Pelvic mesh compensation disappointingly low, says victim

A woman who described the time in her life after a pelvic mesh implant as "soul destroying" said proposed government compensation was "disappointingly low".

Claire Cooper, from Uckfield, is one of around 100,000 women across the UK who had transvaginal mesh implants.

England's patient safety commissioner suggested compensation could start at around £20,000.

Ms Cooper, 49, was originally given the mesh implant as a treatment for incontinence after childbirth.

However, after struggling with pain following the operation, Ms Cooper claimed doctors treated her as if she were "psychotic" and "a nuisance".

She said her experience was one of being "mocked".

"It was just soul destroying," Ms Cooper told BBC Radio Sussex. "I lost my fight because I was met at every turn with resistance so I just lost the ability to advocate for myself."

Ms Cooper eventually had surgery to remove the mesh, which she said one doctor compared to "cheese cutting wire". She is still living with chronic pain.

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Source: BBC News, 15 February 2024

Further reading on the hub:

Doctors shocking comments to women harmed by mesh