Chief medic reveals her struggle with incontinence after giving birth

THE country’s most senior doctor has spoken about her struggle with incontinence since the birth of her first child, and said her “heart goes out” to women left in pain by subsequent surgery.

Dame Sally Davies, England’s chief medical officer, made the remarks during a discussion about medical errors. An estimated 7.2million women in Britain suffer from urinary incontinence – the four main causes being pregnancy, obesity, a family history of the problem, and old age.

Last week, Jeremy Hunt ordered a review after concerns about medical treatments, including vaginal mesh implants, used to attempt to repair damage caused by childbirth.

Dame Sally said she had been inundated with letters and emails from women left worse off by such surgery. Hundreds are suing the NHS, saying they have been left in agony.

During a discussion with Mr Hunt, she said: “We women, after we’ve had babies, can be damaged so that we get incontinence and, actually – I’ve never gone public about this – after my first child I could only walk three yards before I peed in my pants.

“For six weeks I could not the leave the house. I’m still not as I would wish to be,” she said. “So I have every sympathy with these women.” While some campaigners are calling for the mesh implants to be banned, Dame Sally said the treatment was appropriate for some women, but that too often patients were not properly counselled about the risk of side effects.

“It’s quite clear for a selected group of women that the best treatment, if you have got a good doctor, is a type of mesh that lifts the bladder up and supports the uterus and makes it all right,” she said. “But even if you have got a good surgeon and the right patient there are quite a lot of side effects – 15 to 20 per cent get side effects.”

Non-invasive treatments are also available, such as behavioural therapy, pelvic floor exercises and medication.