A WOMAN who has been in pain since having mesh surgery is calling for Government action following an independent inquiry into the procedure.

Bonita Barrett, from Malton, had mesh surgery in 2015 as an ‘add on’ when treated for prolapse - and says she has been in constant pain ever since.

Surgical mesh is a loosely woven sheet which is used as either a permanent or temporary support for organs and other tissues during surgery.

Bonita says the pain she suffered after surgery was so bad that she found it difficult to visit her father who was dying of cancer and she had to stop working for the family’s food producing business.

The 46-year-old is now urging the Government to provide a full update on how it is responding to the ‘First Do No Harm’ report - which was published in July 2020.

Mum-of-three Bonita said: “There is no doubt in my mind that there are thousands of people, if not more, having their lives ripped apart because of mesh and completely unaware that’s the cause.

“Mesh turned my life upside down and has had a huge impact on my family. I can’t work like I used to and my mental and physical health have not been the same since.

“I hope International Mesh Awareness Day pushed those in power to implement the changes needed to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else.”

The Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review team, led by Baroness Julia Cumberlege, published a report which examined how the healthcare system responded to three medical interventions, including surgical mesh.

It made nine recommendations to improve patient safety after it found women were “not being listened to or believed led to emergencies, misdiagnosis and years of unnecessary pain”.

In January, the Minister of State for Mental Health, Suicide Prevention and Patient Safety, Nadine Dorries, provided a response to each of the recommendations made in the report – but many areas were still under consideration, which left unanswered questions.

Among the nine recommendations made in the First Do No Harm report was to appoint an independent patient safety commissioner, overhaul the regulator of medicines and medical devices, establish regional specialist centres and set up a task force to implement all of the report’s recommendations and strengthen the patients’ voice.

Mrs Barrett is one of five women calling for the update. There are more than 400 mesh-injured women being represented by law firm Thompsons Solicitors, which is pursuing mesh claims on their behalf. Linda Millband, head of clinical negligence at the firm, said: “These recommendations were made for a reason and every day they are not implemented, is another day patients are at risk.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “Baroness Cumberlege’s report and recommendations are incredibly important for the women, children and their families who have gone unheard for too long.

"The report took over two years to compile and we must give it the proper consideration it deserves before setting out our full response to ensure appropriate lessons are learned. Work is ongoing to carefully consider the recommendations and the Government plans to fully respond later this year.”