Scottish government apologises to victims of mesh implant scandal
The Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has issued an apology on behalf of the Scottish government to women affected by a growing scandal centred around vaginal mesh implants.
Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood spoke on Thursday 25th October during First Minister’s Questions at the Scottish Parliament in Holyrood and voiced his support for women whose lives have been irreversibly affected by the mesh implant scandal.
Carlaw who is also deputy leader of the Scottish conservative Party, was standing in for Scottish tory party leader Ruth Davidson, who is on maternity leave, and used his FMQ debut to call on the Scottish government to say sorry.
Carlaw referred to the mesh scandal as the ‘greatest self-inflicted health scandal since Thalidomide in the 60s’ and continued to press the issue with the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, saying “First Minister, just how badly let down have the thousands of Scottish women fitted with a Mesh device been?”
He added, “Will the First Minister now, on behalf of the Scottish Government, apologise to all the women in Scotland who have suffered?”
The mesh implant scandal refers to a controversial procedure where surgeons implanted mesh medical devices to treat pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence in women, these conditions can occur after childbirth.
Nicola Sturgeon addressed Carlaw’s concerns, and said, “Let me say today on behalf of the Scottish Government I apologise unreservedly to any woman who has suffered because of mesh procedures.”
Sturgeon continued, “In terms of the women affected, I have deep and very profound sympathy for what they have gone through and the position that they have found themselves in”
The MSP for Eastwood also called for women in Scotland affected by the mesh implant scandal to be given access to the blue badge disability scheme.
Carlaw said, “Many of the women whose mobility has been impaired by Mesh are currently simply not eligible (for the blue badge scheme). To them, access to the Blue Badge scheme – those in wheelchairs and on crutches – would be a hugely welcome and practical advantage.”
Their use of mesh implants was suspended in 2014 by NHS Scotland amid safety concerns, after a request from the Scottish government to allow proper investigation into mesh devices as a result of some women reporting to be suffering from side-effects.
Some of the reported side-effects included severe and contestant abdominal and vaginal pain post-surgery. Numerous women reported infections and bleeding and others have complained that their incontinence symptoms have persisted, despite the mesh being implanted.
A number of women have been left unable to walk properly following the procedure and are forced to use crutches or wheelchairs when they need to walk due to impaired mobility.
The Blue Badge scheme enables holders to access parking bays situated closer to where they want to go, for example, their place of employment or the shops. Badge holders are exempt from certain parking restrictions across the UK.