Casualty: Pelvic mesh storyline is 'massive' - campaigner

A woman who campaigns to raise awareness of complications from pelvic mesh implants has worked with Casualty scriptwriters to highlight the issue.

Kath Sansom, from Cambridgeshire, has exposed risks linked with the implants since 2015 after her own experience.

The implants are used to treat conditions such as stress incontinence and prolapse in women. They are also used in hernia repairs.

Ms Sansom said it was "massive" for the topic to feature in the drama.

Casualty, which is watched by about four million people, said it had a "rich history of representing difficult and thought-provoking stories in a sensitive way".

The mum of two had mesh surgery in 2015 to treat incontinence from childbirth and within weeks she had an "intense burning sensation" in her vagina and severe leg pains that left her "a wreck".

She founded the campaign group Sling the Mesh in the same year after discovering women across the world had experienced similar problems.

Her efforts helped lead to a government review and the campaign's Facebook group has almost 9,000 members.

The 53-year-old said she "jumped at the chance" to work with Casualty scriptwriters on the storyline, which starts on Saturday on BBC One.

"Although we have had so much media coverage, there's something about Casualty, it's a whole new audience to raise awareness to," said Ms Sansom.

A spokesman for Casualty said it consulted a range of experts and medical advisers when developing the storyline to ensure it was handled sensitively.

In Saturday's episode, viewers will see character Marty's mother Bibi brought into the emergency department and treated for complications following vaginal mesh surgery.

It becomes apparent that Bibi had the operation at a private clinic after it was officially suspended and was not warned about potential complications or supported through any subsequent problems she had.

In Marty's opinion, the clinic betrayed Bibi and his reaction is played out in episodes to come.

The spokesman said the storyline was fictional and not based on a real-life case.

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