Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the devolved Administrations on the potential establishment of a mesh database on a UK-wide basis.

The Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP), commissioned by the Department, has recently held two workshops which explored the scope of the three existing mesh databases maintained respectively by the British Association of Urological Surgeons, the British Society of Urogynaecologists, and the Pelvic Floor Society, and what needs to be done to establish a comprehensive database. Participants in the workshops have included representatives from devolved administrations. Departmental officials also keep in regular contact with counterparts in the devolved administrations.

HQIP will now produce a report with recommendations on next steps.