‘Strong case to extend eligibility for mesh removal’ government told
The Scottish Government has been told there is a "strong case" for allowing more women to benefit from legislation which would see them recoup the costs of private mesh removal surgery.
Members of Holyrood's health committee have backed a bill from the Scottish Government which would reimburse those who have paid for the operation to be done outside of the NHS.
It comes in the wake of a moratorium on vaginal mesh surgery in Scotland after a number of women reported suffering painful and debilitating side effects.
In June, the Scottish Government confirmed it would reimburse the cost of private surgery for women who have already had mesh implants removed.
Such surgeries cost between £16,000 and £23,000, and the Transvaginal Mesh Removal (Cost Reimbursement) (Scotland) Bill proposes a scheme to reimburse those who have paid for private treatment.
The committee has now given its backing to the general principles of the legislation saying it sets out "to ensure fairness and parity of treatment for all individuals in relation to transvaginal mesh removal services".
But they added that "greater clarity" was needed about the residency criteria to be used to determine which women would qualify.
The committee stated: "There is a strong case for individuals who had their original mesh implant surgery undertaken by NHS Scotland but who were not ordinarily resident in Scotland at the time their mesh removal surgery was arranged to also qualify for reimbursement under the terms of the bill."
Convener Gillian Martin said: "The committee heard first-hand of the traumatic experiences of women negatively affected by transvaginal mesh surgery.
"This emphasises the importance of providing reimbursement to those who have arranged mesh removal surgery and why this Bill is so important.
"Our committee supports the general principles of this bill and the goal of ensuring fairness for all individuals affected. At the same time, the evidence we have gathered also highlights the need for more clarity on various aspects of the reimbursement scheme."