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In England, around 140 women who suffered distressing side effects after having vaginal mesh implants inserted have been awarded millions in compensation.

The women, whose case represents the first successful class action lawsuit in England, have agreed to a settlement with the manufacturers Johnson & Johnson, Bard and Boston Scientific, but the exact amount of the payments has yet to be disclosed.

They claimed that the implants, designed to treat stress incontinence and prolapse, caused infections, bleeding, chronic pain, bladder and bowel perforations, and problems urinating, among other complications.

Many women have had to have the mesh surgically removed and some still have problems due to the implants.

Lisa Lunt, partner at Pogust Goodhead, the law firm representing the women, said: “Women who have had transvaginal mesh implanted have experienced years of chronic pain and suffering.

“Hundreds of women have been unable to make a claim because of strict time limits of 10 years from the date the product was manufactured. It is time for the government to take action to extend the time limits.

“As a firm, we have enjoyed representing clients who were previously rejected by other firms and bringing their claims to a conclusion.”

The three companies, Bard, Johnson & Johnson and Boston Scientific, all said the lawsuits related to the pelvic mesh supply were settled without admission of guilt. Boston said the lawsuits were settled without an admission of wrongdoing.

According to Pogust Goodhead, more than 100,000 women in the UK have been fitted with a transvaginal mesh implant between 2010 and today.

The company’s website states: “Known to erode, dissolve and lacerate organs and vaginal walls, TVM plastic has maimed thousands of women like you and caused debilitating pelvic pain and other complications following surgery to correct pelvic organ prolapse or female stress incontinence.”

“With limited treatment options, many women have had to undergo additional surgeries to remove the mesh and repair the damaged tissue.”

The law firm argued that the nets’ makers had not adequately “researched, developed and tested” their products before selling the “unreasonably dangerous devices” without adequately warning users of the risks – and said thousands of women around the world had been harmed by them.

It was previously announced that hundreds of women who suffered injuries in Scotland following the insertion of transvaginal mesh would be entitled to £50 million in compensation following the settlement of their claims by Johnson & Johnson.