Clinical negligence specialists at Sheffield’s Taylor&Emmet LLP are welcoming news that the adverse consequences of using pelvic mesh are finally being recognised.
The Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, chaired by Baroness Julia Cumberlege, was published yesterday, setting out recommendations to support affected women.
Suzanne Atter, a clinical negligence expert at Taylor&Emmet, said: “I have seen women suffer severe pain for years, without support, because there has been a reluctance to acknowledge their mesh might be to blame. Sadly, the majority of my clients will relate to the experiences of those highlighted by Baroness Cumberlege in yesterday’s press conference.”
Pelvic mesh has been used historically to treat prolapse and incontinence in women, but some were left with internal damage, as it was found to stiffen and erode, sometimes cutting tissues and organs.
The review published on July 9 set out recommendations to support affected women and reduce the risk of avoidable harm in the future. It was commissioned by the government to investigate how the healthcare system responds to reports from patients about the harmful side effects of medicines and medical devices, following years of patient-led campaigns, including one by women suffering the adverse effects of pelvic mesh.
Suzanne continued: “Like me, the women I represent welcome Baroness Cumberlege’s report and wait eagerly to obtain the extra support they so desperately need. The mesh implanted into one of my clients causes her severe pain every time she sits down. Consequently, she lost her job and her family home and now relies on her young daughter financially. I hope this lady and the thousands affected by this scandal are not made to wait much longer. The sad reality is, however, many will suffer with some of the hardships pelvic mesh has caused for the rest of their lives.”
Taylor&Emmet has been obtaining compensation and justice for women adversely affected by pelvic mesh for more than four years.
