Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of NICE guidance on Transvaginal mesh repair of anterior or posterior vaginal wall prolapse, published on 15 December 2017; and if he will make a statement.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that provides authoritative, evidence-based guidance for the National Health Service on whether interventional procedures are sufficiently safe and efficacious for routine use in clinical practice, or whether special arrangements should apply to their use. NICE’s guidance is developed through an established process that entails a thorough consideration of the available evidence and public consultation.

NICE’s interventional procedures guidance represents best clinical practice and we expect NHS organisations and healthcare professionals to take it fully into account in the treatment of NHS patients. The recommendation of NHS England’s oversight group’s reports ensures mesh is only used in appropriate situations with clear consent and understanding about the balance of benefit and risks. Ministers are also working with the All Party Parliamentary Group and considering a range of additional actions to ensure the evidence and data collected on these procedures is current and robust.