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Health, Social Care and Sport Committee 24 February 2026 [Draft]

24 Feb 2026 · S6 · Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

Item of business

Non-surgical Procedures and Functions of Medical Reviewers (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

MacGregor, Fulton SNP Coatbridge and Chryston Watch on SPTV

First, I thank Emma Harper for speaking to amendment 75 earlier. Trains going through Bathgate were all cancelled today, which caused all manner of difficulties, but Emma Harper spoke to my amendment much more articulately and succinctly than I would have done.All of my amendments today come from the same place, after a number of constituents spoke to me about their concerns relating to the bill. Like other amendments that we have heard debated this morning, they try to bring to the fore the importance of recognising the people whose lives and livelihoods might be directly shaped by the decisions that we take on the bill. The non-surgical procedures sector in Scotland is largely made up of self-employed practitioners, mostly women, many of whom are young working-class women who are building and sustaining small businesses in their local communities. They have invested in training, premises and insurance and they take seriously their responsibilities to their clients. I know that it is not the intention of the Government or the bill to harm that group of people.In my engagement with constituents in the sector, their message has been consistent. Practitioners want clear standards, recognised qualifications and an appropriate regulatory framework. They do not oppose the bill and they understand the importance of patient safety and of maintaining public confidence. At the same time, they are seeking a system that reflects the level of risk involved in different procedures and the scale of the businesses that are delivering them—a fair and just system that does not unduly penalise them.My amendments across several groups are intended to support that balance. They aim to ensure that standards for premises, training and enforcement are aligned with risk, are workable for small providers and provide clarity for those seeking to operate responsibly. In doing so, they recognise the importance both of protecting patients and of sustaining a sector that provides employment, opportunity and valued services across Scotland.I would like to thank several constituents who have taken the time to educate me on this issue and let me know their concerns. I will not name them all, but, in particular, I am very grateful to Sabrina Kilta, Joanne Haggerty and Paula Adams.I turn to amendments 80 and 115 in my name. Amendment 80 would introduce a statutory duty on Scottish ministers to establish—through regulations—minimum training and qualification requirements for those providing non-surgical procedures. It would allow different standards to be set for different procedures and require that those are proportionate to the risks involved, ensuring that regulation targets genuine patient safety concerns arising from inadequate training rather than professional background. By mandating regulated, treatment-specific qualifications for all practitioners, including healthcare professionals, the amendment would promote consistent safety standards, professional parity and alignment with emerging UK best practice, strengthening public confidence and patient protection across the sector.Amendment 115 is a consequential amendment to set the procedure for the regulations. Above all, the amendments reflect what responsible practitioners have told us they want: clarity about what is required, recognition of their skills and a fair system that applies equally to everyone delivering these treatments. That would give those who are working hard to meet high standards the confidence that their professionalism will be recognised, and the public can have assurance in the qualifications behind the services that they receive.I have had discussions with the minister’s office, and my intention at this stage is for these to be probing amendments. We will hear what the minister says, but the aim is to do some more work on them ahead of stage 3.

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Health, Social Care and Sport Committee 24 February 2026 [Draft]

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