Ngā korero a ngā mōrehu – he urupare
The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with other health sector agencies, is continuing to progress work on the actions agreed in the report Hearing and Responding to the Stories of Survivors of Surgical Mesh published in December 2019.
Recent key actions and updates include:
- On 3 December 2020, it was announced that responsibility for surgical mesh has been delegated to Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall, Associate Minister of Health.
- On 30 October 2020 ACC released details of the look back and the opportunity for people with declined surgical mesh claims to have these reassessed based on new cover guidance. For more information, or to find out how to have your claims reassessed, visit the ACC website (Report action #12)
- The evaluation of the restorative approach to hear and understand the stories of those harmed by surgical mesh has been completed by researchers from the Diana Unwin Chair in Restorative Justice, Victoria University of Wellington. The evaluation is currently being considered by the Ministry and is anticipated to be released publicly in the new year.
- Planning work is continuing on the creation of specialist services. (Report action #8)
- The draft credentialing framework for pelvic floor and urogynaecologicial procedures has been finalised and is being consulted on. It is intended to be trialled in a first DHB early in 2021. (Report action #9)
- A workshop was held in November to discuss the content for a series of education packages aimed at educating health practitioners and consumers to identify symptoms early and recognise complications following the insertion of mesh. It is expected that the education packages will be ready for roll out in May 2021. (Report action #10)
- The Surgical Mesh Roundtable had its last meeting for 2020 on 6 November. It agreed to continue meeting bi-monthly in 2021 to provide oversight and monitoring of the surgical mesh work programme with the first meeting scheduled for February 2021. (Report action #6)
- A position statement on the use of the transobturator approach in incontinence surgery has been published - Position Statement on the use of the transobturator approach in incontinence surgery (PDF, 189 KB) - and communicated to DHBs, private hospitals and professional colleges.