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Ethicon Media Monitoring 10/19/2017
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Health minister rejects calls for inquiry into vaginal mesh implants
Oct 19, 2017 | The Guardian
By Hannah Devlin
Labour and Conservative MPs have called for tighter restrictions on the use of vaginal mesh implants, in a parliamentary debate that heard how the lives of women had been avoidably blighted by complications linked to the surgery. -
Government refuses to ban scandal-hit mesh implants despite cross-party calls for suspension and public inquiry
Oct 18, 2017 | The Independent
By Harriet Marsden
The Government has refused to ban controversial surgical mesh implants, despite calls for suspension of the treatment and a Labour push for a full public inquiry into the scandal. -
Government rejects call for vaginal mesh implants ban
Oct 18, 2017 | BBC
The government has rejected a call for an inquiry and a ban on surgical mesh implants across the UK. -
Vaginal mesh public inquiry turned down by Government
Oct 18, 2017 | Sky News (In Yahoo News)
The Government has refused to hold a public inquiry into the use of vaginal mesh implants which medical experts have described as a health scandal worse than Thalidomide. -
Suspend vaginal mesh implant use in Wales, says Owen Smith
Oct 18, 2017 | BBC
The use of vaginal mesh implants for prolapses should be suspended in Wales, MP Owen Smith has urged. -
Women affected by scandal-hit vaginal mesh implants are victims of a 'cavalier practice' and deserve an apology, claims senior Tory MP as pressure mounts for procedure to be suspended
Oct 18, 2017 | The Daily Mail
By Stephen Matthews
Women affected by controversial vaginal mesh implants deserve an apology and are unnecessary victims of a 'cavalier practise', a senior Tory MP has said. -
Women 'deserve apology' over vaginal mesh implants
Oct 18, 2017 | BBC
Women left in permanent pain and unable to walk, work or have sex because of vaginal mesh implants deserve an apology, a senior MP has said. -
INCONTINENCE SURGERY What are vaginal mesh implants, why are they used to treat incontinence and are they safe?
Oct 18, 2017 | The Sun
By Amanda Devlin
BOTCHED vaginal mesh implants have left hundreds of women suffering from the after effects, it has been revealed. -
Our journalist Kath Sansom takes her ‘sling the mesh’ campaign to the heart of Government
Oct 19, 2017 | Cambs Times
By John Elworthy
Campaigning Cambs Times journalist Kath Sansom today took her ‘sling the mesh’ campaign to the heart of Government. -
Mesh-related claims costs ACC $13m
Oct 19, 2017 | Radio New Zealand
ACC has paid out more than $13 million for surgical mesh-related claims in the past 12 years, data released today has revealed. -
Vaginal mesh implants: 'If I lift my leg my whole body shakes'
Oct 18, 2017 | The Guardian
By Hannah Devlin
Lisa Woodrow, 54, is one of the women who felt compelled to travel to parliament on Wednesday, after suffering serious complications from vaginal mesh surgery that led to her losing her job, partner and home. -
Women who used vaginal mesh implants ‘deserve an apology’
Oct 18, 2017 | Metro News
By Oliver Wheaton
A Tory MP has called for an apology for women affected by the vaginal mesh implant scandal. -
Task group set up to review use of medical mesh in Wales
Oct 18, 2017 | ITV
A task group has been set up by the Welsh Government to review the use of medical mesh. -
Labour backs a public inquiry into controversial vaginal mesh implants that have left thousands of women on the brink of suicide as pressure mounts to ban the procedure
Oct 18, 2017 | The Daily Maill
By Alexandra Thompson
Labour is backing a public inquiry into controversial vaginal mesh implants that has left thousands of women depressed, unable to have sex and on the brink of suicide due to their excruciating pain. -
Jeremy Corbyn and Labour back public inquiry into vaginal mesh implants
Oct 18, 2017 | Talk Radio
By Gareth Platt
Jeremy Corbyn and Labour have backed a public inquiry into the ongoing vaginal mesh scandal.
Client Attorney Privileged/Attorney Work Product/At Request of Counsel
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Health minister rejects calls for inquiry into vaginal mesh implants
Oct 19, 2017 | The Guardian
By Hannah Devlin
Jackie Doyle-Price announces publication of new guidance but dismisses Labour demands to go further
Labour and Conservative MPs have called for tighter restrictions on the use of vaginal mesh implants, in a parliamentary debate that heard how the lives of women had been avoidably blighted by complications linked to the surgery.
Labour has called for an immediate suspension of the use of the controversial implants, which are used to treat incontinence and prolapse, with the shadow health minister, Jon Ashworth, arguing that thousands of women have been exposed to unacceptable health risks. Tory MP Sarah Wollaston, a former GP and chair of the health select committee, said “an absence of data and cavalier practice” had exposed women to unacceptable risks and meant it had taken a decade for problems with mesh to be acknowledged.
Labour MP Emma Hardy, who called the debate, told MPs that the trials conducted before the introduction of mesh implants had been inadequate, and that pending a review of the evidence their use should be suspended.
Hardy urged the government to launch an independent inquiry into the “ongoing public health scandal” of serious complications suffered by many women who have been treated for urinary incontinence and pelvic prolapse.
More than a dozen MPs relayed harrowing stories of constituents who had suffered life-changing complications linked to mesh, including perforated organs, chronic pain and loss of sex lives.
Responding to the concerns, the health minister Jackie Doyle-Price announced that the publication of new guidance on the use of mesh by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) would be brought forward from 2019 to later this year. Doyle-Price said she had been “horrified” to hear that women had been given implants without being made aware of the risks.
But she dismissed the need for an inquiry and said the health regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, advised mesh was “still the best device for treating stress incontinence”.
“The issue is not the product, but clinical practice,” she said . “That’s what’s going wrong.”
Earlier in the debate, other Conservative and DUP politicians had joined calls for tougher regulations on the use of the devices.
The Scottish Conservative politician, Paul Masterton, rejected the suggestion that there was insufficient evidence to warrant the reclassification of mesh as a higher risk device, pointing to “women who have lost their careers, their husbands, their homes, their dignity and their lives, who are forced to spend day after day and night after night in agony”. “They are the evidence,” he said.
Wollastonsaid she did not support a ban on mesh procedures, but argued these operations should be performed at specialist centres and highlighted “appalling failings” in the consent process and the lack of evidence.
“These products were marketed aggressively without adequate clinical trials,” she said. “We need to ensure there are proper clinical trials just as we would expect for medicine.”
Owen Smith, a Labour shadow cabinet minister, who chairs the all-party parliamentary group on surgical mesh implants, said mesh injury was “one of the worst medical issues” he had come across as an MP, and had sprung from a failure to test devices before launching them on to the market.
“This story is quite simple... If this was a medicine that was leading in one out of 10 cases to sexual dysfunction or losing the ability to walk or work, it wouldn’t be on the market,” he said. “That’s how we need to look at it.”
NHS England said in a report in July that the treatment for urinary incontinence and prolapse was “a safe option for women”. However, since then further evidence has emerged about apparently high rates of complications.
The Guardian revealed in August that thousands of women have undergone surgery to have vaginal mesh implants removed during the past decade, suggesting that about one in 15 women fitted with the most common type of mesh support later require surgery to have it extracted due to complications.
MPs also heard that there are more than 100 devices currently on the market in the UK, most of which have never undergone extensive clinical testing, and which companies have withdrawn without warning.
Kath Sansom, a campaigner at Sling The Mesh, said: “People are waking up to the global scandal that is surgical mesh implants and at last it is on the political agenda at Westminster.”
Sohier Elneil, a consultant urogynaecological surgeon at University College Hospital, London, is calling for the use of mesh procedures for incontinence and prolapse to be stopped for two years. “The time has come for us to truly revisit everything we know about both these clinical states,” she said. “Clearly, the knowledge we have had to date has been limited both in scope and relevance. A change needs to happen now.”
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/oct/18/labour-mps-call-for-inquiry-into-use-of-vaginal-mesh-implants
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Oct 18, 2017 | The Independent
By Harriet Marsden
The Government has refused to ban controversial surgical mesh implants, despite calls for suspension of the treatment and a Labour push for a full public inquiry into the scandal.
Following a debate in Westminster, minister for care and mental health, Jackie Doyle-Price, acknowledged the severity of the issues surrounding the treatment – but ruled out a public inquiry or a suspension.
She also insisted the risks were associated with clinical practice, not the mesh implants themselves, despite hearing testimony from medical device experts and gynaecological consultants to the contrary.
The issue was brought to debate by Labour’s Emma Hardy (MP for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle), after hearing the experiences of women in her constituency who had been “suffering in silence”.
Ms Hardy told The Independent the response from the minister was “incredibly disappointing”.
“She failed to acknowledge the problems with the product; that it’s not just procedural. It was an extremely dissatisfactory reply, and I can only hope ... she might think again.
The insertion of a plastic mesh device to treat hernia, prolapse and incontinence – in particular, the transvaginal mesh procedure, used on around 10,000 UK women a year – has come under increasing public scrutiny as reports have emerged of high rates of complication and inadequate data.
Campaigners and high profile surgeons have accused the NHS of “whitewashing” after the official report in July failed to address risks or lack of proper clinical trialling.
The mesh treatment is marketed as a quick, cheap and easy procedure to replace traditional, more complex surgeries. However, women have been left unable to work, walk or even sit down after complications, including chronic pain, organ erosion and perforations, nerve damage and loss of sexual function. Some have reported feeling suicidal, as their quality of life has been lost.
Ms Hardy called for a full public inquiry into the scandal, a retrospective investigation, improved awareness among MPs and surgeons, and a suspension of the use of mesh until the inquiry is completed. “The lives of women and their families have been turned upside down ... The devastation has been appalling.
“The Government will not be able to undo suffering, but a suspension will go a long way to make sure nothing like this happens again.”
She was joined by members of the Tory party, as well as representatives from the DUP, Sinn Fein and SNP, all of whom expressed serious concern over the risks and lack of appropriate Nice guidelines surrounding the device.
Alec Shelbrooke, Conservative MP for Elmet and Rothwell, said: “I did a lot of work on the thalidomide scandal. This is the new thalidomide.”
Dr Sarah Wollaston, Conservative MP for Totness, insisted that “we cannot allow this to continue; there is cavalier practice and insufficient data, and inadequate clinical trials”.
Pointing out that the device is regulated by the EU, she asked: “How does the government propose to take this forward after Brexit? We must make sure the safety of women is prioritised at all times.”
Owen Smith, Shadow secretary of state for Northern Ireland and chair of the all-party parliamentary group on surgical mesh implants, called it one of the worst medical issues he had come across.
Mr Smith also called the response from the Government “desperately disappointing”. He addressed the women in the gallery directly: “We know there’s a problem, and we’re trying to reflect your bravery and amplify your voices in Parliament.”
Conservative MP for St Ives, Derek Thomas, said that what we know so far is clearly “just the tip of the iceberg”. He explained that, having listened to his constituents tell their “harrowing” stories, he is convinced that the scandal “could, and should, have been avoided”.
He describes a 47-year-old member of his constituency who suffered from minor prolapse, and was treated with transvaginal mesh without being told of the risks. She now has a permanent low-level infection, he said, but when she went to a doctor she was told: “Don’t worry; you truly have a designer vagina.”
She is also unable to sit or stand properly, he said; this was clearly echoed by women in the gallery, many of whom could not sit or walk easily and struggled to get from the debate hall to the conference room.
Jo Platt, Labour MP for Leigh, said: “The worrying narrative emerging is many women experiencing problems are only now finding out about the complications mesh can cause.
“Women who have had the procedure should be contacted and made aware of these issues. They deserve a full inquiry to determine how this could have happened, and steps taken to assure this will never happen again.”
While the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency(MHRA) and NHS official statistics put the risk of side effects at 1-3 per cent, the real statistics are almost certainly much higher. Non-hospital data is not included, many symptoms only manifest themselves years after the procedure, and many women don’t come forward out of shame, embarrassment or even ignorance of even having the mesh inside them.
According to the most recent hospital independent statistics and independent studies, the risk of serious complications is actually between 10 and 12 per cent.
However, Kath Sansom, founder of the Sling the Mesh campaign, says the real risk is likely to be around 20 per cent. Many women experiencing symptoms either don’t report them, or are dismissed by their GPs, she said.
“They need to stop this myth that there are only infrequent complications,” she said. “According to the NHS, side effects for one in 100 is considered common; one in 10 is deemed ‘very common’.”
She describes the case of a 27-year-old who was implanted with mesh at 13, then again at 16, to treat birth defects; she is believed to be the youngest in the UK. Ms Sansom explains that the woman did not even know that her symptoms could be related to her mesh implant until she saw a news article about the scandal two days ago.
“She was told it would change her life. It did. She has suffered ever since but been ignored at every turn ... This isn’t the cheap, quick fix dream. It’s the stuff of nightmares.”
In the US, mesh has been considered considered a high-risk device since 2011, with medical bodies estimating that up to 40 per cent of women suffer side effects. In Scotland, former Health Secretary Alex Neil called for their suspension two years ago.
Carolyn Harris, Labour MP for Swansea East, said: “These figures are staggering, it’s like Russian roulette.
“We can’t just sit on the fence in the UK: this problem is ongoing and we can’t sit around waiting for the guidelines to be published. There has to be an immediate inquiry; we cannot wait.”
More than 800 UK women who received a mesh implant are already suing the NHS for failure to obtain proper consent and inadequate surgical technique. They are also suing device manufacturers, in particular prominent mesh providers Johnson & Johnson, who have already paid out $57m (£43m) in Philadelphia last month to a mesh sufferer.
Manufacturers have also been accused of offering grants to bias surgeons and putting pressure on medical bodies to keep the device on the market, despite safety concerns. There is even evidence that the NHS tried to keep the scandal out of the public eye.
Robert Rose, partner and head of the clinical and medical negligence team, has acted for many women who’s lives have been affected by vaginal mesh and fights for those affected to be correctly compensated. He asks: “If the medical profession were aware of these complications, why did they not do anything to raise awareness, and if they weren’t aware then why not?”
Labour called for three things: a full public inquiry and retrospective investigation; a suspension of the use of mesh while the inquiry is carried out; and for new Nice guidelines to be published sooner than the currently predicted 2018/19, in order to raise awareness among MPs, GPs and the public.
However, all they managed to secure from Ms Doyle-Price was a commitment to bring the publication date of the updated mesh guidelines forward to before Christmas. She refused to suspend the use of mesh until then, arguing that there is not enough evidence to support suspension.
Ms Doyle-Price said: “I’m horrified to hear many women didn’t even know they were having mesh devices fitted in the first place, which indicates some arrogance in the medical world against women.
“However, the MHRA still says the device is the best product for treating incontinence. And more important than a public inquiry is that women get the treatment they need. The problem is with clinical practice, not the product.”
Ms Hardy responded to Ms Doyle-Price: “The reaction you have just given is not good enough, I completely disagree with you; it’s not just about the practice, it is about the product.”
This was echoed by Sohier “Suzy” Elneil, consultant urogynaecologist and one of the foremost mesh removal experts in the country, who treats about 15 women a week.
“It’s not just an issue with the mesh going in – most of the problem is related to the product, rather than the surgeon,” said Ms Elneil, who wants to see a ban for at least two years while the data is investigated. “And a huge amount of product is used. The inflammatory nature is so bad that it must be the device.”
It was reported that at least 83 per cent of the mesh devices were contaminated with bacteria, despite clinical requirements of sterility. Removal of the mesh is also an extremely difficult and often not fully successful procedure, as the surgery is so complex it’s been described as “trying to remove hair from chewing gum”.
Sharon Hodgson, Shadow public health minister and the front bench representative for the campaign, called the Government response today “a load of twaddle”.
“If there is not enough evidence to ban it, then there was not enough evidence to support its efficacy and safety in the first place.”
She admitted that she had not heard of the issue before becoming health minister, but sees it as a huge, global problem.
“I was horrified. When the general election was called, I had a commitment put in the manifesto to call for public inquiries into all outstanding medical scandals.”
She has now made a front-bench commitment to push for a full public inquiry.
“The Government have failed to answer big questions about the extent of this public health scandal, including how many women have been affected and why a product with such terrible risks was allowed into the market in the first place.”
“As a woman, I wouldn’t have this procedure. None of us would, knowing what we do now. How many people in this chamber would agree to a mesh implant now?”
“If mesh were a faulty car, it would be immediately recalled. Why does this precaution not apply to women’s safety? It’s time women’s health was taken seriously.
“We need to shout it from the rooftops: we must suspend this procedure.”
In response to the arguments about insufficient evidence to support a ban, Ms Hardy said directly to the women:
“You are the evidence. I will continue to represent you. I promise we won’t stop now. You all deserve a hell of a lot more than you’ve been given today.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/vaginal-mesh-scandal-transvaginal-procedure-mps-debate-parliament-tvt-thalidomide-emma-hardy-a8006101.html
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Government rejects call for vaginal mesh implants ban
Oct 18, 2017 | BBC
The government has rejected a call for an inquiry and a ban on surgical mesh implants across the UK.
It follows a debate on the matter by MPs in the House of Commons.
A number of women from Northern Ireland were among those who travelled to London to hear the debate take place.
The women said they had been left in chronic pain after they were given mesh or tape implants, which are used to treat organ prolapse and urinary incontinence.Case studies: Mesh led to 'excruciating pain'Hundreds suing NHS over vaginal implantsWhat's the issue with mesh implants?
Use of the devices to treat those conditions has already been suspended in Scotland.
MPs had brought the concerns of hundreds of constituents, almost all of them women, who suffer severe pain and discomfort from the devices after they damaged their internal organs.
The mesh is made of polypropylene, a type of plastic, and surgeons routinely use it in hernia repair, for example.
While it is a successful operation in a majority of cases, it has gone badly wrong for others, leading to persistent pain, sexual problems or erosion of the mesh inside their bodies.
It is not clear how many women in Northern Ireland are affected by the issue.
The BBC has used Freedom of Information legislation to obtain this detail but figures are unclear due to the way operations have been recorded across the health trusts.
Speaking during the Westminster debate, Democratic Unionist Party MP Jim Shannon said he had received a "large number of emails from Northern Ireland people outlining their horrific experiences" after mesh surgery.
He added that his party was concerned by the issue and asking for "the best possible information, including better data for women considering the procedure".
Jackie Harvey, from Banbridge in County Down, was among those who went to London for the debate.
"We're frustrated but won't let it stop us getting on with the campaign - we are only going to get louder and more determined," she said.
"We can say that we have been harmed by this stuff and we want the true scale of this scandal to come out."
Ms Harvey now runs an online forum of about 250 members to support those affected.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is due to publish updated guidance on the use of mesh implants in January.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-41658370
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Vaginal mesh public inquiry turned down by Government
Oct 18, 2017 | Sky News (In Yahoo News)
The Government has refused to hold a public inquiry into the use of vaginal mesh implants which medical experts have described as a health scandal worse than Thalidomide.
Labour MPs joined the calls of thousands of mesh-injured women to suspend mesh procedures, which are used to treat urinary incontinence and prolapse, and review the evidence on their safety.
But Health Minister Jackie Doyle-Price said the priority is to look into the treatment of women and the recording of complications.
She also announced that an update to national clinical guidelines by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on the use of vaginal mesh will be brought forward and be published by the end of the year, 18 months earlier than planned.
Her decision was met with gasps from women listening to a debate in Parliament - and shock from fellow MPs.
Labour MP Emma Hardy said the minister's "reaction" was "simply not good enough", adding that she and others would "keep pushing" until they got a "much more satisfactory answer".
Thousands of women have said the implants have perforated organs, caused chronic pain and left them unable to work or have sex.
Earlier, the Labour Party said it was backing a call for a public inquiry into the procedure, and called for products to be stopped immediately in England while it was ongoing.
Around 15,000 women every year have the operation, which involves inserting a plastic tape through the vagina and around the urethra to support the bladder.
The official complication rate for mesh procedures is 1-3%, yet latest hospital figures obtained by Sky News show that it is higher, with almost 10% of women suffering adverse effects.
Urogynaecologist Sohier Elneil says one of the key problems with mesh is that it can change once inside the body. It can become brittle, erode and slice through organs like the bladder.
:: I was a 'physical wreck' after vaginal mesh implant
"It's a huge problem," Dr Elneil said.
"I think it's bigger than Thalidomide, because the numbers of those affected are much more.
"And if we look at the problem globally then it's worse than the metal-on-metal hips and the PIP scandal as well."
Dr Elneil is one of few surgeons trained to remove mesh implants, a highly dangerous operation as the implants are designed to be permanent.
She says she used to see one or two women a month but now treats up to eight every week.
She said: "In England there's been this feeling that the number of women affected wasn't that great but not everyone was submitting their data, so there was very minimal information to make a decision on.
"Now with the latest reports, quite clearly this is a game changer and the procedure needs to be re-evaluated."
Kath Sansom had a mesh implant fitted to treat mild incontinence caused by childbirth.
After suffering chronic pain, she started a campaign Sling the Mesh to provide support for others and call for the suspension of mesh implants to bring England in line with Scotland, where they were suspended in 2014.
The campaign group now has more than 3,000 members.
She said: "The medical professionals are all very good at denying there's a problem or saying you are a mystery patient.
"There is also an element of misogyny whereby your pain is belittled because, to look at us women, none of us look ill or in pain.
"The damage is hidden.
"This makes it easier to be shuffled off into a corner and ignored."
As Sky News first reported two years ago, for many patients the procedure can be quick and successful but thousands have suffered debilitating conditions, are on daily medication and some now struggle to walk.
But there's another issue Ms Sansom says is rarely discussed - the effect mesh has on a woman's sex life. For hundreds of women they say the pain they suffer makes having sexual intercourse impossible.
She said: "The impact on women is so devastating.
"It's such a personal thing and anyone in a healthy relationship will want an intimate relationship and when that is taken away it robs them of a massive part of being a couple and puts a huge strain on relationships and family life.
"It's so cruel."
NHS England and various clinical bodies, including the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, maintain that, for many patients, mesh is a safe and effective option that greatly helps with conditions which can be distressing for those affected.
They support the view of the official regulator of mesh, the Medicines and Healthcare products and Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which says there's not enough evidence to justify a ban.
The MHRA's director of devices John Wilkinson said: "There is no regulatory reason to take the product off the market because if it is used in the right circumstances with the right patients appropriately consented and aware of the risks then we have no evidence that the product should be taken off the market."
Vaginal mesh implants are, however, the subject of huge litigation. Sky News has learnt that across the world more than 55,000 women are suing one manufacturer of mesh, Johnson and Johnson.
In the UK, pressure is also mounting, with 400 women taking legal action against the pharmaceutical giant in what lawyers say could become the biggest medical case in UK history.
In a statement, Ethicon, the sister company of Johnson and Johnson which makes mesh products in the UK, said: "Ethicon is confident in the positive impact our pelvic mesh products have had on the vast majority of women who have chosen this treatment option.
"We are confident the evidence will show that Ethicon acted appropriately and responsibly in the research, development and marketing of its pelvic mesh products."
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/mesh-implant-problem-bigger-thalidomide-014300260.html
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Suspend vaginal mesh implant use in Wales, says Owen Smith
Oct 18, 2017 | BBC
The use of vaginal mesh implants for prolapses should be suspended in Wales, MP Owen Smith has urged.
Campaigners gathered in Westminster on Wednesday to hear the UK Government reject their calls for its use to be halted and a public inquiry held.
Pontypridd MP Mr Smith, who chairs the all party parliamentary group on mesh, called for a suspension in Wales.
A Welsh Government spokesman said its use "is being kept under constant review".
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.
Mum-of-three Karen Preater has campaigned for them to be outlawed, after saying the mesh ruined her life and left her "aged 40, yet feeling 100".
She travelled to the Westminster debate from Rhyl, Flintshire, and said she was disappointed by the decision.
"What more evidence do they need, how bad do things have to get before they look into things?" she said.
"Hold a review, a public inquiry because that's what needs to happen to get the correct figures and actually get a hold of this whole scandal."
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence will update guidelines on the use of mesh in the new year.
Mr Smith said he hoped cabinet secretary for health in Wales, Vaughan Gething, would at least consider a suspension until then.
"I think we could be thinking in advance of certainty on the guidelines, or suspending the use of mesh," he said.
"Not banning it outright but suspending it in Wales and England, and right across the whole of the UK - that's what we want, that's what the campaigners want."
The Welsh Government's task and finish group looking at the issue met for the first time on Monday. It says the situation with regarding vaginal mesh and tape is being kept under constant review.
The UK Body that regulates medical products - the MHRA - said the benefits outweigh the risks.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-41673952
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Oct 18, 2017 | The Daily Mail
By Stephen Matthews
· Dr Sarah Wollaston, health committee chairman, made the scathing comments
· It adds to the mounting pressure for a full public inquiry into the usage of mesh
· She was speaking at a debate in parliament secured by outraged campaigners
· The criticised implants have allegedly ruined the lives of thousands of women
Women affected by controversial vaginal mesh implants deserve an apology and are unnecessary victims of a 'cavalier practise', a senior Tory MP has said.Dr Sarah Wollaston, health committee chairman, said the Government 'cannot allow' the scandal-hit procedure to continue to be offered to women for problems after childbirth.
Her scathing attack, made at a debate in parliament today which was secured by outraged campaigners, revolved around a lack of clinical trials into the implants.
It adds to the mounting pressure for a suspension into the usage of mesh, made of the same material as some drinks bottles, until a public inquiry takes place.
Dr Wollaston, who represents Totnes in Devon, told MPs: 'There must be adequate consultation with women about the risks so they can weigh those risks up.
'Fundamentally at the heart of this is, there's an absence of data, and I'm afraid there's been cavalier practise.
'We cannot allow this to continue in the future and I think the women who have been affected deserve an apology.
'They deserve recognition of the extent of this and the delays in which this has been recognised and has been taken forward.'
The implants, which can shrink, twist, curl and cut through internal tissue, have ruined the lives of thousands of women, by scuppering their sex lives, leaving them depressed and on the brink of suicide.More than 800 women are suing after complaining of crippling pain in a scandal that has been compared to thalidomide.
Leading mesh manufacturer Johnson & Johnson were forced to pay out $57 million to a sufferer last month after a jury found the company to be negligent and its product defective.
Dr Wollaston welcomed the findings of the Mesh Oversight Report – the Government's three-year investigation into the usage of vaginal mesh.
But she warned that there have been 'very clear failings' that have been 'allowed to continue for so long'. The report rejected calls for a widespread ban on the implants.
Dr Wollaston, whose concerns were echoed across the political divide, added: 'At the heart of that it has been the inadequacy of clinical trials, recording and consent.'
The debate was called by Emma Hardy, MP for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle. Labour has also offered its firm backing for a public inquiry into the controversial implants.
Ms Hardy, opening the debate, said the Government must commit to a 'full retrospective and mandatory audit of all interventions using mesh followed by a full public inquiry'.
There is then a need to 'suspend prolapse and incontinence mesh operations' while the thorough audit is carried out, she added.
Ms Hardy said: 'By committing to taking these actions the Government will not be able to undo the suffering and pain that these people have endured but it will go a long way to making sure that nothing like this will happen again.'
Shadow health minister Sharon Hodgson said the mesh implants were made from the same material as some drinks bottles.
Replying for the Government, health minister Jackie Doyle-Price acknowledged many MPs wanted to see an immediate ban on mesh products.
But she said the issue 'is not with the product'. Instead, she believes clinical practice is the reason behind the complication rates of the surgery.
Ms Doyle-Price added: 'From my perspective the issue is not with the product, it's about clinical practice, that's what's going wrong and I think that's where we need to be much clearer.'
She said women need to be treated properly by their clinicians and are given proper advice and assessment of the risks of undergoing the vaginal mesh procedure.
They should also be given the opportunity to report their complications where they go wrong and the ability to complain and challenge, Ms Doyle-Price urged.
Ms Hardy branded the Government's response 'simply not good enough at all', adding she was 'extremely disappointed'.
What do the figures say?
Vaginal mesh has been considered a high-risk device for nearly a decade in the US, with bodies accepting up to 40 per cent of women may experience injury.
Some studies, published in an array of scientific journals, have shown that pain, erosion and perforation from the surgery can strike up to 75 per cent of women.
The alarming evidence prompted officials in three US states to suspend the practice and saw them call for an urgent review into its safety.
Scottish health officials asked for the procedure to be suspended in Scotland in 2014 pending a similar safety review, but hundreds of women are still believed to be having the surgery.
English health officials have yet to acknowledge the risks of the brittle implants. Currently, the NHS and MHRA state only 1 to 3 per cent will experience complications such as pain.
Following tireless pursuits of the truth by campaigners who have raised concerns over the devices' safety, the official watchdog has been forced to re-asses its position.
Officials expect the updated guidance on treating urinary incontinence with vaginal mesh to be released in February 2019.
Vaginal mesh: The facts
The mesh, introduced 20 years ago, was promoted as a quick, cheap alternative to complex surgery for incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. It was dubbed the 'gold-standard' treatment.
Because it did not require specialist training to implant, outraged women have since begged for tougher regulations to conduct such surgery.
More than 10,000 women a year have the procedure. But only 4,800 have suffered lacerations and nerve damage from the mesh breaking into tiny fragments.
After previously denying their implants were causing women's discomfort, mesh manufacturer Johnson & Johnson paid out $57 million to sufferer Ella Ebaugh, 51, from Philadelphia, last month.
More lawsuits remain as thousands say they too are experiencing problems with the device. Group legal action is underway in Australia.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4992688/Vaginal-mesh-victims-deserve-apology-Tory-MP-warns.html
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Women 'deserve apology' over vaginal mesh implants
Oct 18, 2017 | BBC
Women left in permanent pain and unable to walk, work or have sex because of vaginal mesh implants deserve an apology, a senior MP has said.
Dr Sarah Wollaston, chairman of the health committee, said some claim they did not consent to having the device fitted and were unaware of the risks.
MPs also called for an inquiry into the implants which are used to treat pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence.
The medicines regulator says most women have a positive experience with them.
Earlier this year, the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme revealed that more than 800 women were taking legal action against the NHS and the makers of vaginal mesh implants.
The implants, usually made from synthetic polypropylene, are intended to repair damaged or weakened tissue.'Clear failings'
While they have been used successfully in many other parts of the body, they appear to react differently when inserted in the abdomen, leading to some women being "cut" - and once problematic, they can be very difficult, sometimes impossible, to remove.
In a Westminster Hall debate on Wednesday, Conservative MP and GP Dr Wollaston said there were "very clear failings" that had been "allowed to continue for so long and at the heart of that it has been the inadequacy of clinical trials, recording and consent".
She said mesh should be retained as an option where alternative procedures may result in worse outcomes or complications.Hundreds suing NHS over vaginal implantsWhat's the issue with mesh implants?Case studies: Mesh led to 'excruciating pain'
But she said there had to be a guarantee that "proper" clinical trials would be carried out as the products had been introduced and marketed "aggressively" without "adequate" trials.
"Fundamentally, at the heart of this is, there's an absence of data, and I'm afraid there's been cavalier practice.
"We cannot allow this to continue in the future and I think the women who have been affected deserve an apology, they deserve recognition of the extent of this and the delays in which this has been recognised and has been taken forward."'Thousands affected'
Calling for a full public inquiry, Labour's Emma Hardy urged the government to suspend operations using the implants while a "full retrospective and mandatory audit of all interventions using mesh" was carried out.
Ms Hardy said "thousands" of women had been adversely affected by mesh implants.
"We know these devices are regulated by the European Union - I hope the minister will make a comment on how the government proposes to take this forward after we leave the European Union, and at the heart of it to ensure the safety of women is prioritised," she added.
Paul Masterton, Conservative MP for East Renfrewshire, said his party in Scotland - with Labour - had "stood firmly behind " those affected.
"Please suspend this procedure - if you're not convinced enough evidence is there, suspend it while you gather it together," he said.
"Mesh is rapidly becoming one of the great global health scandals and I'd implore all of us in this place to do what we can to protect women from this potentially devastating procedure, and to ensure our nation becomes an example to others in how to achieve justice for all those who have been broken by mesh."
The Labour MP for Alyn and Deeside, Mark Tami, spoke about a constituent's suffering and called it a "national scandal".
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has previously said it was "committed to help address the serious concerns raised by some patients"
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-41671020
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Oct 18, 2017 | The Sun
By Amanda Devlin
BOTCHED vaginal mesh implants have left hundreds of women suffering from the after effects, it has been revealed.
MPs are set to meet to discuss the potential risks in parliament next week, as the number of complaints over the treatment grew - but what exactly is it?What are vaginal mesh implants?
Vaginal mesh implants is a common treatment in the UK for women who experience pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence.
This means they suffer from leaking urine when they cough or sneeze, or have difficulty having sex.
Typically those who seek treatment for this are over the age of 50 who have had several children, are overweight or suffered a vaginal tear.
Around 1.500 people undergo vaginal mesh implants every year in the UK.Why are vaginal mesh implants used to treat incontinence?
Younger people suffering from incontinence are told to complete pelvic floor exercises to help tighten up.
But if this unsuccessful, doctors will recommend an implant to support the vaginal wall.
The mesh is a synthetic and biological material inserted to support the vaginal wall and/or internal organs.
By securing the mesh inside the vagina at an angle between the urethra and bladder, it allows for better shape to allow the woman to be continent.What are the complications?
Complications associated with vaginal meshes have been reported to the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Complaints include persistent pain, sexual problems, mesh exposure through vaginal tissues and occasionally injury to nearby organs, such as the bladder or bowel.
Problems are usually caused by the mesh eroding and breaking down into smaller pieces which move.
It's normally felt during sex by the woman or her partner.
Dr Ismail told HuffPost: “The vagina area being stitched up is a weak point of the vaginal wall.
“The mesh can find it’s own way through this weak point and protrude outside the vagina.
“Anyone reading the news might think 90% of the women have the complication and 10% get better, but it’s the other way around.
"Anyone concerned after receiving a vaginal mesh implant should visit their GP or a healthcare professional."
Earlier this year, around 800 women allegedly sought legal action against botched vaginal mesh implants which left them unable to walk or have sex without being in severe pain.
Thousands more were reportedly forced to have their implants removed because of complications.
A statement from MHRA said: “We have undertaken a great deal of work to continuously assess findings of studies undertaken by the clinical community over many years, as well as considering the feedback from all sources in that time.
“What we have seen, and continue to see, is that evidence supports and the greater proportion of the clinical community and patients support the use of these devices in the UK for treatment of the distressing conditions of incontinence and organ prolapse in appropriate circumstances.
“We encourage anyone who suspects they have had a complication after having a mesh device implanted to discuss this with their clinician and report to us via the Yellow Card scheme regardless of how long ago the implant was inserted.”
https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/4710046/vaginal-mesh-implants-treat-incontinence-complications/
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Our journalist Kath Sansom takes her ‘sling the mesh’ campaign to the heart of Government
Oct 19, 2017 | Cambs Times
By John Elworthy
Campaigning Cambs Times journalist Kath Sansom today took her ‘sling the mesh’ campaign to the heart of Government.
MPs from across the country heard evidence of women left in excruciating and debilitating pain as a result of mesh surgery.
Women clamoured to give evidence to MPs explaining how they had been left in chronic pain after being given mesh implants to treat organ prolapse and urinary incontinence.
Democratic Unionist Party MP Jim Shannon said he had received many emails from Northern Ireland from people outlining their “horrific experiences” following mesh surgery.
And MP Sarah Woollaston, chairman of the health committee, claimed some women had been unaware that mesh devices had been inserted and others claimed they had not been informed of the risks or given their consent.
Ms Sansom set up Sling The Mesh two years ago with 10 members – there are now 3,500.
She told a lobby of supporters, MPs and medical experts at the Commons that “health minister Jackie Doyle Price says there is not enough evidence to support a mesh suspension.
“The evidence is there. The NHS chooses to ignore it. The latest studies show prolapsed mesh risk is 12 per cent. Incontinence mesh risk at least 10 per cent and that is ONLY women going into hospital – many more suffer in silence or go to their doctor for pain medication and antibiotics. I believe you can double that figure to 20 per cent”
She said: “Women’s pelvic mesh has been used for 20 years. The last 15 of those it’s been aggressively marketed. The result is a nation of young surgeons under 40 who can’t do old fashioned surgeries that take up to four hours, require more skill and a hospital stay of three nights. Mesh, by comparison, takes 20 minutes as a day case.
“If women experience complications it destroys their quality of life. Nobody goes back to what they were. Mesh removals are risky. Mesh complications are costly to the NHS. This is not the cheap, quick fix dream. It is the stuff of nightmares.
“The surgeon societies are terrified of a mesh suspension as they fear many consultants will not be able to offer an alternative. But that is not a reason to keep doing it.”
Ms Sansom said: “Problems can cut in up to 18 years later. Others suffer instantly.”
She gave some case interests including that of Paula who was among the first women to have mesh when she had it inserted in Belfast in 1999.
On waking she was unable to go to the toilet. Her nerve endings were permanently damaged. Multiple surgeries followed. She was given a second mesh nine years later. The plastic mesh sliced into her tissues so badly she had to have her bladder removed in 2012. She now has a permanent stoma. 18 yrs later the remaining pieces of mesh are eroding into her urethra and vaginal wall.
Ms Sansom also mentioned the case of Julie who has been a paramedic for 12 years. She had a mesh sling implanted in February. She hasn’t worked as a paramedic since. “She has only just gone back to work for the NHS in a desk job where she handles complaints to the ambulance service,” said Ms Sansom. “From the minute she woke the pain in her legs is excruciating. Her bladder was perforated by the hooks used to blindly insert the mesh. She has to self catheterise. Julie used to run 5K most days. Now it is a battle to get through the day.”
A third example was of a woman of 27 who joined her campaign group in the past few days.
“Due to birth defects she had always suffered problems and was implanted with one mesh implant at the age of 13 and another at 16.” said Ms Sansom.
“She was told it would change her life. It did. She has suffered ever since but ignored at every turn. She had no idea there were others suffering she saw a newspaper article on Monday.”
Ms Sansom told MPs: “I urge you to support a public inquiry and a mesh suspension. “Until then nobody has a clue of he real numbers of women suffering.”
Labour today announced the party’s backing for a public inquiry into the use of surgical mesh implants (Weds 18) following a two and a half year campaign by this newspaper.
The party are also calling for use of the products to be stopped in England immediately while the inquiry is undertaken.
Sharon Hodgson MP, Labour’s Shadow Public Health Minister, speaking ahead of today’s debate, said: “This is an ongoing public health scandal and the Government need to do much more to support those affected.
“The Government have failed to answer big questions about the extent of this public health scandal, including how many women have been affected and why a product with such terrible risks was allowed into the market in the first place.
“Labour is calling for a full inquiry to uncover the extent of the harm done by mesh implants so we can be sure that this never happens again.”
“Mesh implants have left women in permanent pain, unable to walk, and unable to work.
“Ministers have said NICE will publish updated guidance for these products but not until January 2018. Mesh implants should be taken off the market now until we know more about the threat they pose to women’s safety.”
The call comes as MPs prepare to discuss the impact of mesh implants in a debate called by Emma Hardy, MP for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle, taking place in Westminster Hall at 9.30am today.
She said: “I’m delighted to have secured a debate on this very important issue. Since calling for this debate, my email inbox has been filling up with emails from men and women across the country telling me their horrific stories after having mesh implanted.
“I was first alerted to the issue of mesh complications after a constituent contacted me who had been suffering in silence for years.
“I hope that the government will take action and heed Labour’s call for a public inquiry into the use of mesh.”
Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Surgical Mesh Implants, Owen Smith commented: “Mesh injury is one of the worst medical issues I’ve come across since becoming an MP.
“Since working with Sling the Mesh campaign, I have been contacted by countless women from right across the UK who have shared their heart breaking stories of their suffering following mesh surgery.
“The government must immediately review all mesh surgery and suspend the use of mesh until more is known about its risks.
“I’m pleased that Labour colleagues have listened to the concerns of mesh-injured women and are now supporting suspension of mesh and a public enquiry into its usage.
“We now need the Tory Government to similarly acknowledge the scale of the problem, and to act.”
Kath Sansom, who works for this newspaper and set up Sling The Mesh in 2015 after suffering pain from a mesh implant, said: “People are waking up to the global scandal that is surgical mesh implants and at last it is on the political agenda at Westminster.
“The latest studies from NHS figures show the risk of having to go the hospital for a mesh complication is at least 1 in 10 and that figure is low as many more suffer but only go back and forth to their GP.
““When mesh complications hit it decimates the life of not just a woman but that of her family too.
“All those suffering are reporting the same crippling pain, some register disabled and many who have lost marriages, jobs, friends, husbands - all with vastly reduced quality of life.
“I put out a plea for people with mesh implants to email Sling The Mesh for me to bring their stories to Parliament and within two days received 400 from around the world - all heart breaking personal tragedies of people whose lives have been changed beyond recognition - to have been hit by this scale of human suffering over one weekend was deeply upsetting
“One of those was a woman who is now 27 but was given one mesh at the age of 13 and another at 16 as she was assured this new miracle fix would change her life. It did - she has suffered ever since but been ignored at every turn.
“She only found out this week that she is part of a global scandal and is as shocked as we are that a girl so young was given this mesh surgery when she was still developing .
“It is time to say enough is enough, hold a public inquiry and suspend the use of pelvic mesh implants while this takes place.”
http://www.cambstimes.co.uk/news/mps-hear-of-excruciating-pain-caused-by-mesh-procedures-1-5241045
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Mesh-related claims costs ACC $13m
Oct 19, 2017 | Radio New Zealand
ACC has paid out more than $13 million for surgical mesh-related claims in the past 12 years, data released today has revealed.
The Accident Compensation Corporation data shows it made decisions on 810 surgical mesh-related claims between July 2005 and 30 June this year.
Claims it accepted cost $13.2m, of which $7.9m was for pelvic organ prolapse or stress urinary incontinence cases and $4.3m for hernia repairs.
The number of claims peaked in 2016-17 at more than 150 cases. ACC's report noted the figures reflected claims lodged with ACC and were "not a proxy for the incidence of injuries caused by treatment or quality of care in the health sector".
The information comes as patients advocacy group Mesh Down Under prepares to meet health officials on the problems.
Spokeswoman Charlotte Korte, told Nine to Noon the statistics represented just 30 to 40 percent of those affected.
"This is only a subset of the actual people with mesh complications."
Ms Korte said the figures did not include people who were in the system waiting for a decision to be made, whose cases were being reviewed by ACC or who had not put in a claim.
She said a register of users and better monitoring was needed.
"Coding of mesh needs to be established, a flag needs to [be] put in every single GP system and the hospital systems so that when a patient walks in there is a flag saying "mesh implanted" so that they can be monitored more closely."
Ms Korte said informed consent documents that patients sign before they go into a procedure needed to be more robust and pamphlets should be available to inform people of the risk of undergoing one of these procedures.
She called for mandatory reporting, and district health boards should provide data on patient experiences with mesh used for pelvic organ prolapse, stress urinary incontinence, hernia repair and other uses.
New Zealand is not alone in debating surgical mesh. British MPs have told the House of Commons of constituents who suffered severe pain and discomfort from the implants. However, the UK government has rejected a call for an inquiry and a ban on surgical mesh implants.
Ms Korte said doctors in Britain were supporting a call for the suspension of mesh use.
"That's a really really important step, that it's not just advocates like us, but the medical profession is now standing up and saying 'hey, this is wrong, we've got to stop it'."
Representatives from Mesh Down Under will meet surgeons, officials from Ministry of Health, ACC and the Health and Disability Commissioner's office tomorrow where they will push for a register and progress to improve informed consent by patients for the procedure.
Christchurch general surgeon Steven Kelly wrote in the New Zealand Medical Journal recently that the complication rate in this country for abdominal wall hernia repair was low, but complications were five and a half times more likely with transvaginal repair.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018618473/mesh-related-claims-costs-acc-dollar13m
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Vaginal mesh implants: 'If I lift my leg my whole body shakes'
Oct 18, 2017 | The Guardian
By Hannah Devlin
Lisa Woodrow, 54, is one of the women who felt compelled to travel to parliament on Wednesday, after suffering serious complications from vaginal mesh surgery that led to her losing her job, partner and home.
Woodrow, a former marketing manager from Thetford, Norfolk, was offered a mesh procedure five years ago and believed she’d be a “new woman” after surgery. After experiencing difficult births – she has two adult sons – she had pelvic prolapse and urinary incontinence, meaning she suffered embarrassing leaks and had to wear incontinence pads. But she was also active, enjoyed life and had recently moved in with her partner.
“I had a good job, I had a good social life, I was fit and healthy. I did my high kicks and everything,” she said. “If I lift my leg now my whole body shakes.”
After surgery, Woodrow suspected something was wrong because she had pain radiating from her groin into her back and down her left leg. Two-and-a-half years after surgery she suddenly experienced excruciating pain. She was taken to hospital in an ambulance, unable to walk, and remained there for six weeks. Doctors seemed reluctant to accept that her pain could be linked to the mesh implant.
“They said perhaps you’ve got neurological overload,” she said. “They kept asking if I’ve got a stressful job. They were trying to blame anything but the mesh.”
Her GP suggested back pain might be the problem.
She returned home in a wheelchair and on morphine, and said her five-year relationship broke down soon after. “I couldn’t go to the toilet, all the drugs I was on, that’s very hard for somebody,” she said. “He couldn’t cope. I can accept it now, but it was very hard at the time.”
She couldn’t continue her job as a manager of a business that sold bathroom products to hotels because it required her to drive and regularly travel to London. As a result of the drop in her income, she also lost her house and had to move to a ground floor rented flat.
Woodrow had her mesh partially removed a year ago, but requires further surgery to remove the remaining pieces. Her health is better but she is still on pain medication and uses a stick to walk beyond a short distance.
Woodrow said she was given no sense that the procedure was designed to be permanent, recalling that her surgeon even suggested that because of her age she might need to have it replaced in the future. Pelvic mesh is not designed to be removed as it becomes embedded in surrounding tissue to act as a support.
“I wasn’t told that they couldn’t take it out,” she said. “My understanding was that it was just sitting there.”
She believes trial results suggesting that mesh is an effective cure may have overlooked the broader experiences of patients.
“They measure it by the success of you not wetting yourself,” she said. “You’re not wetting yourself, but you’ve got pain.”
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/oct/19/vaginal-mesh-implants-if-i-lift-my-leg-my-whole-body-shakes
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Women who used vaginal mesh implants ‘deserve an apology’
Oct 18, 2017 | Metro News
By Oliver Wheaton
A Tory MP has called for an apology for women affected by the vaginal mesh implant scandal. Dr Sarah Wollaston, who is chairperson of the Health Committee, has claimed many women were ‘unaware they had these devices inserted in the first place’, with many saying they were not informed about the risks before the procedure.
The implants were used as treatment for women who experienced pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence. More than 92,000 women in the UK received the implants between April 2007 and March 2015. Ministers have faced fresh calls for a public inquiry into the scandal, wile Dr Wollaston says there needs to be a guarantee of ‘proper’ clinical trials as the products had been introduced and marketed ‘aggressively’ without ‘adequate’ trials, which has caused the long delay in action being taken. Shadow health minister Sharon Hodgson has also raised concerns about the implants, pointing out how the mesh, which is made from the same materials as some drinks bottles, could shrink, twist and even cut through internal tissues and stick to organs. Some women have suffered pain, incontinence and urinary infections as a result of the implants.
Labour’s Emma Hardy urged the Government to suspend operations using mesh implants while a ‘full retrospective and mandatory audit of all interventions using mesh’ is carried out. The backbencher said her party was calling for a full public inquiry into their use as she told MPs that for some the consequences of their procedures would be ‘life-changing and devastating’.
Paul Masterton, Tory MP for East Renfrewshire, highlighted how his party in Scotland – along with Labour – had ‘stood firmly behind’ women whose lives have been ‘devastated’ by mesh. He said: ‘I’d urge my party south of the border to be alive to this issue and to act now while it has the opportunity to do so. ‘Please suspend this procedure – if you’re not convinced enough evidence is there, suspend it while you gather it together. ‘Mesh is rapidly becoming one of the great global health scandals and I’d implore all of us in this place to do what we can to protect women from this potentially devastating procedure, and to ensure our nation becomes an example to others in how to achieve justice for all those who have been broken by mesh.’
http://metro.co.uk/2017/10/18/women-who-used-vaginal-mesh-implants-deserve-an-apology-7009176/
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Task group set up to review use of medical mesh in Wales
Oct 18, 2017 | ITV
A task group has been set up by the Welsh Government to review the use of medical mesh.
Today calls for a ban on medical mesh have been rejected by the UK Government.
It followed a debate in Westminster this morning where Labour MP Owen Smith spoke out against the procedure.
The debate also led to Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston saying women affected by medical mesh implants deserved an apology.
She said many women who have had delayed symptoms or were "unaware they had these devices inserted in the first place", with some saying they did not consent and were not informed of the risks.
The Tory MP was joined by colleagues from across the political divide in raising concerns about the implants, which have been offered to women to treat pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence after childbirth.
ITV Wales has previously spoken to a number of women who said they had experienced constant pain and discomfort since having medical mesh implanted.
The first meeting will be held this afternoon and two further meetings are planned.
The Cabinet Secretary has today met with the Deputy Chief Medical Officer to discuss his concerns and the situation with regard to the use of vaginal mesh and tape is being kept under review.
– WELSH GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON
http://www.itv.com/news/wales/2017-10-18/women-affected-by-medical-mesh-deserve-an-apology-says-mp/
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Oct 18, 2017 | The Daily Maill
By Alexandra Thompson
· Labour is calling for the procedure to be immediately stopped during the inquiry
· Mesh implants' impact will be debated by MPs at Westminster Hall at 9.30am
· More than 800 women are suing the NHS and the implant's manufacturers
· The NHS has been accused of sweeping complications under the carpet
· Mesh manufacturer Johnson & Johnson paid out $57 million last month
Labour is backing a public inquiry into controversial vaginal mesh implants that has left thousands of women depressed, unable to have sex and on the brink of suicide due to their excruciating pain.The party is also calling for the procedure to be immediately stopped in England while the inquiry is underway.
Labour's backing comes as MPs prepare to discuss the impact of mesh implants in a debate taking place in Westminster Hall at 9.30am today.
More than 800 women are suing the NHS and the implants' manufacturers after complaining of crippling pain in a scandal that has been compared to thalidomide.
The NHS has even been accused of sweeping such complications under the carpet in an effort to dodge media attention.
After previously denying their implants were causing women's discomfort, mesh manufacturer Johnson & Johnson paid out $57 million to a sufferer from Philadelphia last month after a jury found the company to be negligent and its product defective.
Pressure is mounting for a UK ban of the 'gold-standard' treatment for urinary stress incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.
'A public health scandal'
Sharon Hodgson MP, Labour's Shadow Public Health Minister, said: 'Mesh implants have left women in permanent pain, unable to walk, and unable to work. This is an ongoing public health scandal and the Government need to do much more to support those affected.
'Ministers have said NICE will publish updated guidance for these products but not until January 2018. Mesh implants should be taken off the market now until we know more about the threat they pose to women's safety.
'The Government have failed to answer big questions about the extent of this public health scandal, including how many women have been affected and why a product with such terrible risks was allowed into the market in the first place.
'Labour is calling for a full inquiry to uncover the extent of the harm done by mesh implants so we can be sure that this never happens again.'
Today's debate was called by Emma Hardy, MP for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle.
Government rejects a ban
Last month the Government released its three-year investigation into the mesh scandal and rejected calls for a widespread ban on the implants, which can shrink, twist and curl at the edges, leading to nerve damage.
Vaginal mesh has been considered a high-risk device for nearly a decade in the US, with bodies accepting up to 40 per cent of women may experience side effects.
Some studies, published in an array of scientific journals, have shown that pain, erosion and perforation from the surgery can affect up to 75 per cent of women.
The alarming evidence prompted officials in three US states to suspend the practice and saw them call for an urgent review into its safety.
Previously suspended in Scotland
Mesh implants continue to be used in Scotland despite calls from the health secretary for their suspension.
The mesh, introduced 20 years ago, was promoted as a quick, cheap alternative to complex surgery for incontinence. It was dubbed the 'gold-standard' treatment.
Due to it not requiring specialist training to implant, outraged women have since called for tougher regulations in order to conduct such surgery.
More than 10,000 women a year have the procedure. Some 7,800 have suffered lacerations and nerve damage from the mesh breaking into tiny fragments.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4988870/Labour-backs-public-inquiry-vaginal-mesh-implants.html
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Jeremy Corbyn and Labour back public inquiry into vaginal mesh implants
Oct 18, 2017 | Talk Radio
By Gareth Platt
Jeremy Corbyn and Labour have backed a public inquiry into the ongoing vaginal mesh scandal.
Surgical mesh implants have been used to treat various conditions afflicting women, from incontinence to organ prolapse. However large numbers of women have reported pain from the material and the procedure, The Independent reports.
Labour has said it will announce backing for the public inquiry today (Wednesday October 18) and demand that the use of surgical mesh be banned immediately while the inquiry is in progress.
MPs have also gathered today to hold a debate on the issue. The debate was called by Emma Hardy, MP for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle.
Sharon Hodgson MP, Labour’s Shadow Public Health Minister, speaking ahead of today’s debate, said:
“Mesh implants have left women in permanent pain, unable to walk, and unable to work. This is an ongoing public health scandal and the Government need to do much more to support those affected.
“Ministers have said Nice will publish updated guidance for these products but not until January 2018. Mesh implants should be taken off the market now until we know more about the threat they pose to women’s safety.
“The Government have failed to answer big questions about the extent of this public health scandal, including how many women have been affected and why a product with such terrible risks was allowed into the market in the first place.
“Labour is calling for a full inquiry to uncover the extent of the harm done by mesh implants so we can be sure that this never happens again.”
http://talkradio.co.uk/news/jeremy-corbyn-and-labour-back-public-inquiry-vaginal-mesh-implants-17101819900
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