To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many hernia mesh surgeries have taken place in each of the last 20 years; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that patients are informed of the risks of mesh complications.
Answered on
25 March 2025
The following table shows the count of Finished Consultant Episodes (FCEs) where there was any procedure for 'hernia mesh surgeries', recorded for the years 2004/05 to 2023/24, in English National Health Service hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector:
Year | FCEs |
2004/05 | 77,849 |
2005/06 | 79,748 |
2006/07 | 83,789 |
2007/08 | 89,063 |
2008/09 | 87,401 |
2009/10 | 85,519 |
2010/11 | 85,697 |
2011/12 | 90,593 |
2012/13 | 89,676 |
2013/14 | 95,608 |
2014/15 | 95,854 |
2015/16 | 92,147 |
2016/17 | 93,887 |
2017/18 | 89,016 |
2018/19 | 89,951 |
2019/20 | 81,780 |
2020/21 | 39,034 |
2021/22 | 70,884 |
2022/23 | 78,917 |
2023/24 | 83,045 |
Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS England.
Clinicians are expected to inform patients about risks associated with recommended treatments, including reasonable alternatives, to enable informed consent and a balanced patient decision.