Select Committee · Health and Social Care Committee

IMMDS Review follow up one-off session

Status: Closed Opened: 1 Sep 2022 Closed: 6 Feb 2023 4 recommendations 5 conclusions 1 report

MPs will examine government progress on recommendations made by the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety (IMMDS) Review in a report, ‘First Do No Harm’, published in 2020. An update by Ministers on progress to implement the government’s response was due this summer. A Minister from the Department of Health and Social Care has been …

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Sixth Report - Follow-up on the IMMDS report and the Govern… HC 689 20 Jan 2023 9 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

9 items
1 Recommendation Sixth Report - Follow-up on the IMMDS r… Accepted

Ensure urgent and full implementation of IMMDS review recommendations 6 and 7 on patient records

Without records of which patient has undergone which procedure, or been prescribed which drug, the health system will continue to, in the words of the IMMDS review team, “fly blind”. We recommend that the Government urgently ensures that the accepted recommendations 6 and 7 of the IMMDS review are fully …

Government response. The government confirmed full implementation of IMMDS recommendations 6 and 7, detailing MHRA's transformation, new adverse incident reporting systems, and patient involvement strategy, alongside the development of a new medical device-level registry platform architecture (MDOR) with a target launch in …
Department of Health and Social Care
2 Conclusion Sixth Report - Follow-up on the IMMDS r… Accepted

Retrospective mesh implant audit insufficient for capturing all adverse patient experiences

Although the retrospective audit of mesh implants is an encouraging first step, it will be unlikely to reflect and take into account all of the adverse effects women have experienced due to the nature of data used in the audit. We therefore recommend that the Government consider an alternative strategy …

Government response. The government committed to proactive measures beyond the retrospective audit, including designing a patient questionnaire (PROMs/PREMs) to be completed by April 2023 and integrated into the Pelvic Floor Registry by May 2023, and commissioning the development of a validated PROM …
Department of Health and Social Care
3 Recommendation Sixth Report - Follow-up on the IMMDS r… Accepted

Set up register of clinicians' interests swiftly after pilot conclusion to prevent delay

We were encouraged to hear that the Government is going ahead with pilots of a register of clinicians’ interests, but we are disappointed by the speed at which the Government is acting on this recommendation. We urge the Government to make the arrangements necessary to ensure the register can be …

Government response. The government committed to beginning the implementation phase for a register of doctors' interests in England in April 2023, with CQC monitoring publications after an 18-month lead-in period. They also plan to progress at different paces with devolved governments and …
Department of Health and Social Care
4 Recommendation Sixth Report - Follow-up on the IMMDS r… Accepted

Bring in secondary legislation swiftly for register of industry payments to clinicians

Although the Government has also given itself the powers to set up a register of industry payments to clinicians, no decision has been made yet about how to implement it, and officials were not able to share a plan of when the register would be active. A register would provide …

Government response. The government committed to launching a six-week UK-wide public consultation in Spring 2023 to gather public and industry views on potentially introducing regulations to mandate the reporting of industry payments and benefits to clinicians.
Department of Health and Social Care
5 Conclusion Sixth Report - Follow-up on the IMMDS r… Acknowledged

Patient Safety Commissioner's role impeded by lack of clear responsibilities and resources

Although the vision for what the role of Patient Safety Commissioner will achieve is publicised by the Department, no statement of specific assignments or areas of responsibility, have been published yet. As we set out in our report on the pre- appointment hearing with Dr Hughes, metrics for success and …

Government response. The government acknowledged the Patient Safety Commissioner's appointment and work, stating they are continuing to work with her on appropriate resource levels and will report back once discussions conclude. The Commissioner will publish her business plan after her website is …
Department of Health and Social Care
6 Conclusion Sixth Report - Follow-up on the IMMDS r… Accepted

Patient engagement with lived experience stakeholders remains inadequate for care schemes

We are concerned that although the letter from the Department seems to outline various interactions and consultations with stakeholders, and mentions Sling the Mesh by name, this is not the experience of some patients. Patient input is vital in setting up care schemes such as this one. We therefore urge …

Government response. The government committed to reviewing mesh centre outcomes and patient experience, and has appointed two patient advocates to the NHS England Specialised Women’s Services Clinical Reference Group. An audit of specialist mesh centres is due to take place in 2023.
Department of Health and Social Care
7 Conclusion Sixth Report - Follow-up on the IMMDS r… Accepted

New clinical negligence pathways offer no substantial improvement for seeking redress

It is positive that the Government has improved its communication and information online around how to bring claims of clinical negligence through the 20 Follow-up on the IMMDS report and the Government’s response new “pathways”. However, these pathways do not represent a substantial change or benefit to stakeholders who have …

Government response. The government described the existing claims gateways, established with NHS Resolution for pelvic mesh and sodium valproate, which aim to simplify information access and the claims process. They committed to continuing to monitor the operation of these gateways and work …
Department of Health and Social Care
8 Recommendation Sixth Report - Follow-up on the IMMDS r… Accepted

Require Secretary of State to detail resources for Patient Safety Commissioner's redress review

The focus of Patient Safety Commissioner and small team, and must remain, patient safety and harm prevention. If the additional responsibility of reviewing redress is placed on the Patient Safety Commissioner, the Secretary of State must ensure that the Commissioner and her office has access to proper independent expert advice …

Government response. The government confirms the Patient Safety Commissioner will undertake a four-month review of redress schemes for sodium valproate and pelvic mesh, focusing on affected individuals' views and the case for redress. They have agreed additional resources for the Commissioner to …
Department of Health and Social Care
9 Conclusion Sixth Report - Follow-up on the IMMDS r… Accepted

Committee seeks Minister's statement on redress review and Redress Agency timeline

We would welcome a statement from the Minister on the review of redress and a possible Redress Agency, with more details on what such a review would include and seek to achieve, and timeline for completion. (Paragraph 60) Follow-up on the IMMDS report and the Government’s response 21

Government response. The government has provided a specification for redress work to the Patient Safety Commissioner, which will focus on affected individuals' views and the case for redress, expected to take four months with a report to be published. However, the government …
Department of Health and Social Care

Oral evidence sessions

2 sessions
Date Witnesses
13 Dec 2022 Baroness Julia Cumberlege · Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, Celia Ingham-Clark · Department of Health and Social Care, Dame June Raine · Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), Dr Aidan Fowler · Department of Health and Social Care, Emma Murphy · Independent Foetal Anti-Convulsant Trust (In-FACT), Janet Williams · Independent Foetal Anti-Convulsant Trust (In-FACT), Kath Sansom · Sling the Mesh Campaign, Maria Caulfield · Department of Health and Social Care, Professor Sir Cyril Chantler · Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, Simon Whale · Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, William Vineall · Department of Health and Social Care View ↗
13 Sep 2022 Baroness Julia Cumberlege · Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, Celia Ingham-Clark · Department of Health and Social Care, Dame June Raine · Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), Dr Aidan Fowler · Department of Health and Social Care, Emma Murphy · Independent Foetal Anti-Convulsant Trust (In-FACT), Janet Williams · Independent Foetal Anti-Convulsant Trust (In-FACT), Kath Sansom · Sling the Mesh Campaign, Marie Lyon · Association for Children Damaged by Hormone Pregnancy Tests, Professor Sir Cyril Chantler · Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, Simon Whale · Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, William Vineall · Department of Health and Social Care View ↗

Correspondence

5 letters
DateDirectionTitle
11 Jan 2023 To cttee Letter from Minister Maria Caulfield (IMMDS review) 19.12.22
20 Dec 2022 Correspondence from Celia Ingham-Clark on the IMMDS Review 16.12.22
20 Dec 2022 Correspondence from FDNH review team on the IMMDS Review 15.12.22
20 Dec 2022 Correspondence from In-FACT on the IMMDS Review 14.12.22
20 Dec 2022 Correspondence from Sling the Mesh on the IMMDS Review 16.12.22