Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 September 2022
1973. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the current position and plan of action in relation to the use of vaginal mesh products in the HSE specifically the engagement he or his Department has had with campaigners suffering severe side effects from its use; the supports that he presently has or intends to have in place for women in this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43892/22]
View answerI understand that complications from a mesh implant can be very distressing and painful for the women experiencing them. Since concerns about mesh complications came to the attention of the Department of Health in late 2017, the ongoing priority focus for the Department has been to ensure that all women experiencing mesh related complications receive high quality, multi-disciplinary and patient-centred care.
Uro-Gynaecological (Transvaginal) mesh is used in the surgical treatment of Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) and Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) in women and such mesh devices have been widely used for this over the past two decades. However, in late 2017, in line with emerging international evidence, concerns were raised at national level regarding the frequency and severity of complications associated with the use of transvaginal mesh devices. The then Minister for Health requested the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) to prepare a report on the clinical and technical issues involved.
In November 2018, the CMO’s Report on The Use of Uro-Gynaecological Mesh in Surgical Procedures was published. The Report contains a number of recommendations regarding the safe and effective provision of mesh procedures in urogynaecology and an appropriate response to women who suffer complications as a result of undergoing such procedures. In July 2018, the CMO had asked the HSE to pause all mesh procedures where clinically safe to do so, pending confirmation of the implementation of specific recommendations in the CMO’s Report. This pause remains in place.
In April 2019 the HSE published a detailed Implementation Plan to progress the recommendations detailed in this report and significant progress has been made in relation to the implementation of the CMO’s Report on The Use of Uro-Gynaecological Mesh in Surgical Procedures (2018) and the National Women and Infants Health Programme continue to lead on this work for the HSE. The HSE advised the Department of Health on 13th June 2022 that to date, thirteen of the nineteen recommendations are complete, recommendations relating to consent, guidance and the mesh surgical unit facilities are progressing and my officials continue to engage with the HSE in this regard.
In respect of the service provisions and supports in place to support women experiencing mesh related complications, multidisciplinary specialist services for women suffering from mesh complications are available via the HSE National Mesh Complications Service, based at Cork University Hospital (CUMH) and the National Maternity Hospital (NMH) Dublin. This service has been operational since 1st September 2021. There are designated HSE contact points and associated care pathways to ensure that service needs can be identified and provided for in relation to women’s ongoing care and clinical needs. The HSE has created a dedicated webpage about vaginal mesh implants, including contact information regarding the pathways for women suffering complications.
Since the emergence of this matter, the ongoing priority focus for the Department and the HSE has been to meet the care needs of women experiencing mesh complications. I strongly encourage all women affected by mesh to engage with the relevant HSE contact points and the associated care pathways, to ensure that their service needs can be identified and supports provided for.
Listening to women affected by mesh related complications and their experiences is key to the work of my Department. The establishment of an independent, compassionate process for women affected by mesh to share their experiences is being progressed. This process will be important to help to further drive learning across the health service in relation to women’s experience following mesh.
