Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans the NHS has for the use of Ovestin cream in preference to mesh removal surgery for the future treatment of victims of the vaginal mesh scandal; whether advocates of that alternative method of treatment include surgeons who previously supported the implantation of vaginal mesh; what evidence base there is for the use of Ovestin cream to diminish symptoms arising from mesh implantation; and what assessment has been made of possible harmful side-effects of using cream as a substitute for mesh removal surgery.

NHS England has not considered Ovestin cream as an alternative to mesh removal surgery, nor the evidence behind its use to diminish symptoms arising from mesh implantation. However, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines NG123 recommend that non-surgical treatment options for mesh removal can include the use of vaginal oestrogen cream, including Ovestin cream, for patients who have a single area of vaginal mesh exposure that is smaller than 1 cm².

Side-effects relating to Ovestin cream can be found in the accompanying leaflet to the medicine which is available at the following link:

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/5384/pil

No assessment made of whether advocates for the use of Ovestin cream include surgeons who previously supported the implantation of vaginal mesh.