Chamber and committees

It is the responsibility of the MHRA to regulate medical devices in the UK, and the Scottish Government will act as necessary, according to its advice.

The resignation of the two members was unfortunate, has caused me concern, and I plan to meet with Ms McIlroy and Ms Holmes shortly in order to properly understand their reasons for resigning. I am, however, aware that Ms McIlroy and Ms Holmes have contributed much to the Review over the past three years and would hope that this is reflected in the Review’s final report.

I understand that all relevant evidence available has been considered by the Review. The passage of time between the publication of the Interim Report and the forthcoming Final Report is due to the Review awaiting the publication of several key studies.

Adverse incidents involving any medical device must be reported as per General Medical Practice guidance.

The number of transobturator mesh tape and prolapse mesh procedures carried out by the NHS between June 2014 to Sep 2016 are set out in the following tables. The numbers of procedures carried out by each Health Board are not broken down by month due to the small numbers of patients involved.

Note: where a figure is not given, this is to protect patient confidentiality due to the small numbers involved.

Source: NHS National Services Scotland.

The Independent Review’s secretariat has provided support to all members of the Review. This has included, amongst other things, the arranging meetings at convenient times and in appropriate accommodation, the arranging of teleconferencing facilities, the provision of hard copy papers, the refunding of travelling expenses, and other assistance upon request. Scottish Government officials are unable to provide legal advice.

The Scottish Government has not made an assessment of these costs.

Decisions around the circumstances in which the use of mesh in any individual patient’s treatment is appropriate are a matter between the patient and the clinicians involved in her case. The Independent Review is expected to publish its final report during the spring. Health Boards will take appropriate action depending on the report's recommendations.

The commitment within the Scottish budget to invest £150 million over the next five years is from 2017-18 to 2021-22. £30 million is earmarked for allocation in 2017-18. The allocation profile for future years is currently being agreed, and will be subject to future Spending Review decisions.

The commitment in the Scottish budget is that in future years investment in mental health will grow at a rate above the overall growth in the frontline budget. No specific percentage rate has been agreed. NHS Boards will report on mental health expenditure through the normal route in due course.