Mesh implant Scotland: MSPs pass Bill to compensate women who paid for removal surgery

MSPs have passed a Bill which will compensate women who had to pay for mesh implant removal surgery.

The Scottish Parliament unanimously passed the Transvaginal Mesh Removal (Cost Reimbursement) (Scotland) Bill on Tuesday.

Hundreds of women were left with painful, life-changing side effects when they received the implant surgery.

Many were led to believe that the surgery would improve their health after facing issues such as incontinence and prolapse following childbirth.

Mesh implant patients protest outside the New Victoria Hospital in Glasgow: Pic: John Devlin

The use of the implants was stopped in Scotland in 2018.

As part of the Scottish Government’s plan to address the mesh scandal, a private hospital in Bristol will be made available to carry out mesh implant removal surgery.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said the Spire Healthcare facility would be ready for NHS referrals next month.

Women who paid to have mesh implants removed privately will also have the cost of the surgery reimbursed.

The surgery is also available on the NHS in Scotland and the government is in discussions with Dr Dionysios Veronikis – a US expert in mesh removal.

During the Stage 3 debate on Tuesday, Mr Yousaf updated MSPs on the NHS referral route to private surgery.

He said: “I can confirm today that commissioning negotiations with Spire Healthcare have now been completed.

“We expect that contracts for a framework agreement will be exchanged either this week or next, and the Spire hospital in Bristol is expected to become available for referrals during February.

“Discussions between National Services Scotland and Dr Veronikis are also progressing very positively, thanks to the commitment of all parties.”

He continued: “It is wrong that women felt that using their own funds to arrange surgery for mesh removal was their only option and I can only imagine the distress which led people to that point.

“In some cases having to pay tens of thousands of pounds, taking out loans, borrowing money from family members and friends, the financial impact alone of private mesh removal surgery will have been severe, let alone the physical and mental health impacts of such a process.”

Last year, the Scottish Government confirmed it would reimburse the cost of private surgery for women who have already had mesh implants removed.

Such surgeries typically cost between £16,000 and £23,000.

Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane said his party supported the Bill.

During the debate, he said: “We’ve heard from women with harrowing experiences of mesh surgery and so many faced scepticism. They were simply not believed when they were crying out for help.

“The pain, infections, reduced mobility reduced mobility, autoimmune issues, difficulty with intimacy and psychological strain. They were simply not believed.”

He continued: “It’s no surprise that so many women sadly lost trust in our Scottish NHS and turn to private healthcare providers in the UK or abroad.”

Scottish Labour’s Carol Mochan said: “These reforms have come about as part of our lengthy and well-considered response to what were reasonable worries expressed by those who are so unfairly given the treatment.

“Securing adequate reimbursement is not only practical, fair and just, but it expresses our regret as a nation that anyone could be left in pain or distress that so many of the women were.

“We must learn from this and ensure that it’s never allowed to happen again.”

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