairness of the award for themselves, but if it's enough to turn our profession around.' NHS workers including nurses staged a series of strikes under the previous Conservative government in bitter disputes over pay.