Petition demands halt on surgical mesh
A petition has been launched to pause the use of surgical mesh to treat a common birth injury as women continue to be harmed by the device despite Government intervention.
This week the Herald revealed 30 Health and Disability Commission (HDC) complaints from women living on morphine and becoming suicidal from “razor blade” pain mesh caused. Many said it was implanted without their informed consent, as they weren’t given enough information about risks and alternative options.
The complaints were collected by Sally Walker, who told her story to the Herald in June, describing her insides being so badly damaged by the medical device that her bladder had to be removed and her vagina sewn closed.
Now, the 73-year-old has created a public petition to suspend the implantation of mesh for stress urinary incontinence (SUI), a common birth injury that leaves mums peeing without warning.
As of Thursday afternoon, nearly 700 people had signed the petition listed on Parliament’s website.
Walker said she believed many surgeons were implanting mesh incorrectly and were not properly trained in its use.
“Mesh harm is happening all over the country and it needs to stop,” Walker said.
A Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) spokesperson said it acknowledged the pain and distress suffered by many women who had experienced complications arising from pelvic mesh implant.
“We remain committed to ensuring women are given evidencebased guidance and are offered an appropriate range of treatment options,” they said.
The college supported clinical governance, including regular monitoring of outcomes, a review of early and late complications and a review of complaints.
Green MPS Elizabeth Kerekere and Jan Logie say they back the petition. A spokesperson for the MPS told the Herald they were keen to work with Walker to provide further support.
Associate Minister of Health Ayesha Verrall said mesh had affected many and caused harm.
“The Government has taken this issue seriously and already undertaken steps to ensure past wrongs are rectified, including an apology by ACC, as well as changes to ACC’S processes,” Verrall said in a statement.
“Everyone in New Zealand has the right to health services of an appropriate standard.
“Where care isn’t to an acceptable standard, they’ve been treated unfairly or harm has occurred, they have the right to be heard.”
In June, the Herald revealed documents released under the Official Information Act showing director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield had emailed district health board chief executives in September 2018, seeking “support of actions to minimise risks [from surgical mesh] . . .”
The director general’s email included a letter from the ministry’s chief medical officer at the time, Dr Andrew Simpson, advising it was working on requiring surgeons to have an appropriate qualification to use surgical mesh for urogynaecological procedures.
The documents showed that while some DHBS — such as the Bay of Plenty and Lakes — said they would no longer perform these surgeries, others — such as Auckland — said they had qualified mesh specialists.
However, some of the specialists named as having “appropriate qualifications” have been blamed by affected women for causing them severe harm.
This year, the Ministry of Health rolled out a new framework involving an assessment of practitioners’ background, capability, and surgical outcomes — including complication rates, patient-reported experience and outcome measures — by experts.
However, Walker and other advocates spoken to by the Herald remain concerned.
In 2018, a Ministry of Health restorative justice inquiry heard from 600 people, mainly women, injured by surgical mesh.
Many had chronic debilitating pain and infection and were unable to walk without aid, have sex or exercise.
While countries, such as Scotland and England put a pause on the use of pelvic surgical mesh in 2018 — which continues today as surgeons couldn’t guarantee its safety — New Zealand did not.