Hansard

Item 2 is consideration of continued petitions. The first petition, PE1517, which was lodged by Elaine Holmes and Olive McIlroy on behalf of the Scottish Mesh Survivors hear our voice campaign, is on polypropylene mesh medical devices. The petition calls on the Scottish Government to “1. Suspend use of polypropylene Transvaginal Mesh (TVM) procedures; 2. Initiate a Public Inquiry and/or comprehensive independent research to evaluate the safety of mesh devices using all evidence available, including that from across the world; 3. Introduce mandatory reporting of all adverse incidents by health professionals; 4. Set up a Scottish Transvaginal Mesh implant register with view to linking this up with national and international registers; 5. Introduce fully Informed Consent with uniformity throughout Scotland’s Health Boards; and 6. Write to the MHRA and ask that they reclassify TVM devices to heightened alert status to reflect ongoing concerns worldwide.” At the committee’s previous consideration of the petition in February 2021, it agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport in respect of several outstanding issues, including what action the Scottish Government is taking to rebuild the trust and confidence of the petitioners and other mesh survivors who have been disappointed by the way in which it has pursued some of the actions that are called for in the petition, and whether the Scottish Government will agree to the call for a substantial inquiry to examine what happened to the women, in order to understand how their experience fell so short of what it should have been and to ensure that it does not happen again. The committee has received two submissions from the cabinet secretary, and the petitioners have provided a submission. In her submissions, the cabinet secretary highlights the Scottish Government’s on-going engagement with patients. She explains that the new specialist pelvic mesh removal service will provide a holistic service to patients, and that the service will be shaped by the views of and feedback from the women using it. Although the cabinet secretary hopes that women will have confidence in the new service, she recognises that that may not be the case. To that end, women will be able to have care from surgeons in NHS England. In recognition that some women may wish to be treated by a surgeon outwith the national health service, she confirms that “NHS National Services Scotland intends, at the earliest opportunity, to issue an invitation to tender for specified mesh removal services”, which will “provide an additional option for patients that will include the possibility of referral outside the NHS, which includes the possibility of referral outside the UK.” I welcome John Scott, Jackson Carlaw and Neil Findlay to the committee for consideration of the petition. Before I ask committee members for their comments, I will go to our visitors, starting with Jackson Carlaw.