25 Nov 2019
Mesh campaigners have been praised after securing a long-awaited meeting with the First Minister.
The women, supported by MSPs across the political spectrum, will have a face-to-face meeting with Nicola Sturgeon in Glasgow tomorrow (Monday).
It comes following pressure from MSPs from the Scottish Conservatives, Labour and the SNP.
Scottish Conservative leader Jackson Carlaw directly challenged Ms Sturgeon to meet the campaigners at First Minister’s Questions last month.
The campaigners have spent years highlighting the problems with mesh implants, and the importance of securing a leading US surgeon to carry out removal procedures and train other medics in the process.
Scottish Conservative leader Jackson Carlaw said:
“These brave women have campaigned for years for justice.
“I’m delighted they’ve finally secured their meeting with the First Minister, and I hope this now leads to real change.
“The work to raise the profile of this appeal, and the plight of the women whose lives have been so devastated by this procedure, has been a genuinely cross-party effort.
“It just shows how effective politics can be when everyone puts aside their differences to work together.”
SNP MSP Alex Neil said:
“This is a critically important meeting to progress the mesh campaign
“The key objective is to ensure that everything possible is done to meet the needs of the women affected by botched procedures in particular by obtaining the services of Dr Veronikis.
“His pioneering work on mesh is world leading and women in Scotland deserve the best.”
Elaine Holmes, who leads the mesh campaign, said:
“Scottish mesh survivors have long requested a meeting with the First Minister in our fight for justice and we are pleased that this opportunity has now arisen.
“It is vital that the meeting is used to address a number of substantive issues where progress must be made such as bringing Dr Veronikis to Scotland.
“I and countless other women in Scotland have suffered life changing injuries because of mesh and we will be seeking a range of commitments on Monday where action must be taken by the Scottish Government.”
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