Redress program for women affected by three NHS scandals excluded by government | Politics News

The government has ruled out any redress regime for women affected by three NHS scandals.

In a backbench debate in the House of Commons on Thursday, the government was urged to implement recommendations made a year ago by a scathing report on mesh vaginal implants, the antiepileptic drug valproate from sodium and the hormonal pregnancy test, Primodos.

In July 2020, an independent committee led by Baroness Cumberlege found women had suffered “preventable harm” and described how patients were “fired” or “neglected”.

The review made nine recommendations, including the creation of a new independent redress agency for those injured by drugs and medical devices based on models working effectively in other countries.

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But, speaking during Thursday’s debate, Patient Safety Minister Nadine Dorries ruled out that possibility.

“I was being honest when I stood here and said how desperately sorry I was and how poignant these stories were, and I’m not going to stand at this shipping box and say we’re looking at all recommendations, what happened in the past, ”she said.

“I’ll be honest: we’re not going to accept the recourse agency in recommendation three, nor the task force.

“No government has ever asked someone to chair or initiate a review, and then asked those who conducted the review to implement the recommendations on behalf of the government. This has never happened. before.

“It is the opposition’s responsibility to hold me to account and it is our responsibility as ministers to implement the recommendations the government sees fit to implement.”

Labor MP Emma Hardy, president of the …