Graeme Morrice – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graeme Morrice on 2014-04-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department has taken to address patient concerns regarding the use of transvaginal mesh implants.

Norman Lamb

Work to improve outcomes for women undergoing procedures involving urethral tape and vaginal mesh is currently under way and is being led by NHS England. The Department is involved in this work alongside the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the specialist societies (The British Society of Urogynaecology (BSUG) and The British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS)) and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

In addition, Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, Medical Director, NHS England has written to the National Health Service to highlight the need to ensure that

– National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance for these procedures is followed;

– consent procedures are standardised so that they comply with up to date evidence and follow BSUG and BAUS guidance;

– all pelvic organ prolapse procedures and all incontinence operations, but particularly those involving mesh, are recorded on a recognised database e.g. the BSUG or BAUS surgical databases;

– all adverse events are reported to MHRA; and

– surgery for removal of tapes or prolapse mesh or repeat surgery for incontinence or prolapse is performed in units which can demonstrate relevant specialist care.