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Ethicon Media Monitoring 3/31/2017
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Robison defends mesh inquiry findings
Mar 30, 2017 | BBC
Health Secretary Shona Robison has defended the independent inquiry into mesh implants amid claims of a "whitewash" and a "cover-up". -
Alex Neil 'disturbed and disappointed ' by the outcome of the mesh implants inquiry he established
Mar 30, 2017 | Holyrood
By Tom Freeman
Former Health Secretary Alex Neil has criticised the final report by an independent inquiry into the safety of transvaginal mesh implants that he set up. -
Nicola Sturgeon issues apology to mesh implant survivors
Mar 30, 2017 | The Scotsman
By Scott Mancab
Nicola Sturgeon has said she is “deeply sorry” over the suffering of women who have been left with debilitating pain and disabilities after undergoing mesh implant surgery. -
Nicola Sturgeon 'deeply sorry' for suffering of mesh implant surgery survivors
Mar 30, 2017 | Herald Scotland
The First Minister has said she is "deeply sorry" for the suffering of survivors of mesh implant surgery ahead of a parliamentary statement on the use of the controversial procedure.
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Robison defends mesh inquiry findings
Mar 30, 2017 | BBC
Health Secretary Shona Robison has defended the independent inquiry into mesh implants amid claims of a "whitewash" and a "cover-up".
Three members of the mesh implants review group resigned, with claims parts of the report had been removed.
Ms Robison said all evidence had been published, and said it was not the government's place to ban mesh.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon earlier said she was "deeply sorry" for the suffering of women affected by mesh.
The report centres on the use of transvaginal mesh implant surgery, which has left some women with painful and debilitating complications.
The implants are medical devices used by surgeons to treat pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence in women, conditions that can commonly occur after childbirth.
In the wake of a petition from mesh survivors, an independent inquiry was set up. It concluded that mesh implant procedures should not be offered routinely to women with pelvic organ prolapse, and recommended patients should be offered a range of treatments and the chance to make "informed choices".
The Scottish government has accepted all the recommendations of the report, and the health secretary subsequently gave a statement to parliament.
Challenged by Tory Jackson Carlaw and Labour's Neil Findlay that the affair was a "scandal" and the report was a "whitewash", Ms Robison conceded there had been difficulties and challenges, but said all evidence collected had been published.
And she insisted it was not down to the Scottish government to ban the use of mesh, saying only the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) could do this.
§ Mesh must not be offered routinely to women with pelvic organ prolapse
§ Reporting of all procedures and adverse events should be mandatory
§ Extra steps to ensure patients have access to clear, understandable advice to help them make informed choices
§ Calls for improved training and research
§ All treatments should be made available to treat incontinence - including mesh
The final report states: "It is clear that a number of women have suffered serious, life-changing complications following transvaginal mesh implant surgery.
"It is also evident that many women have benefited from these procedures.
"However, due to the way these procedures are coded, it is not possible to provide accurate data on the number of mesh procedures where complications have occurred.
"This lack of information, allied with the fact that adverse events have been under-reported, has led to opinion being divided on the safety of transvaginal mesh procedures."
Former health secretary Alex Neil, who set up the inquiry, said he was "disturbed and disappointed" with where the review had ended up, saying: "If we don't carry the confidence and trust of patients, then these reports are not worth the paper they're written on."
Ms Robison replied that lessons had to be learned from the process of the review, but said the clinical evidence, conclusions and recommendations would stand. She emphasised that all evidence had been published, either in the final report or online.
The health secretary thanked everyone who had taken part in the review, in particular those who led the initial campaigns.
Earlier, Ms Sturgeon was pressed on the issue during the weekly session of questions to the first minister.
Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale read out an emotive letter from the daughter of a mesh survivor, adding: "There has been a cover-up and this is a national scandal".
She called on the government to "ban this devastating and dangerous practice once and for all", and asked Ms Sturgeon to apologise to survivors.
The first minister said: "Of course, I am deeply sorry for the suffering of these women...who have suffered complications because of treatment with mesh."
She added that the review included "eight important conclusions that health boards across the country will now be expected to take forward".
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-39442911
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Alex Neil 'disturbed and disappointed ' by the outcome of the mesh implants inquiry he established
Mar 30, 2017 | Holyrood
By Tom Freeman
The final report on transvaginal mesh implants lacks credibility, according to the former health secretary who set up the inquiry
Former Health Secretary Alex Neil has criticised the final report by an independent inquiry into the safety of transvaginal mesh implants that he set up.
Responding to a ministerial statement by his successor Shona Robison, Neil said the fact two victims had lost confidence and quit the inquiry made the report lack credibility.
The inquiry examined the use of transvaginal mesh implant surgery to treat incontinence or pelvic prolapse in women, which has left some patients severely disabled after painful complications.
An interim report received unanimous backing but since three members have quit amid claims part of the report were removed.
Outlining the Scottish Government's response, Robison said all the recommendations would be accepted and all evidence gathered by the inquiry would be published.
While it is not in the Scottish Government's power to ban the practice, she said, health boards would be instructed to make sure patients were fully informed of the risks.
"I think that it is really important that we learn lessons from the review," she said.
During First Minister's Questions Nicola Sturgeon had apologised to the affected women who have campaigned for a ban on the procedure.
However Neil said: "I am disturbed and disappointed that we have ended up where we have ended up. I say to the cabinet secretary that we cannot just leave things as they are."
He welcomed the suggestion of a formal review of the process.
"We need to look at how we got from a unanimous decision of the review group on the interim report to the position that we arrived at on the final report," he said.
"Given all the unanswered questions of the women and the allegations of the consultant, who believed that this was a “betrayal”, I do not think that we can leave it there, for the sake of the credibility of the report and its recommendations and for the sake of future reviews of this kind.
"If we do not carry the confidence and trust of our patients, these reports will not be worth the paper that they are written on."
Conservative Jackson Carlaw and Labour's Neil Findlay had also been supporters of the campaign by the survivors.
"It is a whitewash of damning evidence now traduced and downgraded, and of international reclassification of mesh as a high-risk procedure, not least by the European Union," said Carlaw.
Findlay said it was "a scandal" that so little time had been allocated for the statement, which came during a flurry of ministerial statements before the parliament broke for recess.
"The world has been watching Scotland in relation to mesh implants," he said. "What people will see is a cover-up, omission and a medical establishment stitch-up, which is a tragedy and a disgrace. The Scottish mesh survivors group has been betrayed and misled."
Chief Medical Officer Catherine Calderwood has written to health boards with strict instructions on when mesh implants can be offered in the future.
https://www.holyrood.com/articles/news/alex-neil-disturbed-and-disappointed-outcome-mesh-implants-inquiry-he-established
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Nicola Sturgeon issues apology to mesh implant survivors
Mar 30, 2017 | The Scotsman
By Scott Mancab
Nicola Sturgeon has said she is “deeply sorry” over the suffering of women who have been left with debilitating pain and disabilities after undergoing mesh implant surgery.
The First Minister spoke out amid growing anger among survivors over an independent review into the controversial procedures in Scotland which has been branded a “whitewash”.
MSPs heard yesterday how the daughter of a mesh survivor had written to health secretary Shona Robison setting out how her mother had suffered since undergoing the surgery. It is used to treat pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence among women, but has left women across the world with devastating side-effects.
MSPs heard yesterday how the daughter of a mesh survivor had written to health secretary Shona Robison setting out how her mother had suffered since undergoing the surgery. It is used to treat pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence among women, but has left women across the world with devastating side-effects.
Labour leader Kezia Dugdale read out an e-mail to MSPs from the daughter of a mesh survivor detailing the impact on her mother and other women in Scotland. Ms Dugdale called on Ms Sturgeon to “ban this devastating and dangerous practice once and for all”.
Labour leader Kezia Dugdale read out an e-mail to MSPs from the daughter of a mesh survivor detailing the impact on her mother and other women in Scotland. Ms Dugdale called on Ms Sturgeon to “ban this devastating and dangerous practice once and for all”.
The First Minister said: “Of course, I am deeply sorry for the suffering of these women ... who have suffered complications because of treatment with mesh.”
Ms Sturgeon said the independent review contained “eight important conclusions that health boards across the country will now be expected to take forward”.
Ms Robison said yesterday that safeguards must be in place before health boards can begin to reintroduce routine mesh implant surgery, in line with the recommendations by the independent review to ensure the “quality and safety” of the procedures.
Mesh survivors Olive McIlroy and Elaine Holmes resigned from the review panel, claiming the final report had been “diluted”, and a clinician member also withdrew.
In a statement to MSPs, Ms Robison said she recognised the process had been “very difficult and challenging”, and the government would formally examine how future reviews are carried out.
The Scottish Government does not have the power to ban the procedures as that lay with UK regulatory body the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency. Scottish ministers have asked NHS boards to suspend the use of transvaginal mesh implants but procedures can take place for women who want to go ahead with surgery.
The review concluded procedures must not be offered routinely to women with pelvic organ prolapse, recommended patients should be offered a range of treatments and must be given the information to make ‘’informed choices’’, and said the reporting of adverse events must be mandatory.
http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/nicola-sturgeon-issues-apology-to-mesh-implant-survivors-1-4408244
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Nicola Sturgeon 'deeply sorry' for suffering of mesh implant surgery survivors
Mar 30, 2017 | Herald Scotland
The First Minister has said she is "deeply sorry" for the suffering of survivors of mesh implant surgery ahead of a parliamentary statement on the use of the controversial procedure.
Nicola Sturgeon was urged to apologise to those who have suffered painful and debilitating complications following surgery by Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale.
Labour has called for a ban in Scotland's NHS on the use of mesh products, which are used to treat conditions such as incontinence.
Health Secretary Shona Robison is due to update MSPs on the government's response to an independent review which published its final report on Monday.
The First Minister has said she is "deeply sorry" for the suffering of survivors of mesh implant surgery ahead of a parliamentary statement on the use of the controversial procedure.
Nicola Sturgeon was urged to apologise to those who have suffered painful and debilitating complications following surgery by Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale.
Labour has called for a ban in Scotland's NHS on the use of mesh products, which are used to treat conditions such as incontinence.
Health Secretary Shona Robison is due to update MSPs on the government's response to an independent review which published its final report on Monday.
Ms Robison had recently met with Ms McIlroy and Ms Holmes to hear their views in person, she added.
"She met the women to make clear that the Scottish Mesh Survivors group's views have been heard and, more than that, that as we take this work forward we want to make sure that their views remain at the centre of it."
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/15192900.Nicola_Sturgeon__deeply_sorry__for_suffering_of_mesh_implant_surgery_survivors/
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