On World Patient Safety Day (17 September), Sling The Mesh is calling on the Government to implement two key recommendations from the landmark First Do No Harm review – compensation for women avoidably harmed by pelvic mesh and Sunshine legislation to improve transparency around industry payments in healthcare.

Six years after Baroness Cumberlege’s review exposed systemic failures that harmed thousands of patients, and two years after the Hughes Report set out options for compensation, campaigners say progress has stalled while women continue to live with chronic pain, disability, loss of income and long-term health problems.

The group is warning that failure to address both compensation and transparency risks leaving the lessons of the mesh scandal unlearned and creating the conditions for future patient safety scandals.

Sharon Hodgson MP, co-chair of the First Do No Harm All Party Parliamentary Group, said: “The lack of progress sends a damaging message to patients that when healthcare systems fail, people can simply be left behind. Women affected by the mesh and valproate scandals are still waiting for justice. Those who suffered avoidable harm deserve accountability, proper support and fair redress. Patient safety must be more than a slogan. We must ensure that lessons are acted upon and that transparency and openness are placed at the heart of our healthcare system.”

Sarah Green MP, co-chair of the First Do No Harm All Party Parliamentary Group, said: “On World Patient Safety Day, it is vital that we remember the lessons of the Cumberlege First Do No Harm Report, and the experiences of those affected by medical scandals involving pelvic mesh, sodium valproate and Primodos hormone pregnancy tests. For too many women, concerns were not listened to, warnings were missed and harm was allowed to continue for far too long. We must ensure that the voices of patients are heard, that healthcare systems are transparent and accountable, and that patient safety is always the first priority.”

Kath Sansom, founder of Sling The Mesh, said: “World Patient Safety Day is a moment to reflect on what happens when patients are not listened to, warning signs are ignored and vested interests are allowed to outweigh patient welfare. The greatest mistake would be to believe that the mesh scandal belongs to history. It does not. If we fail to deliver accountability and transparency now, we create the conditions for the next patient safety scandal to emerge. It may already be happening in plain sight.”

The campaign group argues that both compensation and Sunshine Legislation are essential to restoring public trust, improving accountability and ensuring patients are not left vulnerable to the next healthcare scandal. The mesh scandal showed what can happen when financial relationships are hidden from public view. Benefits of treatments can be overstated, risks downplayed in the research and patients left to pay the price.

Kath said: “The public have a right to know who is paying who, and whether those financial ties could be influencing the research and the treatments they are offered.”