Letter from Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care regarding the procurement exercise for mesh removal services, 15 July 2021
Dear Convener,
Thank you for your letter dated 28 June 2021, following the first meeting of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee.
You asked for an update on the procurement exercise for mesh removal services, to inform the Committee’s scrutiny of the Transvaginal Mesh Removal (Cost Reimbursement) (Scotland) Bill. I am pleased to confirm that, earlier this week, I announced that this exercise had concluded and two contracts have been awarded; one to Spire Healthcare in Bristol and another to the Mercy Hospital in Missouri, St Louis.
The contracts are expected to start later this Summer, and are subject to agreement and compliance with, the terms specified by NHS National Services Scotland (NSS).
These additional services will complement the Complex Pelvic Mesh Removal Service already established in NHS Scotland, and alongside the option of referral to NHS England Centres, are intended to allow everyone affected by transvaginal mesh complications choice over where their treatment and care is delivered.
The procurement exercise has been undertaken in line with NHS NSS’s standard commissioning procedures, with quality of care and patient safety of paramount importance.
I hope that this will be welcome news to those so badly affected.
Kind regards
Transvaginal Mesh Removal (Cost Reimbursement) (Scotland) Bill