Ms Mary McLaughlin:

If I could explain in respect of the mesh pathways, we have a local multidisciplinary team, MDT, which deals with what it calls non-complex complications. The women concerned have to go through that step, and only if that local MDT deems that they can go to the mesh complications MDT do the women go to the next step. The mesh complications MDT then decides if it can operate.

If it decides it can operate then the woman is kept in the local services. It is a non-complicated level, a complicated level and a complex level. It is only if the complex team says it cannot do it that they then start to look elsewhere. There are a lot of steps to get through and the women falling at the first hurdles.