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PE1924: Complete an emergency in-depth review of Women's Health services in Caithness & Sutherland

Petition Summary

Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to complete an emergency in-depth review of Women's Health services in Caithness & Sutherland. Women's health services are now breaching basic human rights and we fear someone will lose their life due to the lack of gynaecology care.

Petitioner: Rebecca Wymer

Status: Under consideration

Date published: 20 December 2021

Click here for the full petition

SPICe Briefing (203KB, pdf) posted 18 January 2022

Committee Meetings

9 March 2022: The committee agreed to consider this petition alongside PE1845: Agency to advocate for the healthcare needs of rural Scotland, PE1890: Find solutions to recruitment and training challenges for rural healthcare in Scotland and PE1915 Reinstate Caithness Council Council and Caithness NHS Board at a future evidence session and to hear evidence from the petitioner.

Official Report of Meeting 9 March 2022

8 June 2022: The Committee took evidence from petitioner Rebecca Wymer and agreed to consider the evidence heard at a future meeting.

Official Report of Meeting 8 June 2022

15 June 2022: The Committee agreed to refer the petition to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, in the context of that committee’s wider consideration of health inequalities.

Official Report of Meeting 15 June 2022

Written Submissions

PE1924/A: Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care submission of 25 January 2022

PE1924/B: Petitioner submission of 2 March 2022

PE1924/C: Petitioner submission of 8 June 2022 (104KB, pdf) posted 10 June 2022

Committee Meetings

25 October 2022: The Committee considered the following petitions—PE1915: Reinstate Caithness County Council and Caithness NHS Board. The Committee agreed to close the petition. PE1845: Agency to advocate for the healthcare needs of rural Scotland; PE1890: Find solutions to recruitment and training challenges for rural healthcare in Scotland; and PE1924: Complete an emergency in-depth review of Women's Health services in Caithness & Sutherland. The Committee agreed to write to rural health boards seeking evidence on the issues raised within the petitions before inviting the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to give oral evidence to the Committee.

Official Report of Meeting 25 October 2022

17 January 2023: The Committee took evidence from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care. The Committee agreed to consider the evidence heard at a future meeting.

Official Report of Meeting 17 January 2023

21 February 2023: The Committee considered the following petitions—PE1845: Agency to advocate for the healthcare needs of rural Scotland; PE1890: Find solutions to recruitment and training challenges for rural healthcare in Scotland. The Committee agreed to close the petitions under Rule 15.7 of Standing Orders on the basis that the Committee would consider the issues raised in them as part of a broader inquiry into remote and rural healthcare, to be considered as part of its future work programme. PE1924: Complete an emergency in-depth review of Women's Health services in Caithness & Sutherland. The Committee agreed to defer further consideration of the petition until after the Best Start North Review has concluded.

Official Report of Meeting 21 February 2023