A product switch at University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay has reduced hernia recurrence by 99 per cent and delivered £1.57 million in savings for the trust.
The NHS Supply Chain switch has improved patient outcomes and reduced systemwide costs.
Around 100,000 hernia repairs take place each year in England, with Complex Abdominal Wall Reconstruction (CAWR) patients historically facing high recurrence rates. The most commonly used biologic meshes often degrade over time, leading to repeat surgeries, long recoveries and increasing pressure on NHS resources.
A few years ago, a new ovine collagen second-generation mesh showed some promise and NHS Supply Chain worked closely with University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay to understand the root causes of recurrence and evaluate the new mesh in real world settings.
The results show that grade 3 patients, who previously experienced an 80 per cent recurrence rate over three years with BADM (Bovine Acellular Dermal Matrix) meshes, now only experience a 0.8 per cent recurrence rate with the new mesh. This results in shorter hospital stays and fewer complications.
The switch drove a 50 per cent reduction in pathway costs over a year, generating £1.57 million in productivity and efficiency savings for the trust.
NHS Supply Chain has identified further trusts to partner with, scaling the second-generation mesh initiative nationally.
Mr Paul Wilson, MB, ChB (Hons), FRCS Ed, FRCS (Gen) Consultant in General, Laparoscopic and Abdominal Wall Reconstruction Surgery, University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay, said: "Our reconstructions over the last three and a half years have demonstrated excellent clinical outcomes and significantly lower recurrence and complication rates vs our BADM series."
Ian Dodd, Clinical Engagement and Implementation Manager at NHS Supply Chain, added: "This pioneering collaboration between NHS Supply Chain, leading NHS clinicians and innovative suppliers has delivered a game changing solution. Durable, culturally acceptable surgical mesh technologies are significantly improving patient outcomes while reducing unnecessary clinical interventions and freeing up valuable NHS resources."
