Sinn Féin MLA Órlaithí Flynn has welcomed the Cumberledge review into mesh implants.

Speaking after the publication of the ‘First Do No Harm’, report the West Belfast MLA said:

“The ‘First do no Harm’ report is a testimony to the courage and determination of women harmed by mesh implant surgery to hold the medical establishment to account.

“The report cites surgeons that didn’t just fail to listen to their patients but, fearful of litigation, actively ignored them. It exposes a culture of denial that misdirected and even intimidated patients.

“The report uncovers a lack of transparency with regards to regulation and an institutional and professional resistance to changing practices, even in the face of mounting safety concerns.

“The Cumberledge report calls for a range of measures from an official apology and redress to the establishment of a Patient Safety Commissioner and reform of the Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.

 “I have contacted the Minister for Health, Robin Swann and requested an urgent response to this report and an official evaluation of its implications within this jurisdiction.

 “I have also expressed ongoing concerns to the Minister about the provision of care for those injured by mesh implants, specifically the continuing struggle to access removal surgery.

 “Across the island of Ireland and across the world, women injured by mesh are speaking truth to power in challenging assumptions about who decides about women’s health. In raising their voices, collectively and in solidarity, women are asserting their right to a diligent, responsive and ethical delivery of health services.”