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BBC Mesh Coverage

BBC Coverage

Mesh surgeon investigated by NHS trust in Bristol
Oct 16, 2017 | BBC

A surgeon who carried out mesh surgery that left women in severe pain is being investigated by his NHS trust.
Mesh patients say they were 'duped'
Sep 27, 2017 | BBC

Mesh survivor Elaine Holmes said she and fellow patient Olive McIlroy were kept on the Scottish group to make its final report appear "less biased".
Mesh implant surgery 'decimated my quality of life'
Sep 28, 2017 | BBC Scotland

Lorna Farrell was left in constant pain after mesh implant surgery and feels let down by a review looking at the safety of the implants in Scotland.
Expert who quit mesh implant review warns over use
Sep 27, 2017 | BBC Scotland
By Lucy Adams

The expert at the centre of a review group looking at the safety of mesh implants in Scotland has spoken for the first time about why he resigned.
Vaginal mesh expert: Lack of robust response in Wales
Sep 16, 2017 | BBC
By Kate Morgan

A leading clinician has criticised what he calls a lack of "robust" action in Wales over the use of vaginal mesh.
Vaginal mesh campaigners welcome 'major development'
Aug 11, 2017 | BBC
By Marie-Louise Connolly

At least one woman in Northern Ireland has been offered a surgical consultation in London, with a view to removing her vaginal mesh implant.
Health bodies 'serious' on vaginal meshes
Aug 9, 2017 | BBC
By Catherine Smyth

At least three letters have been sent from various NI health bodies advising recipients of the health department's stance on vaginal mesh procedures.
Vaginal mesh surgery advice issued to GPs by NI health board
Aug 7, 2017 | BBC
By Marie-Louise Connolly

The Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) has written to GPs advising what action they should take if any of their patients experience problems after vaginal mesh surgery.
Women 'left in wheelchair' after vaginal mesh implant
Aug 3, 2017 | BBC

Vaginal medical mesh implant should be banned to stop women having painful complications, campaigners have said.
'Vaginal mesh surgery ruined my life and should be banned'
Aug 3, 2017 | BBC

Hundreds of women across the UK say the procedure - used to treat incontinence and prolapse after childbirth - has left them physically and mentally scarred.
Vaginal implants: Report recommends recording complications
Jul 25, 2017 | BBC

An NHS England report on vaginal mesh implants has recommended better support and communication between patients and doctors over the devices.
Vaginal mesh implant patients meet MPs
Jul 18, 2017 | BBC

Women across the UK who have said they have been left physically and mentally scarred after having vaginal mesh implants have taken their campaign to ban the procedure to Westminster.
Alarm at Travel Impact of Vaginal Surgery Difficulties for NI Women
Jun 27, 2017 | BBC
By Marie-Louise Connolly and Catherine Smyth

A leading Harley Street gynaecologist has said she is "astonished" that a group of women in Northern Ireland felt they had no option but to seek help in England after vaginal surgery left them with "shocking" complications.
Minister Says Expert Will Look at Mesh Implants Review
May 18, 2017 | BBC

Health Secretary Shona Robison has asked an expert to examine a review into the safety of mesh implants.
Hundreds sue NHS over 'barbaric' vaginal mesh implants
Apr 18, 2017 | Victoria Derbyshire on BBC

More than 800 UK women are taking legal action against the NHS and the makers of vaginal mesh implants, the Victoria Derbyshire programme has learned.
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".
Mesh implant campaigners 'betrayed' by report publication
Mar 27, 2017 | BBC
By Lucy Adams

Two campaigners against mesh implants say they are "dismayed and disgusted" at the publication of an independent report into their risks and use which they claim has been "watered down".
Medical expert quits mesh implant review group
Mar 15, 2017 | BBC
By Lucy Adams

An expert at the centre of the independent review group looking at the safety of mesh implants in Scotland has resigned.
Mesh sufferers quit expert group over 'diluted' report
Mar 5, 2017 | BBC
By Lucy Adams

Two patient representatives have quit the independent review group looking at the safety of mesh implants.

BBC Coverage

Mesh surgeon investigated by NHS trust in Bristol

Oct 16, 2017 | BBC

A surgeon who carried out mesh surgery that left women in severe pain is being investigated by his NHS trust.
Tony Dixon, who is based in Bristol, uses a technique known as mesh rectopexy to fix bowel problems, often caused by childbirth.
Several women are considering legal action after being treated by him.
Mr Dixon said he was unable to comment because of the investigation, but the BBC understands he denies doing anything wrong.
He works at Southmead Hospital and at the Spire private hospital in Bristol.
One of Mr Dixon's patients, Sam van der Heijden from Hastings in East Sussex, said she was left with major pain and complications after Mr Dixon inserted the mesh in 2011.
She had had previous surgery with someone else and was facing a difficult future.
"I researched on the internet and Mr Dixon came up as the pioneer of mesh rectopexy," she said.
"So I thought, right, if I'm having problems I need to go to the best.
"He said [it] will solve all your problems. Because I believed he was the expert I didn't question it."
Another surgeon told the BBC in their opinion her mesh was not attached where they would expect it to be.
Concerns have also been raised by patients who said they were not fully warned of possible complications.
ynaecologist Dr Sohier Elneil has taken on the care of several patients from all over the UK who were operated on by Mr Dixon in Bristol.
"There might be patients in whom it has been absolutely fine, but we now know there are many patients who are suffering as a consequence of this type of surgery," she said.
"This year alone we've operated on seven such cases.
"It worries me when you start to hear the same name or same technique or the same problem in women from different parts of the country."
Mr Dixon is being investigated by Southmead Hospital, where he currently cannot perform mesh operations.
The General Medical Council (GMC) is also investigating, and has stopped him from performing another form of corrective surgery, known as a Starr procedure (stapled transanal resection of the rectum), for a year from August 2017.
Mesh implants are medical devices used by surgeons to treat pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence in women, conditions that can commonly occur after childbirth.
The mesh, usually made from synthetic polypropylene, is intended to repair damaged or weakened tissue.
Mr Dixon has his supporters, and the BBC has been told he is pioneering, experienced and conscientious.
The Pelvic Floor Society (PFS) says up to 2.5% of women who have mesh surgery will suffer complications, but it can bring life-changing benefits.
The society's Andrew Williams said it was "up to the woman herself" to discuss with her surgeon the "risks and benefits".
One surgeon told the BBC that complications arising from mesh surgery, a procedure which became common in about 2004, could not have been foreseen.
The PFS said it began to recognise complications in 2014, but its chair could not say whether surgeons should have mentioned complications before then.
Two Bristol law firms are considering legal action, after taking on 16 women who were operated on by Mr Dixon.
Madeleine Pinschof from Thompsons Solicitors said the majority had suffered "debilitating complications... far worse than before they had these procedures".
"Certainly we don't believe that all of the possible complications had been explained," she said.
Luke Trevorrow from solicitors Irwin Mitchell said he suspected there may be "more patients out there who have received treatment from Mr Dixon who are equally concerned".
North Bristol NHS Trust, which runs Southmead Hospital, said it was investigating concerns raised over "certain pelvic floor repair procedures" and said Mr Dixon was "not currently providing these procedures" at the trust.
Spire Bristol Hospital's director, Dan Rees Jones, said Mr Dixon was currently not permitted to perform procedures and was "restricted to outpatient follow-up appointments" while the NHS trust completes its investigation.
He added that complications relating to Mr Dixon's practice at the hospital "fall within normal parameters".

Claims by women that the mesh surgery left them with long-term health problems will be investigated on Inside Out West on BBC One at 19:30 BST on Monday 16 October.

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Mesh patients say they were 'duped'

Sep 27, 2017 | BBC

Mesh survivor Elaine Holmes said she and fellow patient Olive McIlroy were kept on the Scottish group to make its final report appear "less biased".
Ms Holmes appeared before Holyrood's Public Petitions Committee.
They called for MSPs to ensure the current suspension of mesh procedures "remains firmly in place".
Transvaginal mesh implants are medical devices used by surgeons to treat pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence in women, conditions that can commonly occur after childbirth.Severe complications
Over the past 20 years, more than 100,000 women across the UK have had transvaginal mesh implants - including more than 20,000 in Scotland.
But some have suffered painful and debilitating complications.
There are more than 400 women currently taking legal action against Scottish health boards and manufacturers as a result of mesh implant surgery.
In 2014, former Scottish Health Secretary Alex Neil called for the suspension of such procedures, and an independent review group was set up to look at safety issues.
Ms McIlroy, from Renfrew, and Ms Holmes, from East Renfrewshire, who both suffered severe complications following mesh implant surgery, were patient representatives on the independent review group.
They quit earlier this year claiming that the final report had been watered down.
Ms Holmes told the Holyrood committee the report was a "whitewash".
"We were cynically used to make the report appear less biased to the public and to those of you here today," she said. "We were duped, used.
"We are not politicians, doctors or statisticians, we are ordinary women horrified by failure rates of an operation and the severity of injuries that can be life-changing and life-threatening."'Not in our name'
Ms Holmes said they went to Health Secretary Shona Robison before the report was published to ask her to delay publication until their concerns were investigated.
"It was to no avail. She accepted the final report and its conclusions, ignoring our concerns and publishing the final report just 11 days after our meeting. Any hope we had for change was completely dashed," she said.
Ms Holmes said the final report was "not in our name".
Public Petitions Committee convener Johann Lamont later said the evidence raised a range of "very concerning" issues about the process that produced the report.
She said a "lack of respect and credence" appeared to have been given to patients' views and experiences.
The Labour MSP said a debate had been secured in the Scottish Parliament chamber and she had written to the health secretary.
Catherine Calderwood, the Scottish government's chief medical officer, said "The patient representatives are the reason this review was carried out.
"They bravely came forward to tell their stories so it's extremely disappointing to hear that they do not feel they've been listened to.
"I've met with them several times and I certainly have heard their concerns and the harm they suffered with mesh."
During her evidence, Ms Holmes also attacked medical watchdogs MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency).
She said it was "toothless and far too close" to manufacturers of medical devices.
"We need new health watchdogs who will insist on proof to show that devices and medicines are safe and effective," she added.Less than satisfied
Committee member Alex Neil, who dealt with issue when he was health secretary, said this was the third scandal in the past few years where the MHRA's role had been "less than professional or helpful".
He said: "One of my concerns is that part of the funding does come from manufacturers of the device.
"I don't see how you can be independent regulator if you are, even partially, funded by the people who are being regulated. The independence of the MHRA is partly the problem."
The SNP MSP said he was less than satisfied when dealing with the regulator.
"I don't think they are a very professional organisation, I don't think they are a very caring organisation, I don't think they care at all about Scotland and I don't think they have got patient care as their number one priority," he said.
An MHRA spokesman said the watchdog protected the health of millions of people every day through the "effective regulation of medical devices and medicines, underpinned by science and research".
He denied that its role was "to protect industry interests" and said 90% of its funding came from the Department of Health.
He said patient safety was "our highest priority" and said the organisation sympathised with women who had suffered complications after surgery.
"We have undertaken work to assess the findings of studies undertaken by the clinical community over many years, as well as considering the feedback from all sources in that time," he said.Cheaper than alternatives
He added that evidence supported the use of the devices in the UK for treatment of incontinence and organ prolapse in appropriate circumstances.
"In common with other medical device regulators worldwide, none of whom have removed these devices from the market, we are not aware of a robust body of evidence which would lead to the conclusion these devices are unsafe if used as intended," he said.
When the review was published in March, it concluded mesh implant procedures must not be offered routinely to women with pelvic organ prolapse, that patients should be offered a range of treatments - mesh and non-mesh - and they must be given the information to make "informed choices".
Dr Wael Agur, a clinician who also resigned from the review group, said the report had "left the door slightly open" for some procedures to be performed.
He told MSPs that mesh should only be used in exceptional circumstances due to the risks.
Dr Agur also told the committee that mesh tape procedures were cheaper than the alternatives, saving the NHS "significant amounts of money".
He called for the report to be opened up to a public consultation process.

The report is currently being independently reviewed by Alison Britton, a professor of healthcare and medical law.

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Mesh implant surgery 'decimated my quality of life'

Sep 28, 2017 | BBC Scotland

Lorna Farrell was left in constant pain after mesh implant surgery and feels let down by a review looking at the safety of the implants in Scotland.
Transvaginal mesh implants are medical devices used by surgeons to treat pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence in women, conditions that can commonly occur after childbirth.

The procedure is still in use but more than 400 women are suing the NHS over the implants.

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Expert who quit mesh implant review warns over use

Sep 27, 2017 | BBC Scotland

By Lucy Adams

The expert at the centre of a review group looking at the safety of mesh implants in Scotland has spoken for the first time about why he resigned.
Dr Wael Agur told BBC Scotland he believed patient safety was being put at risk.
He said mesh should only be used in exceptional circumstances due to the risk of "irreversible" damage.
The Scottish government said no evidence had been deleted or hidden from the review group's report.
Transvaginal mesh implants are medical devices used by surgeons to treat pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence in women, conditions that can commonly occur after childbirth.
Over the past 20 years, more than 100,000 women across the UK have had transvaginal mesh implants - including more than 20,000 in Scotland.What's the issue with mesh implants?But some have suffered painful and debilitating complications.
There are more than 400 women currently taking legal action against Scottish health boards and manufacturers as a result of mesh implant surgery.
In 2014, former Scottish Health Secretary Alex Neil called for the suspension of such procedures, and an independent review group was set up to look at safety issues.
Dr Agur, a consultant urogynecologist, was a member of the review group but said he was forced to step down earlier this year after an entire chapter of the final report was removed and put in the appendices.
It followed the resignation of two patient representatives on the group who claimed the report had been "watered down" and that it was ultimately "a whitewash".
At the time, Health Secretary Shona Robison said no evidence would be hidden in the group's final report.
Dr Agur said he reviewed the most up-to-date research in the UK and internationally and concluded that non-mesh surgical procedures were safer, but said that such conclusions were removed or changed.
He told BBC Scotland: "It was so important that we got this right. Not just for women in Scotland but for women around the world. Scotland was the only country where an independent review was running to look at the benefits and risks of these procedures.
"I believe the report has left the door slightly open for some procedures to be performed and that should not have happened."
Dr Agur said he believed mesh use should be avoided in future in all but the rarest circumstances because of the risks of "acute" and "irreversible" damage.
Asked if he believed the final report by the review group was a whitewash, he said: "Whitewash is a political term and I am not a politician. I'm a clinician and a researcher and a surgeon and I can tell you that I looked into the evidence that compares all these procedures and I concluded that they should either not be performed at all or restricted to clearly defined situations where not a single surgeon but a group of surgeons nationally should decide."
Based on the evidence gathered, he said he expected the review group to conclude that mesh use should not continue and that the suspension should remain in place.
He said that ultimately the report gives surgeons in Scotland and globally the impression that its use should continue.'Different format'
On Thursday, Dr Agur will give evidence to the Petitions Committee at the Scottish Parliament.
In his written submission, he stated: "The report did not adequately warn surgeons and patients against the serious risks with the transobturator mesh tape (the type most commonly used in Scotland).
"The report ignored the best evidence on mesh-related adverse events that described the prevalence of a negative outcome to be as frequent as 15% (1 in 7).
"On interpreting the evidence tables comparing safety of surgical procedures, I came to the following conclusions: Non-mesh procedures are safer than mesh procedures for incontinence. Transobturator tape is too risky to be offered, except in very rare circumstances. Prolapse mesh has no benefit and is too risky to be offered."
His submission to MSPs added: "As the chapter was deleted, its evidence did not inform the recommendations of the final report."
Scotland's Chief Medical Officer, Dr Catherine Calderwood, said she had "fully accepted" the recommendations made by the independent review and had been clear that the suspension of the use of mesh implants should remain in place until she was satisfied they had been implemented.
She added: "The cabinet secretary met with the chair of the independent review, who informed us that some evidence has been presented in a different format to that of the interim report, but that no evidence has been deleted or hidden.
"The interim report is available to read on the independent review's website and the final report builds on that.
"The clinician who resigned from the review group drafted an alternative version of one chapter which was not agreed by the rest of the group, but in the interests of transparency was published on the Scottish government website.

"A review is being carried out into the process of the independent Review, which will make recommendations about the conduct of future similar reviews and will report back next year."‎

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Vaginal mesh expert: Lack of robust response in Wales

Sep 16, 2017 | BBC

By Kate Morgan

A leading clinician has criticised what he calls a lack of "robust" action in Wales over the use of vaginal mesh.
Dr Wael Agur, who has advised the UK and Scottish governments, supports calls to ban mesh for vaginal prolapse.
Following reviews, Scotland and England now do not routinely recommend it for such surgery.
Wales' chief medical officer said it had "systems and structures" to get the same outcome without the same action.
Dr Agur said: "I've seen little from the Welsh Government. There does not seem to be continuing participation in the mesh groups.
"And there does not seem to be a robust view on the benefits and risk of these procedures - and that surprises me."
He said it was particularly surprising, given it was leading urologists and urogynaecologists in Wales who had conducted what he considered one of the best studies in the area.
Mesh implants, which include different types of plastic tape and slings, are used to ease incontinence and to support organs such as the vagina, uterus, bowel, bladder or urethra which have prolapsed after childbirth.
Some have caused painful and debilitating complications for patients, with hundreds of UK women launching a legal action against the NHS.
The polypropylene meshes are still prescribed on the NHS across the UK, however recent reviews in England and Scotland said they should not be routinely used for pelvic organ prolapse.'It's just torture'
Grandmother Jemima Williams, 57, of Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, said she often struggles to get out of bed due to complications arising from a vaginal implant for a prolapse.
She wants the products banned.
"It's just torture," she said. "It's an instrument of medieval torture. It's horrible. And it takes you to the darkest of places.
"It's like a cheese grater or a cheese wire cutting into your most intimate parts. It's a pain that you can never get away from."
Ms Williams said she once lived an active life but she now needs a stick to walk and cannot drive.
The Welsh Government said it was building on work already done this side of the border by accepting the conclusions of the latest NHS England report.
It was part of the UK group that informed that review and is now setting up a task group to make sure the recommendations are properly implemented here.
Wales' chief medical officer, Dr Frank Atherton: "We're looking now to make sure in Wales that clinicians and the service we provide is consistent with the recommendations contained in these reports."
Dr Atherton said that while the Welsh Government had not issued specific guidance on the routine use of mesh tape in prolapse surgery in the same way as England and Scotland, it had "taken the same line" but via "a different route".
"We expect all of our services to comply with the standards and the guidelines, set out...by the various speciality societies and they are very clear that, for example, in pelvic organ prolapse, as a primary repair that mesh is not appropriate in those circumstances."
He added: "I believe we have the right systems and structures in place here in Wales to make sure that we get the same outcome as Scotland and England and that where mesh is used, it is used appropriately."

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Vaginal mesh campaigners welcome 'major development'

Aug 11, 2017 | BBC

By Marie-Louise Connolly

At least one woman in Northern Ireland has been offered a surgical consultation in London, with a view to removing her vaginal mesh implant.
The offer was made by the Belfast Health Trust.
It follows BBC reports that a number of women felt physically and mentally scarred after having the implants.
A support group for women from Northern Ireland who have had the surgery has described the move as a major development.Vaginal mesh surgery advice issuedMesh led to 'excruciating pain'Hundreds suing NHS over vaginal implantsWhat's the issue with mesh implants?
In a statement, the Belfast Health Trust said it would treat each case individually but for those whose condition is more complex it would "refer, using the extra contractual referral guidance, to a clinical centre in London."
In June 2017, a group of women from across Northern Ireland went public with very personal accounts of how mesh implants had left them physically and mentally wrecked.'Constant pain'
The implants are used by surgeons to treat organ prolapse and urinary incontinence.
Law lecturer Mary McLaughlin said she had been left in constant physical pain since her operation in 2008.
"My bowel has stopped working, my bladder has stopped working - this means that all my social interactions have been curtailed and I only leave the house if I can," she said.
"You feel very lonely and you feel that people do not realise you are in pain."
Many of the women have criticised the health trusts for ignoring their complaints - but in a major development, Ms McLaughlin has heard that the Belfast Health Trust has agreed to send her to London to see a specialist.'Encouraged'
She said the past 10 months had been spent writing to consultants and the Belfast Health Trust, who she said passed her around like a parcel from one doctor to another.
"I have a back ground in law and public policy and I have found it incredibly difficult to move this to a transfer to the extra contractual referral," she said.
"It is a closed system, the patient is excluded, we do not see the documents that are submitted and the trust has stonewalled me on several occasions."
Susan McLarnon, from the support group Meshed Up NI, said the group had been "encouraged" by the news. There are now 250 people in the support group.

"We hope that this now sets a precedent for other women - there are three others waiting on confirmation to also go to England," she said.

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Health bodies 'serious' on vaginal meshes

Aug 9, 2017 | BBC

By Catherine Smyth

At least three letters have been sent from various NI health bodies advising recipients of the health department's stance on vaginal mesh procedures.
They follow BBC reports that a number of women felt physically and mentally scarred after having the implants.
A support group for the women has welcomed the move, but said it was sad some women had to go public with their stories to get to this point.
The letters show health authorities are taking the issue extremely seriously
The letters from the Department of Health, the Patient Client Council and the Health and Social Care Board advise staff on how to deal with complaints.
In July, the Health and Social Care Board wrote to every GP in Northern Ireland and all five health trusts about how to manage women experiencing complications following vaginal mesh surgery.
The Health and Social Care Board's Dr Brid Farrell said the issue had taught health authorities the importance of engaging with women early in the process.
"If we look back at how things happened in the past, perhaps when women were being offered surgery they didn't get the amount of information they should have gotten at the time.
"But I think now people realise the implications and significance of complications when they happen, and women are given more information than they would have been in the past." she said.Clinicians' workshop
The Patient and Client Council has written to one woman enclosing two copies of a draft letter of complaint to her health trust.
The permanent secretary Richard Pengelly has also written to the former SDLP MP Margaret Ritchie who raised the issue in Parliament.
He advised her that the recent focus of the Department of Health has been on addressing this issue.
Mr Pengelly also revealed that the Public Health Agency has commissioned a workshop with clinicians to consider how various aspects of care for this group of women might be improved, including consent.
Meanwhile, Susan McLarnon from the women's support group said they were receiving requests from people to join on a daily basis.
"They have been suffering in silence and when they reach us it is like a weight has been lifted from their shoulders," she said.

"This is a big, big issue."

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Vaginal mesh surgery advice issued to GPs by NI health board

Aug 7, 2017 | BBC

By Marie-Louise Connolly

The Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) has written to GPs advising what action they should take if any of their patients experience problems after vaginal mesh surgery.
The move comes after the BBC revealed that a number of women felt physically and mentally scarred after having the implants.
Mesh or tape implants are used to treat organ prolapse or urinary incontinence.
These conditions can be common after childbirth.Women launch legal action over implantsGynaecologist "astonished" NI women sought care in England
The board's letter, leaked to the BBC, advised GPs to refer the women back to the health trust that performed the surgery with a letter stating that the referral is "because of problems associated with mesh surgery".
The letter goes on to state that each trust should have arrangements in place for these women to be seen by a consultant.
A spokesperson for the local action group, which now has over 250 members, welcomed the move but told the BBC that it was sad that some women had to go public with their personal stories in order for some health professionals to take them seriously.
In July, a group of women from across the UK affected by vaginal mesh implants, including many from Northern Ireland, met with MPs at Westminster as part of a campaign to ban the procedure.

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Women 'left in wheelchair' after vaginal mesh implant

Aug 3, 2017 | BBC

Vaginal medical mesh implant should be banned to stop women having painful complications, campaigners have said.
Hundreds of women across the UK say the procedure - used to treat incontinence and prolapse after childbirth - has left them physically and mentally scarred.
A report by the NHS England-led Mesh Working Group, published last week, said the use of mesh was still "a safe option".
The Welsh Government said it was going to set up a working group to "consider the latest recommendations and determine what further action we may need to take".

Carole Williams told BBC Wales Today she was frightened of ending up in a wheelchair unless the mesh was removed.

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'Vaginal mesh surgery ruined my life and should be banned'

Aug 3, 2017 | BBC

Wales should ban the use of vaginal mesh implants, a campaigner has said.
Hundreds of women across the UK say the procedure - used to treat incontinence and prolapse after childbirth - has left them physically and mentally scarred.
A report by the NHS England-led Mesh Working Group, published last week, said the use of mesh was still "a safe option".
The Welsh Government said "very few adverse events" had been reported in Wales.
But Karen Preater, a member of the Welsh Mesh Survivors group, said the surgery ruined her life. Here, she tells her story.
I'm 40, yet I feel 100.
Before I had this operation, I had a good job in sales. I was a happy, active mum and I had a great relationship with my partner of 12 years.
Now I'm in constant pain, I walk with a stick, I lost my job and the intimate side of my relationship is ruined.
My life has changed beyond recognition and I struggle with depression. If it wasn't for my family, I probably wouldn't be talking to you now.
It started in 2014, when I had a tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) inserted to treat urinary incontinence.
I'd suffered with it for seven years, after my son was born weighing 10lb 1oz.
Eventually I was referred to a gynaecology department and they did a few tests and said the best thing they could advise was to have a sling (also called a mesh or tape) inserted.
I'd never heard of it before but they said 'oh it's just a little sling to pull you up and help with the incontinence'.
It sounded fantastic - the nurse said I'd only be in hospital a day but I ended up staying in for eight.
As soon as I came round from the anaesthetic, I was in excruciating pain with my left hip and thigh.
I couldn't pass any water so had to use catheters.
Hospital staff said that was normal because I'd just had an operation on my bladder but there was no real explanation given for the pain. I was given painkillers and kept in hospital.
I eventually hobbled out on crutches, still in pain, and still not being able to empty my bladder fully.
Three-and-a-half years later, I still have to self-catheterise five to six times a day.
And the pain is constant. It's in my hip, thigh and my groin.
There are things that aggravate it, like too much walking, or if I drive too far. But it never goes away - day in, day out, through the night, it just never lets up.
I don't use crutches any more but I do use a walking stick to take the pressure off my leg.
I get random shooting pains and sometimes my leg just goes out from under me. A few times I have ended up at the bottom of the stairs, so my partner had to put in a banister on both sides to stop me falling.
I'd always worked full-time, I had a really good job in field sales but it involved a lot of driving and I had to give it up.
When you're used to seeing people every day, sitting at home alone when the kids are in school, you do start to go a bit stir crazy and there are days when I just think, 'just shut the door, keep everything out'.
It's massively affected my relationship with my partner and it's really tough on the kids. I used to do lots of things with them - going out for a walk or swimming - but now it's got to the point where they've just given up asking.
They won't say "can we go for a day out?" because a day out for me is usually not a day - it's a couple of hours with a lot of rests and it also means I then have to spend extra time recuperating.
I couldn't run in the parents' race at my son's sports day, even though I always did it for the older two. It's little things like that which might not seem a lot to somebody but it's a lot to me.
After I had my son, I did get a bit of post-natal depression, which turned into full depression. I was medicated slightly but these last three years my meds have been doubled.
I just have to get by reasoning that I am going to have really low days and I just need to get through that day, that's all that matters, just getting through one day and then starting the next one.
I've spent the last three-and-a-half years trying to find out what's wrong with me.
I've probably seen five or six different consultants in different departments, and they've all said "I'm really flummoxed as to what's the matter, it's not my speciality, I'll have to send you to a different doctor".
It wasn't until I saw Kath Sansom, the founder of the Sling the Mesh campaign, on the news that I thought 'well, maybe this is what's the matter'. I'm now waiting to see a gynaecologist.
There are specialists that can remove mesh but it's not an easy operation because the damage that's done is in the nerves.
I know of women that have had six or seven surgeries because it has to be taken out bit by tiny bit and at this point in time, I don't think I could mentally cope with that in-depth surgery and worrying that the pain could actually get worse.
There needs to be a suspension of this procedure in Wales and Wales needs to have its own inquiry into the complications.

So many women still don't have a clue and unless it's thoroughly looked into, we will still be in the same position in a few years' time.

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Vaginal implants: Report recommends recording complications

Jul 25, 2017 | BBC

An NHS England report on vaginal mesh implants has recommended better support and communication between patients and doctors over the devices.
The Mesh Oversight Group report also said complications caused by the implants should be recorded so that experts fully understood the risks.
Vaginal mesh implants are used to treat stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.
But some women said they left them in permanent pain and unable to walk.
The research - seen exclusively by the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme - aims to address concerns over the use of mesh devices.
What's the issue with mesh implants?
Mesh implants 'as dangerous as asbestos'
Faulty implants end women's sex life
Prof Keith Willett, who wrote the foreword to the report, said it contained three key recommendations:Improving patient-doctor consultation, so patients have a better understanding of what they are signing up toThe provision of specialist units for advice if clinical problems occur subsequentlyRecording incidences of complications to help the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) understand the risks.
The report says: "Adverse events involving mesh as a medical device must be reported and clinicians must bear this responsibility."
It also says surgeons undertaking surgery for stress urinary incontinence "must be able to demonstrate they are performing these operations regularly".
It says that where a mesh is being used to treat pelvic organ prolapse "this should not be offered routinely for the first surgical intervention".'Safe' for majority
The plastic meshes are made of polypropylene - a material also used to make certain drinks bottles - and are manufactured by many different companies.
They are used to ease incontinence and to support organs such as the vagina, uterus, bowel, bladder or urethra which have prolapsed after childbirth.
The MHRA says, for the majority of women, the use of vaginal mesh implants is safe and effective.
But some can cut into the vagina, causing severe discomfort.

Currently in the UK, there are around 100 types of vaginal mesh implants.

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Vaginal mesh implant patients meet MPs

Jul 18, 2017 | BBC

Women across the UK who have said they have been left physically and mentally scarred after having vaginal mesh implants have taken their campaign to ban the procedure to Westminster.
Around 60 women met a group of MPs about the issue.
The women, including many from Northern Ireland, had mesh or tape implants - devices used to treat organ prolapse and urinary incontinence.
These conditions can be common after childbirth.Case studies: Mesh led to 'excruciating pain'Hundreds suing NHS over vaginal implantsWhat's the issue with mesh implants?'Chronic pain'
Jackie Harvey, who is from Banbridge in County Down, had the implants inserted 12 years ago and suffered many problems.
She told BBC Good Morning Ulster that Tuesday's meeting would hopefully put pressure on politicians to debate the issue in parliament and implement a ban on the procedure.
"I was fine for a short time after I got the implant but I went on to develop chronic pain in the pelvic area, hips, groin and thighs.
"I got x-rays and saw a rheumatologist but at no stage did anyone make a connection, and I didn't make a connection either."
Ms Harvey said she only realised the implant could have been causing her pain after reading an online article about a woman who had similar symptoms and had also had a mesh implant inserted.
"I had the implant removed in March this year in England.
"Most of the problems have disappeared, but the pain is still there - however I feel much better than I was before."
She now runs an online forum to support those affected and of its 173 members, about 150 are understood to be from Northern Ireland.'Health scandal'
The Scottish parliament put a moratorium on implants in 2014.
However, operations have begun again in Scotland with improved safeguards.
The former chair of the Northern Ireland Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Dr Robin Ashe said: "The use of mesh for the management of urinal incontinence is regarded as a safe and effective procedure in the right circumstances and in the right hands.
"As time has progressed, we have realised that one needs to be very careful about the circumstances under which these devices are placed.
"Our complication rates for the devices in the management of urinal incontinence... are very low in the short and medium term.
"What might be coming about now, is over a long period of time, we are recognising more complications and that requires to be evaluated further," said Dr Ashe.
Earlier this month, the Shadow Secretary of State, Owen Smith, unsuccessfully bid for a debate on vaginal mesh implants to be held in the house of commons.
He helped organise Tuesday's meeting.
He said: "This is a really big issue and it isn't going to go away.
"I hope today's meetings will make sure there is a much greater profile of what I think is a serious health scandal.

"As soon as parliament comes back over summer, I will be resubmitting my bid for a debate."

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Alarm at Travel Impact of Vaginal Surgery Difficulties for NI Women

Jun 27, 2017 | BBC

By Marie-Louise Connolly and Catherine Smyth

A leading Harley Street gynaecologist has said she is "astonished" that a group of women in Northern Ireland felt they had no option but to seek help in England after vaginal surgery left them with "shocking" complications.
The women had mesh or tape implants.
These are devices used to treat organ prolapse and urinary incontinence, conditions that can be common after childbirth.
Some of the women now have difficulty walking or sitting.
Others have had to give up work and looking after their children.
BBC News NI can reveal that a number of clinicians in Northern Ireland were sufficiently alarmed by reports of complications in other jurisdictions that they are conducting an evaluation of patients who have had the operation in Northern Ireland.
In a statement, the Department of Health said it is "essential that clinicians that conduct these operations carry out audits to ensure they are performing to the highest possible standards".
Dr Sohier Elneil is the consultant urogynaecologist who has seen or been in contact with more than ten women from Northern Ireland.
"I was astonished because these are young women, in their late 30s or 40s or early 50s," she said.
"The shock for me was you would see them but they are unable to function as a mum, a wife or as a member of society and I think that really hit home."
Dr Elneil said she was surprised that the women had to travel to seek help.
"I think it was a bit of a shock for a lot of us in the field just how bad the situation was and as Northern Ireland is part of the UK I am not surprised that the problems exist there.
"It was just people hadn't realised it was as big a problem as it is currently.
"I would have expected that they would have had access to the care they needed as I know there are many great and capable doctors there."
Dr Robin Ashe, a retired gynaecologist, is chairing the audit into mid-urethral tapes in Northern Ireland.
He described the situation regarding the operation as "evolving".'Pathway of care'
"It's come to light in the past number of years and, for us, the UK and the Scottish experience has been telling," he said.
"So, a group of clinicians came together and thought - let us look at Northern Ireland and see are we in the same boat, we need to find out where we stand.
"I will say this though that the vast majority of patients undergoing the operation have a straightforward progress and do not experience problems."
The audit is studying a group of women in Northern Ireland who had mesh implants in 2013.
It is examining their preparation for the operation, consent issues, and any complications during and immediately afterwards.
The audit would also like to look at longer-term implications but has not yet received permission to do so.
Dr Ashe said the evidence shows that the mesh itself is safe to use.
One woman who paid privately to have her mesh removed said her life has been transformed. She does not want to be identified because she works for the police.
"I no longer feel like a 90-year-old woman - the stiffness, the pain in my pelvic area, hips and my groin and my lower back has reduced massively.
"In fact the back pain has gone, my psoriasis has gone from nails and head, I don't use steroids any more," she said.
"I feel more positive and feel that over the next few months that I will improve. I would hope I will get into doing some form of exercise since I haven't been able to do that for years."
For Dr Elneil, it is important that the women's voices are now heard
"I would like to see a concerted effort by us as a professional group, by the regulatory authorities, to work with us and with the patients because one of the issues the patients face is not the anger about the device directly but the fury they cannot get help when the problems arise," she said.
"So if we had a very well stipulated pathway of care put in place when things go wrong that would go a long way to making patients feel they are being listened to and they are getting the right access to care they need."

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Minister Says Expert Will Look at Mesh Implants Review

May 18, 2017 | BBC

Health Secretary Shona Robison has asked an expert to examine a review into the safety of mesh implants.
Many women have questioned the safety of the implants, which are used to treat incontinence, after suffering debilitating side effects.
Two patients sitting on the original review group quit in protest at what they said was a watered-down report.
Now independent expert Alison Britten, a professor of healthcare and medical law, will examine the final report.
Ms Robison told Holyrood's public petitions committee that Prof Britten, from Glasgow Caledonian University, would examine the process by which the report came to its conclusions.
She told MSPs: "Professor Britten will produce a report on how the independent review process was undertaken and importantly what lessons can be learned in the future."
The report concluded procedures should not be offered routinely to women with pelvic organ prolapse.
It recommended patients be offered a range of treatments and given the information to make "informed choices".
The report also said reporting of adverse events should be mandatory.
Ms Robison confirmed the recommendations would continue to be implemented despite calls from campaigners for an all-out ban.
The health secretary said the government did not have the power to ban the procedures as that lay with UK regulatory body the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.
In other evidence, the chairwoman of the independent review Tracey Gillies apologised for failing to unite all panel members around the review's controversial final report.
'Impossible mission'
Ms Gillies took over as chairwoman of the independent review of transvaginal mesh implants in its final stages towards the end of last year.
It emerged she had no conversations with previous chairwoman Lesley Wilkie, who resigned for personal reasons.
Her evidence was punctuated by cries of "shame on you" and "rubbish" from a packed public gallery which included some women who had suffered painful and debilitating complications as a result of the procedure.
Ms Gillies said her task had been "almost mission impossible from the beginning".
She said: "It was clear that there were strongly-held views of difference at the point that I came in, so one could say more fool me for agreeing to chair this.
"This is not something that most people would have ... welcomed would be the wrong word, but it's clearly going to be a very difficult thing and I personally have reflected and feel disappointed that I have not achieved what I would have set out to do, which would have been to bring this in in consensus.
Olive McIlroy and Elaine Holmes - who had both suffered complications as a result of the surgery - quit the review group earlier this year, saying they felt "dismayed and disgusted" at the publication of the independent report.
It was claimed that parts of the final report had been removed.
Following their resignations, it emerged that a consultant also quit the expert group over concerns about the final draft of the report.
Over the past 20 years, more than 20,000 women in Scotland have had mesh or tape implants but some have suffered painful and debilitating complications.

There are more than 400 women currently taking legal action against Scottish health boards and manufacturers as a result of mesh implant surgery.

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Hundreds sue NHS over 'barbaric' vaginal mesh implants

Apr 18, 2017 | Victoria Derbyshire on BBC

More than 800 UK women are taking legal action against the NHS and the makers of vaginal mesh implants, the Victoria Derbyshire programme has learned.
The implants are used to treat pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence after childbirth, but some can cut into the vagina - causing severe discomfort.
Some women have been left in permanent pain, unable to walk, work or have sex. One called the implants "barbaric".
The UK regulatory body MHRA said it "sympathises" with the women affected.
Kate Langley had to give up her business as a childminder because the pain was so intense she could not look after the children.
The surgeon who first examined her, she explained, "could see the [mesh] tape had come through my vagina - protruding through.
"The mesh had cut its way through - like a cheese-wire."
Other women, reporting similar symptoms, have said the perforation was so severe their partners had been injured by the mesh during sex.
Ms Langley, who described the meshes as "barbaric", said she has had 53 hospital admissions to try to end the pain, but the mesh was so near the nerve it could not be fully removed.
She has been left in permanent pain by the implants and has nerve damage.Living in pain
The plastic meshes are made of polypropylene - the same material used to make certain drinks bottles - and manufactured by many different companies.
They are used to ease incontinence and to support organs such as the vagina, uterus, bowel, bladder or urethra which have prolapsed after childbirth.
Claire Cooper began to experience pain three years after her operation.
Doctors wrongly believed the source of discomfort was her womb, which she had had removed at the age of 39.
When the pain continued, she said a GP told her she was imagining it.
The news made her want to take her own life. She said she "mapped out" her suicide, but wanted to live on for her children.
She still lives in pain and said her husband has "turned into my carer".
"We haven't had sex for four-and-a-half years. This stuff breaks up marriages.
"I wouldn't at all be surprised if there are mesh-injured women that have taken their own lives and didn't know what the problem was," she said.
"I want the procedure banned, I want the material banned."Tens of millions of pounds
Between April 2007 and March 2015, more than 92,000 women had vaginal mesh implants in England, according to NHS data from the Hospital Episodes Statistics, obtained by the Victoria Derbyshire programme.
About one in 11 women has experienced problems, the data suggests.
Now, more than 800 women in the UK are taking legal action against the NHS and manufacturers, including US pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson - the biggest makers of mesh implants.
Its subsidiary, Ethicon, said it was "vigorously defending litigation".
Many of the women the BBC met said they had never been told by their surgeons about the potential risks associated with the implants.US payouts
The MHRA says for the majority of women, the use of vaginal mesh implants is safe and effective.
The meshes are still prescribed on the NHS across the UK, although a recent review in Scotland said they should not be routinely used for pelvic organ prolapse.
Experts believe if the women are successful in their legal case, the NHS payout for compensation could be tens of millions of pounds.
In the US, thousands of women have sued manufacturers, receiving payouts that total several billion dollars.
Consultant urogynaecologist Dr Sohier Elneil said she sees patients in the UK who have been left facing severe pain and unable to walk.
"The typical type of patient I see is a patient who is incapacitated by severe pain of a chronic nature. Often they are on high-dose medication, including opiates.
"They become so incapacitated that many of them are either walking by crutches or sitting in wheelchairs and perhaps more dramatically so, they become unable to look after their families."
Currently in the UK, there are around 100 types of vaginal mesh implants.'Little evidence required'
So far, not one model has been recalled in the UK.
According to one expert, Professor Carl Heneghan, manufacturers have to provide little evidence before their product is clinically approved and made available on the NHS.
"The regulatory body... doesn't even look at the device," he explained.
He said manufacturers just have to provide documents that show their vaginal mesh implant is similar to one already on the market and it is highly likely to be approved.
One leaked email from Johnson & Johnson suggested it had known problems existed with one of its products since 2004.
The email said the company needed to start a "major damage control offensive" because "the competition will have a field day".
The manufacturers said highlighting this email in isolation was "extremely misleading".'Helped millions'
An MHRA spokesman said it was "committed to help address the serious concerns raised by some patients".
It added: "The greater proportion of the clinical community and patients support the use of these devices in the UK."
Ethicon said "these devices have helped millions of women".

It said it had "acted appropriately and responsibly in the research, development and marketing of its pelvic mesh products".

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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".

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Mesh implant campaigners 'betrayed' by report publication

Mar 27, 2017 | BBC

By Lucy Adams

Two campaigners against mesh implants say they are "dismayed and disgusted" at the publication of an independent report into their risks and use which they claim has been "watered down".
Olive McIlroy and Elaine Holmes, who resigned from the mesh implants review group, said they felt "utterly betrayed" by the publication.
It was claimed that parts of the final report had been removed.
The Scottish government said it had accepted the recommendations in full.
The report said mesh implant procedures must not be offered routinely to women with pelvic organ prolapse.
The expert group concluded that patients should be offered a range of treatments - mesh and non-mesh - and must be given the information to make "informed choices".
Transvaginal mesh implants are medical devices used by surgeons to treat pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence in women, conditions that can commonly occur after childbirth.What's the issue with mesh implants?
Ms McIlroy, from Renfrew, and Ms Holmes, from Newton Mearns, both suffered severe complications following mesh implant surgery.
Following their resignations earlier this month, it emerged that a consultant also quit the expert group over concerns about the final draft of the report.
The consultant claimed that an entire chapter, which highlighted concerns about the use of mesh in some procedures and contained tables displaying the risks of treatment, had been taken out.
That chapter has been published but only as an attachment to the final report, and table two from that chapter - which highlights the risks of mesh implants - is still missing altogether.Mesh must not be offered routinely to women with pelvic organ prolapseReporting of all procedures and adverse events should be mandatoryExtra steps to ensure patients have access to clear, understandable advice to help them make informed choicesCalls for improved training and researchAll 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."
The Scottish government said it would now set up an oversight group to ensure the recommendations were implemented.
Former health secretary Alex Neil described the decision to publish the report without investigating claims of a whitewash to be "totally unacceptable".'Not in our name'
In a joint statement, Ms McIlroy and Ms Holmes said: "We are dismayed and disgusted that the Scottish government have seen fit to publish this tainted report despite all the concerns raised by us and the expert who resigned in protest over missing vital evidence and safety warnings on mesh.
"We are furious that our name has not been removed from a report which we believe is nothing more than a whitewash and a betrayal of every one of the hundreds of Scottish women who have had their lives devastated by the injuries caused by mesh implants, and their families.
"We are seeking legal advice on the matter as we have repeatedly told both the head of the review and Health Secretary Shona Robison that our names must be removed from this report, and any input we have had be withdrawn.
"The report as it stands is most certainly not in our name."
They added: "Almost 100 MSPs have signed a pledge promising there will be no whitewash on mesh. We are taken aback that Shona Robison has chosen to ignore everyone who has raised concerns.
"Every single women who is injured in the future can now lay the responsibility squarely at the door of Shona Robison. We feel utterly betrayed."
Over the past 20 years, more than 20,000 women in Scotland have had mesh or tape implants but some have suffered painful and debilitating complications.
There are more than 400 women currently taking legal action against Scottish health boards and manufacturers as a result of mesh implant surgery.Suspension request
In 2014, campaigners gave evidence to the Holyrood Petitions Committee. Several of them were in wheelchairs, unable to walk because of surgical complications.
As a result Alex Neil, the Scottish government's health secretary at the time, wrote to health boards requesting a suspension in the use of mesh implants by the NHS in Scotland, pending the review group's investigation into their safety.
An interim report was delivered in October 2015 with the final report now published.
Mr Neil - who is now a backbench MSP - said: "This is totally unacceptable if they have published and accepted this report without these allegations being fully investigated. If there has been a cover-up, then this needs to be investigated. There now needs to be an independent review of the process."
Dr Catherine Calderwood, Scotland's chief medical officer, said: "I want to thank this independent review for their hard work over a lengthy period of time. This is a highly complex and technical subject area and they had a wide range of evidence to consider.
"The group included a wide range of people with differing views and all of their contributions have been very valuable.
"On behalf of the Scottish government I am today accepting the conclusions of the review group. It is vital that women are given all the available information before they decide whether to go ahead with a mesh procedure. It is also right that all adverse events are properly reported so that we can continue to improve safety and positive outcomes."'Final stages marred'
She added: "We must remember that this review came about because of the tireless campaigning of women who have been negatively impacted by mesh procedures. It is right that we recognise the courage of these women, which has brought us to this point today.
"I want patients to have the best and most up-to-date information on which to base their decisions - in discussion with their clinicians. I will be looking for the newly-formed oversight group to ensure this happens."
Tracey Gillies, chairwoman of the independent review, said: "The final stages of completion of the review have been marred by suggestions that evidence has been destroyed or is missing, "I am confident that is not so and have written to the cabinet secretary for health and sport setting out the approach taken. The material presented by one group member and not included in the final report is available on the website with the declarations of interest from group members."
She added: "I have no doubt that the implementation of the conclusions in this report will provide benefit to women across Scotland, and will provide clinicians with additional tools to support their engagement with realising realistic medicine, allowing better decisions to be made jointly with patients."
Labour MSP Neil Findlay said the review was "every bit the establishment stitch-up the Scottish mesh survivors said it would be".

"Essential information has been omitted, reports overlooked and data hidden to ensure the review presents what I suspect was a predetermined position from day 1 in favour of continuing to implant mesh which has caused so many women long-term, life-changing damage to their health."

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Medical expert quits mesh implant review group

Mar 15, 2017 | BBC

By Lucy Adams

An expert at the centre of the independent review group looking at the safety of mesh implants in Scotland has resigned.
The consultant, who does not wish to be named, stepped down following the revelation that an entire chapter of the final report had been removed.
It follows the resignation of two patient representatives who claimed the report had been watered down.
Health Secretary Shona Robison said no evidence would be hidden.
Transvaginal mesh implants are medical devices used by surgeons to treat pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence in women, conditions that can commonly occur after childbirth.
What's the issue with mesh implants?
Over the past 20 years, more than 20,000 women in Scotland have had mesh or tape implants but some have suffered painful and debilitating complications.
There are more than 400 women currently taking legal action against Scottish health boards and manufacturers as a result of mesh implant surgery.
In 2014 former health secretary Alex Neil called for the suspension of such procedures, and an independent review group was set up to look at safety issues.
An interim report published in October 2015 did not advocate a blanket ban on mesh implants but noted that some women do experience serious complications and it made suggestions for reducing the risks. The final report is expected shortly.
Earlier this month, the BBC revealed that an expert member of the review group had written to its chairwoman, raising concerns about the final draft.
The letter states that an entire chapter, which highlighted concerns about the use of mesh in some procedures and contained tables displaying the risks of treatment, had been taken out.
Patients representatives Olive McIlroy and Elaine Holmes, who have both suffered complications as a result of such surgery, resigned from the review earlier this month, claiming that the final report now lacked integrity and independence.
Responding to the latest resignation, Health Secretary Shona Robison said clinical experts sometimes disagreed on complex medical matters.
She said: "I want to reassure the Scottish Mesh Survivors Group their views have been heard, and I want them to remain at the centre of the crucial work.
"I have been clear that all evidence must be made publically available alongside the report once published. The chair of the Review Group has stressed to me the evidence has been fully considered by the review and none has been hidden.
"This is a complex, technical area and on occasions professionals will disagree. I am aware of the resignation of a clinical member from the group and, while this is unfortunate, their views and contribution to the review is much-appreciated and have proven valuable."
Ms Robision is due to meet Olive McIlroy and Elaine Holmes later this week to discuss their concerns.
In December, the BBC revealed that hundreds of mesh implant operations had been performed in Scotland despite ministers recommending their suspension.

Figures obtained by the BBC revealed that 404 women had received mesh and tape implants since the health secretary called for the suspension in June 2014.

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Mesh sufferers quit expert group over 'diluted' report

Mar 5, 2017 | BBC

By Lucy Adams

Two patient representatives have quit the independent review group looking at the safety of mesh implants.
Olive McIlroy and Elaine Holmes, who both suffered severe complications following mesh implant surgery, claimed the final report had been watered down.
It follows claims that an entire chapter has been removed from the report ahead of its publication.
Scotland's Health Secretary Shona Robison has said she will meet with the women to discuss their concerns.
Correspondence seen by the BBC shows that one expert member of the review group has written to its chairwoman to raise concerns about the report.
The letter states that an entire chapter, which highlighted concerns about the use of mesh in some procedures and contained tables displaying the risks of treatment, had been taken out.
Transvaginal mesh implants are medical devices used by surgeons to treat pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence in women, conditions that can commonly occur after childbirth.
What's the issue with mesh implants?
Over the past 20 years, more than 20,000 women in Scotland have had mesh or tape implants but some have suffered painful and debilitating complications.
There are more than 400 women currently taking legal action against Scottish health boards and manufacturers as a result of mesh implant surgery.
In 2014, campaigners gave evidence to the Holyrood Petitions Committee. Several of them were in wheelchairs, unable to walk because of surgical complications.
As a result Alex Neil, the Scottish government's health secretary at the time, wrote to health boards requesting a suspension in the use of mesh implants by the NHS in Scotland pending the review group's investigation into their safety.
An interim report was delivered in October 2015 and the final conclusions are expected to be published soon.
However, Ms McIlroy and Ms Holmes - who are part of the Scottish Mesh Survivors campaign - have resigned as patients' representatives on the group, saying the report had "changed beyond recognition from the interim report".
The women said they were saddened and appalled to discover that an entire chapter had been removed from the review group's final report.
Their resignation letter to the chairwoman of the review group states: "The remit suggests 'consensus' - if patient-friendly, shared-decision tables are destroyed and replaced with clinician's directive counselling then obviously there will not be consensus.
"The ridiculous amount of tables now included in Chapter 5 only serves to confuse, not explain.
"There is no clinical interpretation to explain what the results actually mean to the lay person and if the findings are scientifically and or clinically significant."
Elaine Holmes, from East Renfrewshire, told BBC Scotland she had seen a draft of the final report and it was like "night and day" when compared to the previous one.
She said: "We looked at one chapter and it was completely biased.
"It would speak of the benefits of mesh but not the risks.
"For the non-mesh equivalent, which is called colposuspension, it would talk about the risk but not the benefits. It was just so biased it was unbelievable."
Ms Holmes said that despite contributing to the review group for almost three years her voice had been ignored.
They said the group and its final report now lacked integrity and independence.
live McIlroy, from Renfrew, also said the new report was "unrecognisable" from the one 18 months ago.
She said: "To me it is that they just diluted the content in favour of mesh procedures.
"It seems to me unacceptable that they can risk even one patient suffering severe complications.
"It's not about the numbers, it's about the severity of the complications when things do go wrong."
Ms McIlroy added: "The colposuspension non-mesh procedures have been going on since the sixties.
"There is no litigation with them, there is no campaign of patients who have been severely adversely injured through the procedure."
She said that was not the case with mesh implants.
"Alarm bells are ringing all over the world," she said.
"It's not just us and it's not just here.
"We are not trying to sensationalise or make a point, we are just trying to get at the truth and they don't want the real truth to come out."
Labour MSP Neil Findlay, who has been campaigning on the issue, said: "This is a truly astonishing turn of events.
"Elaine and Olive took part in the mesh review group in good faith and, despite their pain and disability, put their heart and soul into it to try and ensure that no more women would be horribly injured like they were."Potential risks
He added: "The mesh scandal is a global scandal but in Scotland we had the chance to lead the world in protecting women from life-changing injuries, but instead of doing so the government has shown themselves to be complicit in one of the biggest medical cover-ups in the history of Scotland's NHS."
Scottish Conservative MSP Jackson Carlaw said: "Nicola Sturgeon promised me in parliament only a few weeks ago that the sudden resignation of the previous chair of the review and her replacement with a health board official with a direct interest in mesh implants would have no impact on the independent conclusions reached.
"Now we find that the conclusions in the interim report appear to have been abandoned, even while mesh is reclassified across Europe as a "high risk procedure", in favour of what Elaine & Olive and thousands of Mesh survivors believe is a "whitewash"."
The latest resignations come after the chair of the review group stood down in December.
Public Health expert Dr Lesley Wilkie quit just months before the final report was due to go out.
In December, the BBC revealed that hundreds of mesh implant operations had been performed in Scotland despite ministers recommending their suspension.
Figures obtained by the BBC revealed that 404 women had received mesh and tape implants since the health secretary called for the suspension in June 2014.
The Scottish government said the position had been made clear.
Those boards still using mesh implants said they discussed all the potential risks with patients before surgery.
In a statement, the Health Secretary Shona Robison said: "I have been made aware of the resignations of two of the inquiry's members.

"I intend to meet with them so I can hear their concerns directly.

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