Kath Sansom, founder of the patient campaign group Sling The Mesh, is to receiveone of the country’s most prestigious health awards — the HealthSense UK Annual Award — marking a rare honour for someone outside academic or medical institutions.
The award, to be presented on Wednesday 22 October at the Royal Society of Medicine in London, recognises individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to evidence-based medicine, ethical healthcare practice, or public understanding of medical issues.
Since its launch in 1993, the accolade has typically gone to senior academics, clinicians, and health researchers — making Sansom’s recognition an exceptional achievement for a grassroots campaigner.
Sansom, of March, Cambridgeshire, founded Sling The Mesh in 2015 after uncovering widespread complications linked to surgical mesh implants, commonly used to treat incontinence, prolapse, and hernia repairs.
The campaign grew rapidly into a powerful national movement, uniting thousands of people — mostly women — who had experienced life-changing injuries from mesh devices made of polypropylene plastic.
Under Sansom’s leadership, the campaign has achieved a series of significant milestones in patient safety and medical regulation.
Among them are the suspension of one type of mesh implant, the reclassification of surgical mesh from a Class IIb to the highest-risk Class III device, and the creation of the Medical Devices Outcomes Registry, which tracks patients with implants to monitor long-term safety.
The group’s advocacy also helped inspire the First Do No Harm report, which called for compensation for mesh-injured women and greater transparency across the health sector.
Another great @cambstimes today- this time focusing on colleague Kath Sansom's inspiring campaign pic.twitter.com/04sdE8Kqyl
— John Elworthy (@johnelworthy) January 29, 2016
Their lobbying contributed to proposed “Sunshine legislation,” aimed at disclosing financial relationships between healthcare professionals and industry, as well as the establishment of the NHS Pelvic Floor Registry to audit outcomes of procedures for pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence.
Sansom said: “I’m deeply honoured to receive this award. It’s powerful recognition that lived experience, investigative work, people’s stories, and grassroots advocacy can drive meaningful change.
“I want to especially acknowledge the many people who’ve supported the campaign behind the scenes — most notably Ruth MacLeod, whose expertise in interpreting flawed scientific research and tireless work in policy have been instrumental in achieving real progress.”
March Cambridgeshire mum wins 2024 Tenacious Awards for mesh campaign
HealthSense UK praised Sansom’s dedication to improving patient safety, describing her as a “courageous voice for transparency and reform in healthcare.”
The organisation, which promotes evidence-based medicine and challenges pseudoscience, rarely gives its annual award to campaigners outside professional health circles.
Sansom’s work has been widely recognised for challenging the status quo — from critiquing flawed scientific literature to exposing medical misogyny and communicating complex medical issues in plain, accessible language.
Her win not only highlights the growing power of patient advocacy but also signals a shift in how lived experience is valued within healthcare reform.
As Sansom put it, “This award shows that the voices of patients can, and should, shape the future of medicine.”
Sling The Mesh victims ‘compensate us NOW’ plea to Government
She added, modestly, “The recognition is typically reserved for career professionals and globally renowned academics in the field of health research and advocacy.
Next part of the campaign by my brilliant, inspirational and truly remarkable colleague and friend Kath Sansom. Go get 'em Kath https://t.co/AZb3BlR5jK
— John Elworthy (@johnelworthy) April 17, 2017
“Not a former regional journalist (Eastern Daily Press and Cambs Times / Ely Standard/ LynnNews) and children’s photographer!”
