Tag: NICE Guidlines

Can I claim vaginal mesh compensation?

In the past few years, many victims of the complications of vaginal mesh have come forward to report the pain and injury they have been caused. As medical negligence specialists, victims of poor healthcare treatment have often asked us: “can I claim compensation?”. We can confirm that, if there is evidence of medical negligence or general liability, those affected by mesh implant complications may be able to claim compensation for the harm caused.

Vaginal mesh has been approved by the MHRA, the Medical and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, and has been used in the NHS for many years. Their use has recently been subjected to severe criticism but has still not been permanently banned.

We believe that the mesh implant scandal could constitute one of the most wide-reaching negligence cases ever seen in the UK. It is horrifying that so many patients have had their health and well-being compromised drastically by a device that was supposed to help them, which is why we want to help as many victims as we can to claim the compensation they deserve.

Vaginal mesh and the risk of organ perforation

Potential vaginal mesh complications can be numerous. From reduced mobility to a relapse of urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse, they can have life-altering effects on a person’s life. One of the most damaging complications can be organ perforation, whereby the damage can extend into other organs in the area.

In some cases, vaginal mesh surgery is not fit for purpose, either causing a relapse of the condition it is supposed to treat, or causing more pain and damage than the patient was experiencing before the treatment. Some women have been kept in dark about the extent of the risks, and the poor or insufficient advice of medical professionals means many could be entitled to claim compensation.

At the Vaginal Mesh Lawyers, we are here to provide women with advice when they have been let down.

Should there be a vaginal mesh ban?

In November 2017, the health watchdog NICE issued a recommendation for a vaginal mesh ban. The month before, the government opposed calls to ban the treatment.

These two opposing viewpoints provide just one example of the controversy that still surrounds vaginal mesh implants, which have faced criticism both in the UK and across the world.

The mesh implants, which are used to treat issues such as pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and stress urinary incontinence (SUI), have widely been condemned by women who have undergone the treatment, many of whom now have irreversible complications and constant pain.

Critics hit out at new vaginal mesh guidelines

Critics have hit out over the new vaginal mesh guidelines that have been introduced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

The new guidelines are said to have taken into account the experiences of numerous women who have suffered serious complications caused by vaginal mesh implants. There’s also said to be an increased focus on the need for women to be better informed about the potential risks, some of which can leave women unable to work or walk ever again.

But many believe that the new guidelines don’t go far enough and certainly don’t appear to have truly mirrored the horrendous suffering many women have endured. As a law firm acting for women who have suffered form vaginal mesh surgery, we know how bad it can get.

About the NICE mesh implant publications

There were previous NICE mesh implant guidelines that were designed to ensure that the risks posted by transvaginal mesh and transvaginal tape were limited.

NICE – AKA the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence – published guidance, as did senior medical experts and healthcare leaders, about the sorts of requirements that should be met for NHS trusts that wished to carry out the procedures, and how they should go about patient selection and advice. This was designed to limit the risk involved in the use of mesh implant procedures.

At the end of 2017, that changed. In fact, in December last year, NICE altered their stance and called for an outright ban on the use of some mesh implants in the UK, and only last month did we finally see the NHS take more appropriate action.