Mesh implant review expert resigns

Surgery - PA

A consultant working on the independent review of mesh implants in Scotland has resigned, it has been reported.

According to the BBC the expert has quit after claims an entire chapter of the review's report has been removed.

The altering of the final report was also cited as the reason for the resignation of two patients from the group.

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The two women who had suffered severe complications with mesh implant surgery said the forthcoming report has been altered and watered down since the interim report in 2015.

The group's chair Public Health expert Dr Lesley Wilkie stood down in December.​

Transvaginal mesh implants are medical devices used to treat organ prolapse and incontinence in women.

Over 20,000 women have had similar implants in Scotland, with around 400 currently taking legal action against health boards and mesh implant manufacturers after experiencing severe complications.

Health Secretary Shona Robison said she wanted survivors to remain at the centre of ongoing work.

"I have been clear that all evidence must be made publically available alongside the report once published. The chair of the Review Group has stressed to me the evidence has been fully considered by the review and none has been hidden.

"This is a complex, technical area and on occasions professionals will disagree. I am aware of the resignation of a clinical member from the group and, while this is unfortunate, their views and contribution to the review is much-appreciated and have proven valuable."

Labour MSP Neil Findlay, who chairs the Health and Sport Committee, called on Robison to update parliament on what he described as "a whitewash".

"The mesh scandal is a global scandal but in Scotland we had the chance to lead the world in protecting women from life changing injuries but instead of doing so the Government stands by as the review draft is rewritten and all the while more and more people lodge damages claims against our NHS," he said.