Lawyers are calling for a national register of medical products to be set up to prevent health scandals like pelvic mesh implants from happening again.
“Creating a central register and making it obligatory to enter details of products, such as pacemakers and artificial heart valves, would build an accurate picture of how safe they are,” said Pauline Roberts from the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) which has taken the issue to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
“We must never allow faulty products like pelvic mesh, which left thousands of women with permanent health issues and in terrible pain, to happen again.
“Keeping details on any faults in a central system would flag up any safety issues with a particular product, saving patients from avoidable harm,” said Pauline who has represented several mesh victims.
Pelvic mesh was used for years to treat incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse in women. But the net-like implant can erode and harden, damaging tissue and causing serious pain. Thousands of women suffered life-changing complications, including urinary problems.
“Any safety issues or poor outcomes from a particular medical device should be recorded on a publicly accessible register so a full and accurate picture can be built up. Information must be shared between countries too so if a particular product is defective, it’s highlighted so patients in the UK are not put at risk.
“Patients, and medical staff alike, need to have all the information on a particular product available to them so they can make informed decisions about treatment. People’s health and quality of life depend on it.
“Currently any registers are ad hoc, and usually only created following a catastrophe, as was the case after the pelvic mesh scandal,” said Pauline.
APIL, a campaign organisation made up of personal injury lawyers who are committed to protecting the rights of victims of negligence, told the MHRA that regulation governing the use of medical products in the UK needs to be tougher, with more rigorous and frequent checks on new products entering the market.
“It’s important not to stifle innovation in medicine but patients should not be treated as guinea pigs. Patient safety must never be an afterthought,” she said.