New registry to deliver safer path for women’s pelvic health

SECTOR UPDATE - Health NZ | Te Whatu Ora

Health New Zealand is progressing work towards New Zealand’s first registry for female pelvic floor procedures, including mesh.

“Late last year, we signed an agreement with Melbourne’s Monash University to implement the Australasian Pelvic Floor Procedure Register (APFPR) here in New Zealand,” says Dr Richard Sullivan, Health New Zealand Executive National Director Clinical.

“Since then, we’ve partnered with the Centre for Health Outcome Measures New Zealand (CHOMNZ), a charitable trust that is experienced managing health registries, to support a safe, seamless rollout of the registry across New Zealand.

“We’re now working to ensure the Australasian register is adapted for the New Zealand context and once that is complete, we will undertake a pilot study to trial the registry processes, which we hope to start in late 2026,” he says.

This is a significant step towards meeting the final safeguard needing to be satisfied, before the Surgical Mesh Round Table (SMRT) can consider if the conditions of the time-limited pause in the use of surgical mesh to treat stress urinary incontinence that was implemented in August 2023 have been met.

The conditions and pause were recommended by the SMRT, an oversight and monitoring group chaired by the Ministry of Health, to minimise harm linked to the procedure and is the result of a long-standing restorative justice process.

Other key conditions included mandatory credentialling of surgeons, a structured informed consent process that was co-designed with consumers and patient case discussion at regional stress urinary incontinence multi-disciplinary meetings. There was also a requirement for clinical staff education to ensure high-quality care. All safeguards have been fulfilled, apart from the national registry.

“This work highlights our absolute commitment to provide better and safer women’s pelvic and urinary health and is part of a robust response to issues of the past,” Dr Sullivan says. 

Source: Health NZ | Te Whatu Ora media release

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