The UK government is under renewed pressure to decide on compensation for individuals who have suffered avoidable harm from pelvic mesh and the epilepsy drug sodium valproate.
Professor Henrietta Hughes, author of the Hughes Report, has expressed disappointment over the “continued absence of visible and timely progress”.
The report, published more than two years ago, called for a two-stage redress scheme, suggesting interim compensation payments should begin from 2025.
Pelvic mesh implants have caused debilitating harm to women, while sodium valproate is now linked to birth defects and lifelong learning difficulties, having impacted an estimated 20,000 families.
Professor Hughes has written to No 10 with a response deadline of July 16, while the Department of Health has said it is “carefully considering the recommendations within the Hughes Report”.
