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PE1517: Polypropylene Mesh Medical Devices

Petition summary

Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to:

Suspend use of polypropylene Transvaginal Mesh (TVM) procedures
Initiate a Public Inquiry and/or comprehensive independent research to evaluate the safety of mesh devices using all evidence available, including that from across the world
Introduce mandatory reporting of all adverse incidents by health professionals
Set up a Scottish Transvaginal Mesh implant register with view to linking this up with national and international registers
Introduce fully Informed Consent with uniformity throughout Scotland’s Health Boards
Write to the MHRA and ask that they reclassify TVM devices to heightened alert status to reflect ongoing concerns worldwide

Petitioner: Elaine Holmes and Olive McIlroy on behalf of Scottish Mesh Survivors - "Hear Our Voice" campaign

Status: Closed

Date published: 19 March 2014

Click here for the full petition

SPICe Briefing

Committee Meetings

3 June 2014: The Committee took evidence from Elaine Holmes, Olive McIlroy, and Marion Scott, Sunday Mail. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government, the Medicines Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, NHS National Services Scotland, the European Commission, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, the British Medical Association Scotland and NHS boards. The Committee also agreed to invite the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing to give evidence at a future meeting.

Official Report of Meeting 3 June 2014

17 June 2014: The Committee took evidence from Alex Neil, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, and Dr Frances Elliot, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Scottish Government. The Committee agreed to invite Adam Slater, Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman, LLC, to give evidence via video link at a future meeting. The Committee also agreed to explore the possibility of meeting the European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy at a future date.

Official Report of Meeting 17 June 2014

11 November 2014: The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government and the Department of Health.

Official Report of Meeting 11 November 2014

27 January 2015: The Committee agreed to reschedule the evidence session with Adam Slater. The Committee also agreed to invite the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, the Chair of the Independent Review of Transvaginal Mesh Implants and the European Commission to give evidence at a future meeting.

Official Report of Meeting 27 January 2015

24 February 2015: The Committee took evidence from:

Dr Neil McGuire, Consultant in Intensive Care and Anaesthesia, Clinical Director Devices, and Sally Mounter, Senior Medical Device Specialist, Biosciences and Implants Devices Division, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency;

and then, via videoconference, from:

Adam M Slater, Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman, LLC.

The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government to seek its assurance that the evidence of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency and Mr Slater would be taken account of by the Independent Review of Transvaginal Mesh Implants. The Committee also agreed that the evidence sessions with the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport, the Chair of the Independent Review and the European Commission would take place after publication of the Independent Review's findings.

Official Report of Meeting 24 February 2015

12 May 2015: The Committee agreed to write to the European Commission's Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the British Society of Urogynaecology.

Official Report of Meeting 12 May 2015

6 October 2015: The Committee took evidence from:

Dr Lesley Wilkie, Chair, Independent Review of Transvaginal Mesh Implants, Dr Rachael Wood, Consultant in Public Health Medicine, NHS Information Services Division and Dr Phil Mackie, Lead Consultant in Public Health, Scottish Public Health Network;

and then from:

Shona Robison, Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport, and Catherine Calderwood, Chief Medical Officer, Scottish Government.

The Committee agreed to consider the evidence heard at a future meeting.

Official Report of Meeting 6 October 2015

26 January 2016: The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government.

Official Report of Meeting 26 January 2016

8 March 2016: The Committee agreed to include the petition in its legacy paper for consideration by the Session 5 Public Petitions Committee. In doing so, the Committee agreed to write to the UK Government.

Official Report of Meeting 8 March 2016

29 September 2016: The Committee agreed to defer further consideration of the petition until the final report of the Independent Review is published and to seek an update from the Scottish Government on the work of the expert group.

Official Report of Meeting 29 September 2016

18 May 2017: The Committee agreed to invite the petitioners to provide oral evidence at a future meeting, to invite members of the Independent Review to make submissions to the Committee, to seek time for a debate on the petition and to seek clarification about powers in relation to the regulation of medical devices.

Official Report of Meeting 18 May 2017

26 October 2017: The Committee agreed to consider a draft report in private at a future meeting.

Official Report of Meeting 26 October 2017

7 June 2018: The Committee considered a draft report on petition PE1517 in private. The Committee agreed to continue consideration of the draft report in private at future meetings.

21 June 2018: The Committee considered a revised report on petition PE1517 in private. Various changes were agreed to, and the Committee agreed to consider a further draft by correspondence.

5 September 2019: The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government. It also agreed to write to Dr Dionysios Veronikis,Obstetrician-gynaecologist based in Missouri, USA.

Official Report of Meeting 5 September 2019

3 September 2020: The Committee agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Heath and Sport.

Official Report of Meeting 3 September 2020

22 October 2020: The Committee took evidence from Dr Dionysios Veronikis MD, FACOG, FACS, Director Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery, Center for Vaginal Surgery and Urogynecology. The Committee agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport. It also agreed to write to the petitioners, Dr Wael Agur, the Chief Medical Officer and other relevant professional bodies.

Official Report of Meeting 22 October 2020

10 February 2021: The Committee agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport. The Committee also agreed to write to the Health and Sport Committee.

Official Report of Meeting 10 February 2021

24 March 2021: The Committee agreed to continue this petition and include it in its legacy paper for its successor Committee, along with a suggestion to refer the petition to the Health and Sport Committee.

Official Report of Meeting 24 March 2021

8 September2021: The Committee agreed to close the petition under Rule 15.7 of Standing Orders on the basis that the Scottish Government has published the Transvaginal Mesh Removal (Cost Reimbursement) (Scotland) Bill to allow it to set up a scheme which could pay back people who have paid private healthcare costs to have their transvaginal mesh implant removed; and has and continues to take a range of actions which aim to address several of the key actions called for in the petition. The Committee also agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care.

Official Report of Meeting 8 September 2021