Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 24 November 2021
I extend my thanks to the committee for its report. I, too, want to put on record my admiration for the women who have fought with dignity and determination to get Parliament to where we are today. I know that the debate would not be taking place but for the bravery of the Scottish mesh survivors and, indeed, their demand for the bill and their willingness to share their phenomenally powerful personal stories.
I congratulate Siobhian Brown on her speech and thank her constituent Isobel, who has allowed her story to be shared. It is through such stories that we see the significant impact of events that began more than a decade ago and have carried on since. That willingness to share is important, as it allows people who are unaware of the suffering to empathise and see what has happened.
We are fortunate to have a national health service that is free at the point of use. Throughout the pandemic, we have seen the very best of our NHS and its heroic workforce. However, we must hold up our hands and accept that mistakes were made, with many—far too many—women being failed when they had transvaginal mesh devices inserted by NHS doctors. As a result, and to this day, many women are reluctant to return to those same surgeons to have devices removed. I sympathise with them—I understand their position. It will take a long time for trust to be rebuilt between the NHS and those women.
For that reason and many more, I support the overall aims and principles of the bill. Women have gone through a traumatic experience since having their mesh fitted and it is right that the Scottish Government covers the related costs that have been incurred in removing devices. After all, it has taken us a long time to get to this point—perhaps too long.
If you will allow me, Presiding Officer, I would like to pose a few questions to the cabinet secretary and the minister—not to raise disagreement, but to seek advice. Today, in Glasgow, mesh survivors felt the need to protest outside the New Victoria hospital. Part of that protest is about the length of time that they have been told they may have to wait for initial assessments—there is talk of a wait of up to two years. There are members of the mesh survivors group who are there today who have had their appointments cancelled with just a week’s notice. Those are the very women we are asking to trust our NHS again. I know that there are challenging problems—we are all aware of that—but for that particular group of women, much more should be done to bring reassurance and confidence.
In his opening speech, the cabinet secretary talked about the 33 women who have received their mesh removal operations. Can he tell us how many women are still waiting for mesh removal?
A number of members have spoken today about the challenge around the date that it is anticipated will be in the bill. I very much welcome the cabinet secretary’s willingness to reconsider the date, but will he comment on whether it could be the date on which on-going surgery is commissioned? In that way, we would know that all the women survivors were covered, up to the point at which there is an alternative, suitable and supported method to support the journey to the end of the problem.
I welcome all the speeches that I have heard today, particularly those that have included the powerful testimony of individual women who have suffered from mesh implants. We should not have been in this place, but we are. It is now for Parliament to show that there is a way out, but it has to be done swiftly, so that trust in the NHS can be restored.