Supporting women injured by mesh

A bill has been proposed to enable women who paid for mesh removal surgery to be refunded.

Subject to the outcome of the Scottish Parliament election, new legislation will be introduced to allow the Scottish Government to meet the travel, medical and other reasonable expenses of those who had mesh removal surgery outwith NHS Scotland.  Currently the law does not allow for such payments to be made from public funds.

NHS Scotland is also inviting tenders to allow suitably qualified surgeons to perform free mesh removal, where this surgery is clinically appropriate and where patients wish it to take place outside of NHS Scotland. 

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “The Scottish Government halted the implantation of transvaginal mesh in 2018, and is committed to keeping this halt in place."

“We absolutely recognise the serious distress which may have led to women using their own funds to pay for private surgery. As the Scottish Government does not currently have the legal power to refund these past costs we propose introducing legislation in the next parliament, subject to the outcome of the election."

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Source: Scottish Government, 24 March 2021