People who have been harmed by pelvic mesh or exposure to valproate in utero should receive an interim award of £25 000, followed by a main payout according to their individual needs, the patient safety commissioner for England has said.
Henrietta Hughes, a practising GP, said that thousands of women and children had been harmed by the two treatments and called on the government to act immediately to set up a redress programme as a “crucial step towards acknowledging the challenges faced by families impacted.”
She added, “If the government does not accept my recommendations, it would be a cruel and callous disregard for the many vulnerable people who have suffered through no fault of their own. The government would be signalling that they do not care about disabled …