Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the information available to women on (a) mesh implants, (b) traditional mesh surgery, (c) physiotherapy and (d) other alternatives to mesh implants.

NHS England published comprehensive information leaflets on treatment options for stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse in 2017. The leaflets have helped to ensure that women are aware of the treatments available and the advantages and disadvantages of each option before consenting to treatment.

In addition, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has considered information needs as part of its development of a guideline on the management of urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse in women, which is due to be published on 2 April 2019. The draft recommendations state that women should be fully informed and supported to make the right decision about their treatment, taking into account the benefits and risks of all the options as well as any individual social or psychological factors that might affect their decision. NICE and NHS England are developing shared decision aids that will support women to make informed decisions about their care. The decision aids will be published alongside the final guideline.