The Scottish Government is to convene a group of experts and NHS doctors to ‘look again’ at the care of women who are suffering from the ongoing complications of transvaginal mesh implants, the Health Secretary has announced.  

And a sub-group of academics and senior medical managers will examine a “range of options”, including best practice from Europe and the USA, to see what lessons can be applied to Scotland. 

It will also looking at the training and resource requirements needed to have high quality services for patients and the course of care for patients suffering from complications will be reviewed. 

The announcement comes after a Scottish Parliament debate earlier this week that saw MSPs call for more treatment options to be available on the Scottish NHS.  

Conservative interim leader Jackson Carlaw, Labour’s Neil Findlay and former SNP health secretary Alex Neil led cross-party calls for mesh survivors to have the option of full mesh removal, after a pioneering American surgeon offered to carry out operations in Scotland and train Scottish doctors.  

Speaking in the debate, Mr Neil said: “For many women, removal of the mesh is the last-chance saloon for them to try to recover at least some of their health”.  

Some women have had the mesh removed—partially or even entirely—in Scotland. However, it appears that the new technology and techniques pioneered by Dr Veronikis in St Louis in the United States are on a level of their own…Clearly, we need to be sure that such procedures can happen for our people here in Scotland.” 

Though Ms Freeman said the issue was ultimately clinical and that should not be decided by her, she told MSPs:  

“With the clinicians involved, we—and I—need to look at whether additional training, expertise and learning can be provided by Dr Veronikis or others and what we need to do to ensure that that happens.” 

Previously used to treat pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence – often caused by childbirth – the use of synthetic mesh implants has been halted in Scotland since the Health Secretary ordered a moratorium on its use last September.  

Some women were left with painful, often permanent, complications from mesh procedures – including chronic pain, exacerbated incontinence and pain during sexual intercourse.  

It is estimated there are 1,000 women in Scotland who could need implants removed.