More than 100 women who suffered traumatic complications following the insertion of vaginal mesh implants have received compensation in the first successful class action lawsuit in England.

According to the Guardian, 140 women have reached an undisclosed settlement with manufacturers Johnson & Johnson, Bard and Boston Scientific. The total amount is believed to be in the millions of pounds, but the total and individual payments have not been disclosed.

The women reported that the implants, which are used to treat stress incontinence and prolapse, caused complications such as chronic pain, bladder and bowel perforations, bleeding and the mesh breaking through the vaginal wall. Many of the women have had subsequent revision surgeries to remove the mesh, and some still struggle with pain and other problems.

Lisa Lunt, a partner at Pogust Goodhead, who brought the legal case on behalf of the women, said: “Women who have had transvaginal mesh implanted have suffered years of chronic pain and suffering. Hundreds of women have been unable to make a claim due to strict 10-year time limits that apply from the date the product is manufactured. It is time the Government took action to extend the time limits.”

Until 2018, the implants were widely used across the UK to treat stress incontinence and prolapse, often after childbirth. But as concerns grew about the extent of complications, their routine use was first suspended and eventually stopped following a government-ordered inquiry that attributed the scandal to a culture of medical misogyny.

Manufacturers of vaginal mesh have already achieved far higher settlement amounts in the US, Australia and Scotland. Attempts to file a class action lawsuit in England have so far stalled, despite successful medical negligence claims against the NHS there.

Kath Sansom, who has led the Sling the Mesh campaign since 2015 after suffering complications from vaginal mesh, said: “I am delighted that the industry giants have paid out money to injured women in what is believed to be the first successful product liability class action in England.”

However, she added: “It is very difficult to judge how positive this news is without knowing how much money has been awarded to the women. Moreover, 140 women are only a small fraction of the thousands whose lives have been irrevocably changed by a product they were assured was the gold standard solution for bladder weakness or prolapse.”

Campaigners hope the success could open the door to financial compensation for more women. The latest settlement also sparked calls for the creation of a government-led compensation scheme, as recommended by both the Cumberlege review and a more recent report by the Patient Safety Commissioner, which suggests that women injured by mesh implants should initially receive £20,000.

“That is why financial compensation from the state is so important because it is impartial and ensures that every victim has the chance to receive financial support,” she said.

The three companies Johnson & Johnson, Bard and Boston Scientific each confirmed that the litigation over the pelvic mesh damages claims had been settled without admission of guilt.