‘If we only ever sanctify the NHS, its harrowing failures will never be cured’

Daniel Mason was born half a century ago without hands, with missing toes, a malformed mouth and impaired vision.

From an early age, he – and his family – had to deal with people asking about his disabilities. The impact on his life has been considerable.

His car, clothes and eating implements must be tailored to his needs. He has not been able to form intimate relationships. Not surprisingly, he has suffered bouts of depression.

Daniel’s mother Daphne long suspected the cause of his problems was a powerful hormone tablet called Primodos that was given to women to determine whether they were pregnant. But when she raised her concerns with doctors, they were dismissed.

Now, at last, Daphne has been vindicated with official confirmation this week that her fears were right, in a 277-page landmark review by Baroness Cumberlege into three separate health scandals that has exposed a litany of shameful failings by the NHS, regulatory authorities and private hospitals.

The report confirms something I have long argued, having glimpsed it as the parent of a daughter with complex disabilities: the NHS “does not adequately recognise that patients are its raison d’etre’.

Bear in mind there is only one reason this review was ordered in 2018 by then health secretary Jeremy Hunt: because abused and wounded patients, mostly women (and some of them helped by this paper) had fought long, lonely battles to secure justice.

But how many more of these inquiries must be held? How many more disturbing reports and reviews must be written? How many more times must we listen to ministerial apologies to betrayed patients? How much more must we hear of “lessons being learned” when clearly they are largely ignored?

Clapping dedicated carers in this crisis [the COVID pandemic] has united the nation. But we should not ignore how the same precious health system routinely inflicts grief, pain and suffering on those it is meant to help, such as Daniel and Daphne Mason.

If we really love the NHS, then, as with any marriage, we must cherish it both for better and for worse.

Read Ian Birrell’s full article on the Daily Mail website.