Mesh victims ‘still fighting for justice' five years on from review
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Powys County Times
6 hours ago
- Powys County Times
UK ‘long overdue' a conversation about NHS funding, says Javid
Former chancellor Sir Sajid Javid has said that the UK is 'long overdue' a 'serious conversation with taxpayers about how we continue funding' the NHS, as he introduced a report that backs a shift towards a social insurance model. Sir Sajid, also a former health secretary, said the country 'cannot afford' to 'bury our heads in the sand' when it comes to how the UK pays for healthcare. His comments are part of the foreword for the PolicyExchange's report The NHS – A Suitable Case For Treatment. The centre-right thinktank suggests that 'better quality healthcare' could be delivered 'by moving from our present entirely socialised model to a hybrid model with a significant social insurance component'. They also advocate changes such as removing free prescriptions for over-60s, but the report says that 'under no circumstances' should the UK try to replicate the US model of healthcare. Introducing the paper, Sir Sajid described the NHS as 'one of our country's most treasured and beloved national institutions'. 'We've come to a crossroads. A serious conversation with taxpayers about how we continue funding their favourite national institution is long overdue,' he said. He said that the UK is left with the options of putting more money into healthcare through tax rises or 'reforming' the system. 'What we cannot afford to do is to bury our heads in the sand,' he added. 'The responsible politician, the one who is concerned with the national interest, must look at every option for reform,' Sir Sajid said. The PolicyExchange report says that 'under no circumstances should the UK consider moving towards the US model', but that other countries 'with some sort of insurance-based model do much better' such as France, Germany and Singapore. 'We believe that better quality healthcare with universal coverage and improved long-term funding sustainability could be secured by moving from our present entirely socialised model to a hybrid model with a significant social insurance component,' the report says. Alongside a shift towards a 'social-insurance based system of financing healthcare', the thinktank made a number of recommendations for reforms that could be made within the existing NHS model. Among the changes the PolicyExchange suggest are a £20 charge for visiting a GP, with low-income groups exempt. They also say that people over 60 should no longer be universally eligible for free prescriptions, and the exemption should be determined by your income. They also advocate charges for 'more luxurious hospital accommodation', which they say could raise £700million. PolicyExchange advocate a system where universal healthcare coverage is available, and a basic model can be supplemented by other policies. The Government would regulate insurers and healthcare providers, and they say the system should still be called the NHS, with the main change being the way it is financed.
Powys County Times
6 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Council overspend on social care highest in decade amid warning over NHS plan
Recent overspend by councils in England on their adult social care budgets was the highest in a decade, according to a major survey. The annual report from care leaders warned that due to the current state of the sector – which campaigners have long argued has not been prioritised or had adequate investment – the Government's aim to shift more care into the community could be undermined. The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (Adass) said the financial situation 'is as bad as it has been in recent history' with council overspend on adult social care budgets in the year to March hitting around £774 million. This was up from £586 million in the previous year and is the highest level for at least a decade, Adass said. Its survey – which had responses from 91% of directors of adult social services in England – also showed care leaders have reduced spending on prevention by 11% this year. Just 5.6% of this year's total adult social care net budget is projected to be spent on prevention. Adass said this lowest recorded spend is because overstretched budgets mean care leaders have had to prioritise immediate needs and people in crisis. Earlier this month Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting unveiled their 10-year NHS plan which they vowed would 'fundamentally rewire' the health service and put care on people's doorsteps. The plan set out how the NHS will move from treatment to prevention and from hospital to more care shifted into neighbourhoods and people's homes. But Adass president Jess McGregor said: 'Without more investment to keep people well and independent at home, we risk undermining the shift towards prevention and neighbourhood health that Wes Streeting, the NHS and this Government are rightly championing.' The overall overspend is 'likely to result in councils further tightening the eligibility criteria for social care, so they can deliver their legal obligations, leaving very little left for preventative measures that would likely save the state money in the longer term and most importantly, improve outcomes for people', Adass said. Ms McGregor said: 'The maths simply doesn't add up – more people are coming to councils for help and their care is complex and costly, which means we don't have funds left to provide the early support and prevention that would stop people's health from deteriorating and help them avoid spiralling into crisis, where they frequently end up in hospital.' The spending review published last month stated there would be an increase of more than £4 billion of funding available for adult social care in 2028-29, compared with 2025-26. But Adass said there remains 'uncertainty' about what that figure covers, including whether it takes in the 'much-needed but costly fair pay agreement for care workers', which is yet to be set out by the Government. Ms McGregor repeated a call for social care to be prioritised, saying: 'It's vital that adult social care leaders who are well versed in delivering support at the community level are meaningfully involved in decisions about where and how resources for neighbourhood health and care are spent. 'After all, acute hospitals are not best placed to deliver social care at the neighbourhood level – but councils are.' The Local Government Association (LGA) said the survey results show 'councils are caught in the impossible position' of choosing between meeting people's complex care needs and supporting other's wellbeing to prevent needs escalating. The LGA added: 'Local government is best placed to lead this shift and deliver neighbourhood-level care, but it cannot do so with one hand tied behind its back by underfunding.' Mr Streeting has previously said social care 'has to be part' of neighbourhood health, adding: 'In the context of this plan, social care features because it has a role to play on admission avoidance and speeding up delayed discharges.' The Casey Commission, launched earlier this year, aims to set out a plan to implement a national care service, but social care leaders have previously raised concerns over the potential timeline of 2036 for some recommended reforms to be introduced. The first phase is expected to report in 2026, although recommendations from the initial probe will be implemented in phases over the course of 10 years. The second phase of the commission, setting out longer-term reforms, is due to report by 2028. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'We inherited a social care system in crisis but in our first year of government we have taken immediate action to improve this. 'The spending review will allow for increased funding for social care by £4 billion, we have legislated for the first ever fair pay agreement for care workers, and Baroness Casey has begun her work on the independent commission into adult social care to build a National Care Service that is fair and affordable for all. 'We have also invested £172 million extra in the Disabled Facilities Grant to deliver around an extra 15,000 home adaptations and given unpaid carers a £2,000 uplift to their allowance.'
South Wales Guardian
6 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Council overspend on social care highest in decade amid warning over NHS plan
The annual report from care leaders warned that due to the current state of the sector – which campaigners have long argued has not been prioritised or had adequate investment – the Government's aim to shift more care into the community could be undermined. The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (Adass) said the financial situation 'is as bad as it has been in recent history' with council overspend on adult social care budgets in the year to March hitting around £774 million. This was up from £586 million in the previous year and is the highest level for at least a decade, Adass said. Its survey – which had responses from 91% of directors of adult social services in England – also showed care leaders have reduced spending on prevention by 11% this year. Just 5.6% of this year's total adult social care net budget is projected to be spent on prevention. Adass said this lowest recorded spend is because overstretched budgets mean care leaders have had to prioritise immediate needs and people in crisis. Earlier this month Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting unveiled their 10-year NHS plan which they vowed would 'fundamentally rewire' the health service and put care on people's doorsteps. The plan set out how the NHS will move from treatment to prevention and from hospital to more care shifted into neighbourhoods and people's homes. But Adass president Jess McGregor said: 'Without more investment to keep people well and independent at home, we risk undermining the shift towards prevention and neighbourhood health that Wes Streeting, the NHS and this Government are rightly championing.' The overall overspend is 'likely to result in councils further tightening the eligibility criteria for social care, so they can deliver their legal obligations, leaving very little left for preventative measures that would likely save the state money in the longer term and most importantly, improve outcomes for people', Adass said. Ms McGregor said: 'The maths simply doesn't add up – more people are coming to councils for help and their care is complex and costly, which means we don't have funds left to provide the early support and prevention that would stop people's health from deteriorating and help them avoid spiralling into crisis, where they frequently end up in hospital.' The spending review published last month stated there would be an increase of more than £4 billion of funding available for adult social care in 2028-29, compared with 2025-26. But Adass said there remains 'uncertainty' about what that figure covers, including whether it takes in the 'much-needed but costly fair pay agreement for care workers', which is yet to be set out by the Government. Ms McGregor repeated a call for social care to be prioritised, saying: 'It's vital that adult social care leaders who are well versed in delivering support at the community level are meaningfully involved in decisions about where and how resources for neighbourhood health and care are spent. 'After all, acute hospitals are not best placed to deliver social care at the neighbourhood level – but councils are.' The Local Government Association (LGA) said the survey results show 'councils are caught in the impossible position' of choosing between meeting people's complex care needs and supporting other's wellbeing to prevent needs escalating. The LGA added: 'Local government is best placed to lead this shift and deliver neighbourhood-level care, but it cannot do so with one hand tied behind its back by underfunding.' Mr Streeting has previously said social care 'has to be part' of neighbourhood health, adding: 'In the context of this plan, social care features because it has a role to play on admission avoidance and speeding up delayed discharges.' The Casey Commission, launched earlier this year, aims to set out a plan to implement a national care service, but social care leaders have previously raised concerns over the potential timeline of 2036 for some recommended reforms to be introduced. The first phase is expected to report in 2026, although recommendations from the initial probe will be implemented in phases over the course of 10 years. The second phase of the commission, setting out longer-term reforms, is due to report by 2028. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'We inherited a social care system in crisis but in our first year of government we have taken immediate action to improve this. 'The spending review will allow for increased funding for social care by £4 billion, we have legislated for the first ever fair pay agreement for care workers, and Baroness Casey has begun her work on the independent commission into adult social care to build a National Care Service that is fair and affordable for all. 'We have also invested £172 million extra in the Disabled Facilities Grant to deliver around an extra 15,000 home adaptations and given unpaid carers a £2,000 uplift to their allowance.'
