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Chamber and committees

The Mesh Scandal Goes On

  • Submitted by: Neil Findlay, Lothian, Scottish Labour.
  • Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2017
  • Motion reference: S5M-04459

That the Parliament is extremely concerned regarding the resignation of Elaine Holmes and Olive Mcilroy, two mesh survivors from the Scottish Independent Review of the Use, Safety and Efficacy of Transvaginal Mesh Implants in the Treatment of Stress Urinary Incontinence and Pelvic Organ Prolapse in Women; understands that the two women, along with hundreds of thousands of women worldwide, are experiencing pain and injury or are disabled following treatment with polypropylene mesh; is concerned at reports that the draft report has been altered, omitting vital safety evidence amid allegations of secret meetings, which excluded the two women and allegations of "lies, manipulation and behind the scenes manoeuvrings by pro-mesh clinicians and government officials"; understands that the two women have evidence that the draft report has omitted previously agreed key evidence, which evidenced better, safer results from non-mesh procedures, withheld evidence proving mesh procedures have more long-term and life-changing risks, withheld evidence that the removal of mesh tapes after more than a couple of weeks can cause irreversible nerve damage, ignored the forthcoming EU reclassification of all mesh procedures, including hernia mesh in males, as "high risk", failed to call for mandatory reporting of complications by doctors, backing instead a scheme used by only 27% of clinicians, ignored three US government criminal investigations into mesh manufacturers in California, Kentucky and Washington DC, ignored US health watchdog alerts over alleged counterfeit mesh calling for surgeons to alert patients, destroyed vital evidence and removed easy to understand data leaving patients confused; considers that, although mesh devices may be cheaper for the NHS, studies show that they carry the highest risk of life-changing injury and that non-mesh procedures cost more because they require more experienced surgeons and a longer hospital stay, but clinical research proves they are safer; understands that the chair of the review resigned and was replaced by NHS Lothian’s Chief Medical Director, Tracey Gillies, whose NHS board was one of two that ignored the mesh ban and continued implanting almost 350 more women, and calls for an independent investigation into the mesh scandal and its impact on women across Scotland.


Supported by: Jackson Carlaw, Monica Lennon