Published: 5 March 2020
Publications
Hearing and Responding to the Stories of Survivors of Surgical Mesh report: Update from the Ministry of Health
Prescriber Update 41(1): 18-19
March 2020
The report Hearing and Responding to the Stories of Survivors
of Surgical Mesh, commissioned by the Ministry of Health, was released
on 12 December 2019. The report summarises the themes that emerged from
a restorative justice process undertaken to listen to the stories of
New Zealanders affected by surgical mesh.
You can download the report from the Ministry of Health website.
The report highlights the severity of the harm and the impact on the lives of those who experience complications from surgical mesh. Mesh injured New Zealanders have described life-changing physical and psychosocial harms including losses to their physical wellbeing, relationships, identity, employment and financial status. They also expressed a loss of trust in health care providers and institutions.
Consumers and health care professionals identified several major needs to address surgical mesh harm. The report groups these needs into the following workstreams:
- credentialling of surgeons
- specialist multidisciplinary mesh services
- informed consent
- safety culture and systems
- acknowledgement of harm
- responding to mesh harm both now and in the future.
Actions to address these needs are described in the report. The Ministry is committed to working with other agencies to progress these actions, supporting those who have been affected and minimising future harm.
See also the article on medical device adverse event reporting in this edition of Prescriber Update.
