Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to investigate the causes of pain and suffering to male patients by mesh implants; and what corrective procedures are being developed by Government health experts.

The main reported complication following abdominal and hernia repair and urogynaecological procedures for both men and women identified by the the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency Yellow Card Scheme, is post-operative pain, which may be temporary, but may become a chronic complication and this can happen even in the absence of a repair using a synthetic implant.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has produced a number of guidance documents regarding mesh implants for both men and women. These include the technology appraisal guidance on laparoscopic surgery for inguinal hernia repair which was last reviewed in February 2016 and is available at:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta83

The medical technologies guidance on the PolySoft hernia patch used with ONSTEP technique to treat inguinal hernias which was published in August 2014 is available at:

https://www.nice.org.uk/advice/mib9

NICE is also currently producing guidance relating to ‘Persistent pain: assessment and management’, with a draft guidance consultation due between 22 July -3 September 2019 and the final publication date currently being projected for 20 January 2020, and guidance into laparoscopic ventral mesh rectopexy for internal rectal prolapse which will include men and is expected to be published on 20 June 2018.