Donna Davies, a 56-year-old woman from Swansea, is facing the removal of her large bowel and will require a permanent stoma due to complications from a vaginal mesh medical device. The implant, fitted almost two decades ago to treat stress urinary incontinence, caused her constant, severe pain, which she described as feeling like she was being cut by glass every time she moved.
Ms Davies recounted that her persistent pain was not adequately acknowledged by medical staff until her husband intervened. She stated, "I didn't feel as if I was believed and I didn't feel my pain was acknowledged until my husband spoke up about an incident we had and then I felt that the surgeon believed my husband." The mesh device was eventually removed, and a sling made from her own muscles was created during a total hysterectomy. However, she has never fully recovered and continues to experience neuropathic pain.
The procedure for fitting vaginal mesh has since been paused by the NHS, following concerns about its safety and efficacy. Ms Davies is one of an estimated 100,000 women across the UK who underwent the procedure for incontinence or prolapse. She expressed feeling that women in Wales are being overlooked, noting the absence of specialist services in the country, in contrast to nine such centres in England.
Her experience was shared at a women's health summit held in Wales this week, which focused on the prevalent issue of women's pain being dismissed as 'normal' within healthcare. Delyth Jewell, the Women's Health Minister in the Senedd, used the platform to advocate for stronger regulations. She stated her intention to mandate health boards to involve women in the design of their services, aiming to ensure women's voices are heard and believed regarding their bodies.
Isabel Linton from the charity Fair Treatment for the Women of Wales, echoed these concerns, highlighting the difficulties women face not only in receiving a diagnosis but also in accessing appropriate treatment, particularly when navigating different health boards. The summit, which brought together clinicians, researchers, and women with lived experience, is set to draft minimum standards to ensure women's input continues to shape the Women's Health Plan, initially launched in December 2024.