More than 100 women who suffered pain and complications due to transvaginal mesh implants have received compensation from three product manufacturers.

The financial settlement offered by Bard, Boston and Johnson & Johnson was not disclosed.

This is the first successful class action in England after around 10,000 women were injured by mesh implants used to treat incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.

Some women suffered from permanent pain and were no longer able to walk, work or have sex.

Lisa Lunt, a partner at law firm Pogust Goodhead who led the lawsuits on behalf of the women, said the women who had transvaginal mesh implanted had suffered years of chronic pain and suffering.

However, she said many women had not received payments due to an application deadline.

“Hundreds of women were unable to make claims due to strict 10-year time limits from the date of manufacture of the product.

“It is time for the government to take action to extend the deadlines,” she said.

Kath Sansom of the campaign group Sling the Mesh said the successful group action was “groundbreaking” but would only benefit a fraction of the women harmed by mesh products.

She estimates that 40,000 women could be affected by mesh complications – that is, about 10 to 20% of women who have had mesh implants inserted.

There has already been a successful class action lawsuit in Scotland.

For many years, pelvic mesh was considered the gold standard in the treatment of incontinence and prolapse in women.

However, the mesh-like implant can erode and harden, causing cuts in the tissue and severe pain.

Thousands of women experienced life-changing complications, lost their mobility, their relationships and their jobs.

Beginning of the year England’s patient safety commissioner urged the government to act quickly to help victims of pelvic mesh implants.

In 2020 a review found that many lives had been ruined because women’s concerns about the treatment they received had been ignored.

The three mesh manufacturers involved have issued statements.

Bard confirmed that the lawsuit brought by the firm on behalf of the women had been settled “without any admission of guilt.”

Boston said the plaintiffs’ lawsuit was “successfully settled without admission of wrongdoing or liability.”

Johnson & Johnson announced that the lawsuit against the company related to transvaginal mesh implants has been settled.

According to the newspaper “The Guardian”, the total payout is likely to amount to several million pounds.