Government announces audit into vaginal mesh devices

The government has announced that it will conduct an audit into the number of women who have been harmed by vaginal mesh implants.

The news comes after the All Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Surgical Mesh Implants met with minister for health Lord O’Shaughnessy.

Made from polypropylene, vaginal mesh devices have caused a number of issues for women, including but not limited to, chronic pain, psychological damage and even erosion into organs. They are commonly used after childbirth to treat pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence.

The NHS, alongside the department of health and social care, will look at how many women have had mesh implants and how many have experienced problems. It will involve collating patients’ data including conditions and treatments within the NHS relating to vaginal mesh surgery. The work is expected to be completed by April.

The audit is expected to help the NHS better understand the complications that can result from surgery using mesh.

The news comes after NICE recommended that the use of vaginal mesh products be banned from treating prolapse.

It is estimated that over 100,000 women have been treated using mesh implants by the NHS. Out of these cases, NHS believes that complications affect between 3-5% of patients, though campaigners and experts think the rate of complications is higher.

Chair of the APPG on Surgical Mesh Implants, MP Owen Smith, said: “Over the last two years I’ve been urging ministers to conduct an investigation to fully determine problems related to mesh surgery. I’m delighted the government has listened to our concerns and has now agreed to undertake this audit to get a better understanding of complications related to mesh. I hope the audit will provide crucial answers about the proportion of women adversely affected by mesh surgery."

Kath Sansom, founder of Sling the Mesh, a vocal campaign group against the devices, said: “After two decades of mesh use with poor audit, the government is finally hearing the voices of women whose lives have changed beyond repair.

"A survey of 570 women in Sling The Mesh shows a third have suffered mesh slice into their vagina or organs and eight out of ten have pain walking or sitting. Six out of ten have lost partners because of the strain while seven out of ten have lost sex lives. A third have had to give up work because of pain. Not surprisingly six out of ten suffer depression and anxiety."