Home / Health / NHS Surgeon's Mesh Blunders Cost Millions
NHS Surgeon's Mesh Blunders Cost Millions
14 Feb
Summary
- NHS surgeon performed disastrous gynaecological operations between 2002 and 2016.
- Vaginal mesh implants caused years of agony for multiple female patients.
- Over 25 women have been compensated for the botched procedures.
A group of women has secured over £500,000 in compensation following gynaecological operations performed by NHS surgeon Derek Klazinga. Between 2002 and 2016, Mr. Klazinga carried out a series of flawed procedures involving vaginal mesh implants.
These implants, intended to support pelvic tissue, subjected numerous women to years of chronic pain. Investigations revealed that around 25 women have been compensated, with seven receiving a collective £600,000 since 2015.
One affected patient, Kerry Watson, detailed her experience of severe pain after a 2014 surgery for bladder prolapse. She now manages her condition with numerous daily tablets and was diagnosed with PTSD in 2024.
Ms. Watson's case highlighted that she was not informed of alternative, less invasive treatments or the full risks associated with the mesh procedure. The Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board acknowledged that consent and record-keeping standards were not met in several cases.
Mr. Klazinga, who left the medical register in 2021, expressed sympathy for the patients, stating he was unaware of the defective nature of the products used in their treatments. The health board has confirmed paying over £5 million in compensation for gynaecological treatment errors in the past decade, acknowledging significant historical issues.
