Mesh scandal / Harriet Marsden

The Independent • 5th December 2017

The vaginal mesh scandal has claimed its first victim – and she probably won’t be the last

So it’s finally happened. A woman has died from complications related to her vaginal mesh implant. Mesh implant, severe complications, partial removal, repeated infections, antibiotic resistance, sepsis, organ failure. She was just 42.

The Independent • 4th December 2017

This campaigner is the first to die from complications due to controversial vaginal mesh surgery

A well-known campaigner against vaginal mesh procedures has died from sepsis, it has been reported. Christina Brajcic, 42, of Ontario, Canada, is believed to be the first woman to die in what has become known as the vaginal mesh scandal, which Conservative MP Alec Shelbrooke called “the new thalidomide”.

The Independent • 5th August 2017

Why men should be worried about the vaginal mesh NHS scandal

This year, news broke of a dangerous medical device, after years of campaigning and investigation. Senior doctors have said it could be the most serious medical scandal since thalidomide. There have been calls in Parliament for a public inquiry into the situation. Oh and, you may not have heard of it – because it’s about vaginas.

The Independent • 10th July 2018

Why did it take so long for vaginal mesh procedures to be suspended?

“It’s the end of mesh,” said Labour MP Owen Smith on the Victoria Derbyshire show today. Well, not quite. NHS England has accepted a recommendation to temporarily suspend vaginal mesh implants for the treatment of stress-urinary incontinence (SUI) until March 2019. It is hoped that Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will follow suit.

The Independent • 15th December 2017

Stop using vaginal mesh to treat prolapse, says UK health watchdog

The UK’s health watchdog has recommended against vaginal mesh as a treatment for pelvic organ prolapse. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) ruled that evidence for the long-term efficacy of the treatment is “inadequate in quality and quantity”.

The Independent • 12th December 2017

New Zealand becomes first country to fully ban controversial vaginal mesh procedures

New Zealand has become the first major country in the world to ban all vaginal mesh procedures, which have been called “the biggest health scandal since thalidomide”. The New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority (Medsafe) declared it would remove from supply and limit the use of surgical mesh products.

The Independent • 10th December 2017

Panorama investigation reveals medical company failed to fully inform doctors of vaginal mesh risks

A global medical company failed to fully inform doctors of the risks of vaginal mesh implants, a BBC Panorama investigation is set to reveal. The programme, which will air on Monday night, documents the conflicts of interest, improper trialling and weak regulatory system behind the vaginal mesh scandal, as reported in The Independent this year.

The Independent • 18th October 2017

Government refuses to ban vaginal mesh despite it causing severe issues for women

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.

The Independent • 26th July 2017

Vaginal mesh surgery is ‘the new thalidomide’. So where's the outcry?

The Mesh Oversight Group Report, in response to a 2015 interim paper and in conjunction with a March independent review in Scotland, came out this week – to address what’s being referred to by senior doctors as the most serious women’s health scandal since thalidomide: transvaginal mesh procedures. And yet, barely a whisper in the headlines. And ultimately, a devastating blow to campaigners and victims. And a threatening precedent to women’s health in general.