Vaginal mesh: Manufacturers settle with 140 women over complications

• Published in: BMJ (Online) Vol. 386; p. q1831
• Main Author: Thornton, Jacqui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England British Medical Journal Publishing Group 20.08.2024; BMJ Publishing Group LTD
• Subjects: Compensation; Female; Humans; Law firms; News; Patient safety; Pelvic Organ Prolapse - surgery; Postoperative Complications - etiology; Postoperative Complications - prevention & control; Surgical Mesh - adverse effects; Transplants & implants; Vagina; Valproic acid; United Kingdom > UK; England
• ISSN: 1756-1833; 1756-1833
• DOI: 10.1136/bmj.q1831

More than 100 women with complications from vaginal mesh implants have received payouts from three manufacturers in the first successful group claim of its kind in England. [...]she added, “It is very difficult to know just how positive this news is without knowing how much has been awarded to women. The onus always needs to be on industry to compensate patients harmed by healthcare products—at the moment it falls to government, and to me that feels desperately wrong.” The recent Conservative government said that it would review proposals for an independent redress agency for people harmed by pelvic mesh, after initially rejecting the idea last year.5 Sansom commented, “The Hughes report [by the patient safety commissioner for England] in February 2024 called for financial redress for mesh injured women to start from 2025, so with a change in government it will be interesting to see if this now gains further traction.” Guardian 2024 Aug 19. https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/aug/19/140-women-in-england-receive-compensation-for-vaginal-mesh-implant-complications 2 Mahase E. Government must apologise to those affected by Primodos, valproate, and mesh, says review.