I took a story close to my heart and led the national news agenda

Four Essex mums reveal the horrific side effects of surgical mesh implants

Background to the story:

My mum is one of thousands of women across the UK who had Transvaginal Tape (or TVT) implants following a hysterectomy. In summer 2018, after years of experiencing agonising side effects, my mum underwent an operation to have it removed. Thankfully, she is now mesh free, but the whole experience was both emotionally challenging as well as eyeopening. Her journey inspired me to delve deeper into the issue, and share the stories of other women who have suffered with the horrific side effects of the surgical mesh.

Story link: Essex mums reveal the horrific side effects of having surgical mesh implants

How I developed the story:

Having supported my mum through her journey I already knew about the ‘Sling The Mesh Campaign’ Facebook group, which had over 7,000 members at the time. The page was used as a forum for women to share their journeys, offer advice, and support one another both before and after their mesh removal. I knew this group would be the best way for me to find local case studies for my article.

Through the group I built a rapport with three Essex mums who were willing to feature in my article. I also interviewed Kath Sansom who set up the ‘Sling The Mesh Campaign’ in June 2015, just ten weeks after her mesh removal surgery. The campaign soon gained national recognition and Kath became a formal advisor for the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) into mesh, which involved attending debates at parliament. .

In July 2018, the use of mesh was suspended across the UK until March 2019, for an independent review. The news of the suspension made national headlines but I was able to localise the story by focusing on how Essex mums had been affected by the national mesh ‘scandal’.

If I was to write the story again, I would ideally have spoken to a medical professional to explain why the mesh was deemed appropriate for so long. While Kath acted as an authoritative figure in my piece, having campaigned and attended debates at parliament, I think this would have elevated the piece.

How well it did for our site:

The story generated 2,868 page views, on Facebook it reached 10,149 people and had almost 1,000 engagements. Since my publication a number of national titles have produced similar content, for example the Daily Mail also published a round-up piece after speaking to women whose lives had been ruined by the surgical mesh.